Surviving For Humanity (Book 4): Tides of Humanity

by Nelson, Kip

  “I'm not going to be able to sleep. So, I might as well be doing something useful,” Tillman said.

  “Then we're coming with you,” Jessica said.

  “You don't have to do that,” Tillman replied.

  “We do. Tillman, you can't always do these things alone, and what's more is that you don't have to. Besides, it's been a long time since the three of us have done anything together. It'd be nice to have a little quality time,” Morelle said.

  Part of Tillman wanted to fight, although he wasn't sure why. The thought of spending time with Jessica and Morelle was pleasing, and they were both capable women.

  “I suppose it's decided then. Tonight, we'll go for a stroll in the woods.”

  The rest of the day passed without incident. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Tillman looked at it and wondered how something so beautiful could have caused so much devastation. The solar flares had wreaked havoc on Earth as they passed through the atmosphere, and the entire human race had yet to recover. It remained to be seen if they ever would. They depended on the sun for their existence. It was grimly poetic that it may well be the source of their destruction as well.

  Tillman spared a thought for the other humans living on Earth, facing the same predicament. He considered the possibility that others were doing a better job of it than him. Every country suffered at the hands of the blazing sun. He likely never would know how the other survivors fared. One day he hoped that communication across the globe would be restored so they all could share their stories. But it seemed a forlorn hope, especially if others were faced with the same infighting and betrayal they themselves faced.

  Tillman stood alone as the Moon took its celestial throne. Stars twinkled upon the black canvas of the night sky, and all seemed quiet. As he looked around at the houses of the neighborhood, the faint glow of candlelight illuminated the windows. Far off in the distance he could hear the howling of wild animals, stalking through the night. Major's ears pricked up, and he howled in response. Tillman looked down at the sturdy animal and smirked. He'd never really had a pet before. His life had been filled with travel and it didn’t seem as though it would be fair to the animal. Now that he had Major by his side, he realized what he'd been missing all these years.

  The companionship, the devotion, the loyalty. For so many years Tillman had wandered the world alone. He'd had many friends and acquaintances, yet always had been content to return to his empty apartment and enjoy his solitude. That had changed, though. Ever since the world had ended his perspective had shifted. Slowly but surely he had grown to depend on other people's company, to be involved in their lives and give himself to them.

  It was the first time since Angela that he ever had felt a part of the world, surrendering himself to the well-being of others rather than being focused solely on his own life. It was as though his heart cracked open after years of being sealed. All the emotion that had been held within him suddenly poured out and he had to clutch his cane for fear that his knees would give out underneath him. Reeling, he bit his lower lip and breathed deeply. He had isolated himself for so long, he hadn't realized how much of a toll it had taken on his soul. Being around family again reminded him of his youth, and all the dreams he'd had.

  At one point he had imagined himself having a family with Angela. That life never had come to fruition, and he was forced to face all the regrets that weighed down his soul. His life could have taken many paths, but the one he had taken had led him back here, where it almost felt as though he had to restart his life from scratch.

  Composing himself, he spent a little while longer looking at the Moon before he decided to withdraw into the house for dinner. He and Fernando were somber. Greg and Ana tried keeping things upbeat by talking about their day. Tillman didn't feel much like talking. His mind was on the evening. Soon enough it came time for the three of them to depart. Fernando grumbled a little bit about Morelle and Jessica going with Tillman. He still held the opinion that women shouldn't undertake dangerous tasks. Yet, he didn't complain too loudly.

  The Moon was bright, although their eyes had become used to working in dim light. Tillman, Morelle, and Jessica strolled out of the neighborhood toward the tributary where the bases had been built. The people of the community who were not on watch undoubtedly were sleeping soundly, except for the saboteur or saboteurs. Tillman had no doubt in his mind they were planning something else, and he wouldn't see the people, his people, demoralized two days in a row.

  Major's feet patted the ground ahead of the three of them when suddenly he stopped, his body straight as an arrow. His nose pointed forward. Tillman held out his hands, indicating for the others to stop. There was a rustling in the bushes. Morelle gasped, and Tillman peered into the darkness. Suddenly, a shadow darted out and stood in front of Major.

  Major growled at the wild dog. The dog's beady eyes gleamed and it seemed ready to pounce, but then Major strode forward. The wild dog was a mangy-looking thing, desperately hungry. It also was also scared, intimidated by Major's confident snarl. It whimpered and ran away, disappearing into the depths of the woods. The danger had passed quickly and Tillman took pride in Major's strength, but also pitied the wild dog. He knew that if he hadn't come along when he did, Major likely would have turned out that way. There were fine margins in life, and it also made him think about how he might have changed if his life had been different.

  “That was a close call,” Morelle said.

  “There might be more stray animals coming to visit soon if they smell our food. The noise of our neighborhood might be enough to make them wary, but eventually their curiosity, and desperation, will get the better of them. It's just one more thing we'll have to prepare a defense against,” Tillman said.

  He walked up to Major and rubbed the dog behind his ears.

  “Good boy,” he said, and Major's pink tongue lolled out. They continued walking, Tillman remaining vigilant, checking for any sign of any wrongdoing.

  “Uncle Tillman, what do we actually do if we run into the vandals out here?” Jessica asked.

  It was then that Tillman realized he had left his gun at the house. He cursed under his breath, and shook his head in disbelief. He had been so distracted with thoughts of the past that he hadn't taken enough precautions in the present. But that wasn't going to deter him.

  “The question isn't what we will do, it's what they will do. They're the ones who will be caught red-handed. Their guilt will make our decision for us. If they try to run, they're welcome to try finding their way through the forest at night,” Tillman said tersely.

  “It's all quite exciting,” Morelle said. “I feel like we're in a movie or something.”

  Tillman smiled at his sister's enthusiasm, not wanting to dampen her mood after she had spent so many years doubting herself. However, he had seen explosive scenes in real life as planes had fallen all around him. It was far more horrific than any movie he ever had seen. Even now the terrified screams of people echoed in his mind, and the smell of ash and fire made him choke. No matter how much progress they made Tillman always would lament those needless deaths.

  He walked with his head hung while Jessica and Morelle walked hand in hand. It was good to see them so close, and it pained him to think of how much he had missed out on in the years he had been away.

  Then, Major stopped again. Morelle and Jessica suddenly stopped talking, and stopped in their tracks. Tillman moved a couple of steps before he realized what was happening, and then he too stopped. Standing before him was a man in a black sweatshirt, his face hidden by a hood. His arms were locked at his side. Tillman instinctively reached for his gun before he remembered that he hadn't brought it along.

  The man walked slowly toward Tillman. Tillman gripped his cane tightly, ready to use it as a weapon if need be. As he approached, the man lifted his head. Tillman's emotions turned from shock to anger as he realized this had to be the person responsible for the sabotage. It seemed to take an eternity for the man to reveal his face, but
when he did Tillman couldn't say he was surprised. His suspicions had been confirmed, and that was unfortunate. Part of him still had hoped he was wrong, that this was the work of someone outside the community, rather than someone on the inside.

  But it was Jeff.

  Chapter Seven

  “I hope you're here to apologize for the destruction, Jeff,” Tillman said evenly. Part of Tillman wished he had confronted Jeff earlier, in full view of everyone, but at the time it would have been unwarranted.

  “I don't know what you mean,” Jeff said. “I'm just here for an evening stroll, like you.”

  Tillman should have seen this coming. It all had been in the way Jeff and Ben had looked at him after that fight. They had blown their chances at being on the council. Their ambitions had not been realized, so they were lashing out in anger.

  “I think we both know that's not true,” Tillman replied.

  “Then let's have a conversation. In private. I might have some information you can use,” Jeff said.

  “Anything you can say to me you can say to them,” Tillman said.

  “I don't think so, Tillman. Or shall I address you as the leader?”

  “I'm not the leader. I'm just a member of the council. I was voted in, like the others. You saw the process.”

  “I did. And I can tell you what you'd like to know, but I want to speak to you and you alone,” Jeff said.

  Tillman could tell that Jeff wasn't going to budge from this. Tillman looked back toward Jessica and Morelle, nodding his head. They nodded back, trusting him, and turned to head in the opposite direction. Both Tillman and Jeff watched them until they disappeared from sight.

  “So then, what information do you have for me? You'll do well to surprise me, since I think I pretty much have everything figured out,” Tillman said.

  “Oh yes? Why don't you enlighten me about how the great Tillman Torres works through these problems?” Jeff said, stretching out his arms, bowing mockingly.

  “I think you and Ben were angry that you blew your chance at being on the council. You probably saw it as a quick and easy way to get respect. Personally, I doubt you ever really wanted to help the community here. You just wanted to feed your own egos, but you let it get the better of you. Then I come along and suddenly you have someone to unite against. But if you have a problem with me, then take it out on me, don't let the people of this community suffer! What you did is a horrible crime. I can't believe you'd actually sabotage our efforts to supply the neighborhood with clean, fresh water,” Tillman said, aghast.

  Jeff smirked. “Not too bad, Tillman. I see you're quite adept at reading a situation. It's been quite funny today, watching everyone scurry around. I'm surprised you didn't alert them to the fact it was an inside job.”

  “Their morale already had been damaged enough. I didn't want it to fall any further, and I didn't know what you had planned for tonight. I wanted to make sure you weren't going to ruin things more. And you're not. I've got people watching the bases, Jeff. Now I've got you. It's over,” Tillman said, still keeping a careful eye on the man in case he made any sudden movements. From what he could see, Jeff wasn't holding a gun, but then again it may well have been hidden on his person somewhere.

  “Oh, it's far from over, Tillman. It's only just beginning. You know what I hate? Is how sanctimonious everyone in that neighborhood is. One moment they're all ready to go to war with Khan, then they're angry at you, then suddenly everything is forgiven. Meanwhile, me and Ben have a little scrap and suddenly we're persona non grata. I saw the looks in their eyes as you broke up our fight. The pity and disgust in them. You're all acting as though you're working for some great cause, but this is just life. You're not any more special just because you're on some council. They have no right to judge us! None!”

  “So… what? The two of you went to lick your wounds and came up with this great plan as soon as we announced that we were going to be building this water distribution system? I'm sure you felt so proud of yourself when you were destroying everything we've worked for. I don't know what else you're planning, but it's not going to succeed. I've caught you now. You're not going to destroy anything else, and if Ben is getting ready to repeat his actions, then he's going to find people waiting for him. We have you, Jeff. The only thing you've succeeded in doing is making this community stronger. I'm just sorry you couldn't see this for yourself. You could have had a place in this community if only you had tried working with us. Instead, you've turned your back on everything we're trying to stand for, and it's not going to be easy for you living in this community as a pariah and subjected to punishment.”

  “Oh yeah, like you were so hard on Khan after everything he did? Give me a break, Tillman! We both know you're too soft to do anything serious. Besides, you're not right about everything. I didn't actually destroy anything myself. I'm the brains of the operation, and Ben is the brawn. He's the one who destroyed the bases.”

  “So… what? You're selling out your partner? If you think that's going to paint you in a better light, you're sorely mistaken.”

  “Oh, of course not, I'm just making sure you know the two of us are in it together, and you're only standing here with me.” A thin smile crept across Jeff's lips. The color drained from Tillman's face as he realized what Jeff was implying. There was another target, some other plan they had that had nothing to do with the water system.

  “Where is he, Jeff? What have you two planned for tonight?”

  Jeff smiled again. “Oh, something very special, Tillman. Something very special indeed, and very personal to you.”

  “Personal?” Tillman asked, wondering what the two men had planned. Then it hit him. Jeff had been insistent that Morelle and Jessica leave so he and Tillman could talk alone.

  “No,” Tillman gasped, craning his neck around.

  He was about to call out to them, but in turning around he had made himself vulnerable to Jeff. Fortunately for Tillman, Jeff wasn't carrying a gun or a knife. But he did lunge forward viciously toward Tillman. Tillman felt two strong arms tackle him and the two men rolled around. Tillman's face hit the dirt and he spat out soil. Jeff's weight was on him, which made it hard to maneuver. His cane had fallen out of his grip as well.

  “You're going to pay, Tillman. I'm going to make everyone see they're not safe. They never should have refused our help. This is all your fault, and the community you're trying to build never is going to be as strong as you'd like it,” Jeff growled.

  He took hold of Tillman's hand and pulled it back. Tillman winced as the joints stretched unnaturally. Anger thundered through his body. He knew he was stronger than Jeff, but sometimes strength wasn't the only thing that counted. In the position the two men were in, it was going to be incredibly difficult for Tillman to counter.

  But Tillman wasn't alone.

  His devoted companion leaped into action, snapping at Jeff's heels. Tillman could hear the gnashing of teeth, and it became clear why mankind had trusted dogs for so long. The two of them had had a unique partnership over time, one that resulted in a strong bond. Nothing could break it, sometimes not even death. Tillman could hear Jeff's anguished cries in his ear. Jeff didn't want to release his grip on Tillman, but Major was causing him serious trouble. Jeff kicked out at the dog, and Major yelped. Hearing Major's cry of pain was more than Tillman could bear, and his anger flared even more brightly than before. Jeff's movements to deal with Major had left Tillman with the ability to swing his arm, and he did, striking Jeff in the face. Jeff was rattled. Tillman pressed the advantage, summoning every ounce of strength in his body to swing himself around and shake off Jeff.

  Major was in a stupor, but other than that he seemed fine. Tillman grabbed his cane and scrambled to his feet.

  “You know, Jeff, destroying something the community built is one thing, but threatening the people I love is a different matter entirely,” Tillman said, wielding the cane like a sword. Jeff raised his hands in fists, and Tillman was just about ready to turn and leave him
, but as soon as he did he heard Jeff running toward him again, lunging at his feet, trying to bring him down like a falling tree.

  This time, though, Tillman was equal to it. He sucked his belly in and skipped back. Jeff flew through the air and landed hard, but he also stood in the way of Tillman and the path he needed to take to follow his sister and niece.

  “Let me pass,” Tillman said.

  “I don't think that's going to happen,” Jeff said.

  Tillman clenched his jaw, knowing that he'd have to put Jeff down for the count before he could search for Morelle and Jessica. He'd done so much to keep them safe. He felt stupid for letting them get captured so easily. He should have thought about this. He should have...but there would be time for recrimination later. Right now he had a more immediate problem to deal with. Tillman had a cane, and he could think of plenty of ways he could take out Jeff. He thought about cracking Jeff upside the head with his cane, which would leave the man with a nasty headache, if not something worse. But that would ruin the cane, and Jeff already had destroyed enough.

  Instead, he waited for Jeff to get back to his feet, then swept his legs out from under him. Jeff fell on his back and the air rushed out of his lungs. He cried out in pain.

  “You're a sorry sight, Jeff. You should have known this was going to happen,” he said, and went to walk away.

  But, as he did so, he felt something hit his back. Jeff was throwing stones at him. Tillman told himself he just should walk away; that it was the mature thing to do; that Morelle and Jessica needed him. But all of the anger at the betrayal that had been simmering inside him the entire day surged up within him and came bursting out. He marched over to Jeff and brought his cane up, ready to slam it down in a mighty blaze of anger right in the middle of Jeff's body.

  But as the cane came down Jeff's hands shot up and he gripped it tightly. He yanked at it, and Tillman was so surprised that Jeff was capable of such a swift move he momentarily lost his strength, and the cane was wrenched from his grasp. It flew several feet away, and Major went chasing after it, thinking it was a game of fetch.