“The moment I have the girl,” the Mantis said. “The Reavers will never concern you again.”
There was no way he could promise that. But it didn’t matter. The community needed enough time to adequately rebuild itself, to protect itself from danger the Reavers represented. Donald didn’t need to kill the Reaver leader. Leading him away from the commune was enough.
“Very well,” Donald said. “I’ll take you to her.”
But there was more than one way to any destination. The short way, and the long way.
80.
THE REAVER clan was busy making preparations to leave. Packing food, water, and anything else they could carry. More than one took a final turn at the women. The road could be a long and lonely place. Best to make the most of the situation while they could.
The Worm approached the Mantis, who stood beside his bike, looking at it like he had never seen anything like it before.
“May I speak with you, sir?” the Worm said.
The Mantis turned to look at him, hands clasped behind his back. Those green irises bore into the Worm, making him squirm.
“Might I suggest we not take the whole clan?” the Worm said. “Perhaps we could leave a small number here to hold the commune.”
“The commune is of no consequence,” the Mantis said. “Only the girl matters.”
The Worm licked his lips. He’d need to tread carefully.
“Perhaps it would be wise to leave a small contingent of men here,” the Worm said. “In case this commune’s leader isn’t forthcoming about the true location of the girl.”
“The true location?” the Mantis said. “You mean, lie?”
“Yes, sir,” the Worm said.
The Mantis considered this line of thought. Then turned his full attention on the Worm.
“Would you say you understand the human mind well?” he said.
“Yes, sir,” the Worm said. “I think it’s fair to say I have a good grasp of the inner workings of the human mind.”
The Mantis pursed his lips in thought.
“Very well,” he said. “Make what preparations you consider necessary. But nothing must endanger our primary goal.”
The Worm bowed and turned to leave. He wiped a hand across his brow. He was sweating, and not because of the heat. It was the gaze of the creature. The Mantis had never been the type to concern himself with the details. His was a hard and fast style. Attack now, think later. He was a hammer, strong and unyielding. The same hard coldness was visible now but it was different. Disconnected. Humans, he’d said. Humans. As if he wasn’t one of them.
The Worm shivered. He’d need to make another set of preparations in case things went belly-up. An escape plan.
81.
DONALD WAS dumped on a Reaver’s bike, hands tied behind his back.
“Which direction?” the Worm said.
“East,” Donald said.
The Worm issued the order to the clan. They mounted their bikes. Many looked longingly at the women they were leaving behind. They needed to travel light and fast. They drove out of the commune and made a wide circle around it like a flock of birds, kicking up a sandstorm before finally taking off and heading away.
It was only after the dust had settled did Donald spot the mountains in the distance ahead of them, drawing closer.
“West?” Donald said. “I told you to go east.”
The Worm leaned back in his seat. “You are a parent. It’s only natural you would wish to protect the ones you love. You would do what any loving parent would do and lead us in the wrong direction. To buy your children a little more time.”
Donald was speechless. His plan had been too obvious. Worse, the Reaver leader’s second was a very intelligent man. He’d never expected to survive this trip but now the timeline on his own life had become a whole lot shorter.
He prayed the kids would see them coming and get the hell out of Dodge.
82.
LIFE IN the emergency compound was essentially the same as that in the main commune, even if the jobs were a little more time-consuming.
The water had to be pumped from a handle attached to the well. In the commune, they had a donkey that did the, well, donkey work of extracting the water. With no one there to maintain any permanent gardens, there were no farming areas to speak of. But there were fruit trees. Some they had planted themselves, others were wild. They picked the fruit they knew to be safe.
It might have been an enjoyable camping trip, but every so often, one of them would stop and peer off the mountain’s edge and into the distance. At their home. And their loved ones. And wonder what was happening to them right at that moment. They put their heads back down and carried on with the job in hand. Life was hard enough already without having to think about family.
Each night, muscles sore, but happy from a day of work well done, the kids came together and sat around the fire. Fatty told them stories. He was very good at it, slowing down and speeding up when the pace required it. The only problem was his insistence on going into intricate details of the food the heroes ate.
“Just get on with it, Fatty,” Donny kept saying.
Fatty looked hurt, and rolled back onto his chubby flanks and continuing the story. Finally, unable to hold back, and knowing everyone was thinking the same thing, Jamie spoke up.
“How do you think they’re getting on?” he said.
He didn’t need to say who. Everyone already knew.
“We’ll know when we know,” Donny said.
Hearing nothing was not a good sign. Donald would have sent a messenger to them by now if they’d managed to hold the Reavers back. They might still be fighting for all they knew. There was nothing they could do to aid them from their current position. There was no ignoring the gnawing, irritating sensation in the pit of their stomachs.
Something was wrong.
“Someone’s coming,” Lucy said, standing from the lookout position on the ledge of rock that hung over the steep incline below. “Look.”
83.
DONALD HAD forgotten just how fast a motorbike could travel in the open. The Reavers had a huge advantage. They could cover massive distances with a single tank of gas. Of course, with great strengths came equally large weaknesses. The vehicles were loud. No way you could creep up on anyone. Never mind all the undead you’d attract.
Then there was the oil issue. You needed access to reserves at all times. Run out, and you could end up in the middle of nowhere. Stranded. You had to plan ahead and know how many miles you were going to cover.
Donald let go of his concerns for a moment and let the wind rush through his hair and flap the corners of his jacket. It was a rush. He’d been somewhat of a hellraiser in his teens and always had access to a bike. Young and free, he counted those days as some of the best of his life.
In the distance, though he kept his head low and ensured not to look at them too long, was the mountain range upon which they had built the Crow’s Nest. He could almost imagine the kids up there now, looking down on the Reaver clan. He was sure they could see them. He wondered what thoughts were passing through their minds. They were smart kids. He was sure they wouldn’t do anything foolish. They were too distant to make him out individually. A failsafe against idiotic notions of heroism.
The bikes slowed and pulled to a stop. Balanced precariously on the back of the Reaver’s bike, it would have been easy for Donald to fall off. He didn’t fight too hard to stay on. If he fell, he fell. That would buy his kids a little more time to get out.
“All right, Mr. Leader,” the Worm said, turning in his seat. “Which direction now?”
Donald gestured with his head for them to carry on in the same direction they were already going.
“Straight on,” he said.
The Worm pursed his lips. He knew their position wasn’t strong. That was why he’d taken precautions before their departure. He approached his bike’s handlebars and pointed to a small button.
“Do you know what this
is?” he said.
“The horn,” Donald said.
“That’s right,” the Worm said. “Used to warn people you’re coming through, to get them out of your way. Most useful in the old world. In this world, they’re not of much use. Do you know how far the sound can travel in a desert like this?”
Donald shook his head.
“Can’t say I do, no,” he said.
“It’s half a mile,” the Worm said. “We’ve done tests ourselves. Useful when you need to keep a close eye on unit location.”
“So?” Donald said.
“So, how far would you say we’re from your commune right now?” the Worm said.
Donald felt like he had snakes in the pit of his stomach.
“Would you say we’re about half a mile away?” the Worm said.
“Yes,” Donald said. “About that.”
“And did you know that I instructed my men to pick ten people randomly from your commune the moment we left?” the Worm said. “Did you further know that if I were to push this button, they will execute those members?”
Donald’s mouth went dry.
“I need to speak with your leader,” he said. “He said he wouldn’t harm them.”
“Oh, we won’t,” the Worm said. “This is you harming them, not us. I will ask you every fifteen minutes which direction to go in. And every fifteen minutes is another ten lives. Take us in the wrong direction and we’ll accumulate those lives and send a man back right here, to this spot, to pass on the message of the cost of life. Do you understand?”
“You don’t need to do this,” Donald said. “I’m taking you to the girl.”
“Good,” the Worm said. “Then we will have no problem. Now, are you sure we should be heading straight on?”
Donald took a moment to think. Ten lives every fifteen minutes. For one girl’s life. He couldn’t put dozens of people’s lives on the line. The Worm might be bluffing but did he really want to take that risk?
Donald shook his head. Then gestured left. Toward Crow’s Nest.
The Worm extended his leg and drew an X in the dirt. He sneered and turned to his men.
“The mountains,” he said. “We head for the mountains.”
Donald hung his head, beaten. He didn’t enjoy much of the journey after that.
84.
A CLOUD OF dust was kicked up by something travelling fast. They pulled to a stop. Donny peered at them through his spyglass. He could only make out a bunch of black-clad figures.
“Reavers,” Donny said.
“Maybe Dad took some of the Reaver bikes to get to us faster?” Jamie said.
Donny shook his head.
“There are too many of them,” he said. “And why would they dress up in Reaver clothes?”
The clan roared their engines and turned, making a b-line for the Crow’s Nest.
“They’re coming!” Fatty said. “They’re coming here!”
“What should we do?” Jamie said.
Donny looked at the expectant eyes on him. His father had been right to leave him in charge. They instinctively turned to him for leadership. They were his responsibility now. He had to do what was best for them.
“We’re leaving,” Donny said. “Pack up your things.”
The camp was suddenly alive with activity, where only a moment earlier it had been malaise.
“Where are we going?” Jamie said.
“Into the forest,” Donny said. “Find a viewpoint so we can see the Reavers when they arrive. The thick foliage will prevent the Reavers from running us down. They’ll have to dismount. With any luck, they’re not Reavers.”
Even he could hear the doubt in his voice. They were Reavers all right.
85.
TO THE untrained eye, it would have looked like the compound was empty and had been for some time, but Donald could tell by the recent fire cinders and scuff marks of hurried footsteps that disappeared behind the buildings that it had only recently been vacated.
Donald breathed a sigh of relief, thankful the compound was empty. The kids must have seen them coming and made a run for it. He had been more than a little fearful Donny would make a defiant stand. He’d always been brave to the point of foolhardiness. He was sure it was only because of his brother Jamie’s presence that he’d resisted his own urges.
The Mantis knelt down and put his fingers to the tracks. He appeared to be most interested in the smallest footprint. Lucy’s. The Mantis wore no expression as he considered what he’d found. It was difficult to understand what was going on behind those eyes. He stood up and looked in the direction of the mountains that sawed like a frozen stormy sea.
He took his spear off the back of his bike and followed the tracks that would lead to the forest immediately behind the buildings.
“Right, well,” the Worm said. “Looks like we’ll be continuing on foot from here on out. We won’t all search in the forest. We need a small contingent to flush the kids out. Take the commune leader with you. He can be used as leverage.”
He chose six men to accompany the Mantis.
“The rest of us will drive around the mountains,” he said. “The first group will drive clockwise. The rest of us will drive counter. We’ll meet you on the other side.”
The six men nodded and followed the Mantis. Donald, hands bound behind him, was shoved forward. Reavers on motorbikes were a difficult opponent. A Reaver on foot, in a location they were not used to, was slow and weak. It presented him with an opportunity. All he needed was an opening. He might not take them all down but he could make a nuisance of himself and improve the odds in case the kids were forced into a confrontation.
Donald might have been unarmed but that did not mean he was harmless. Nature provided more than enough weaponry if you only but knew where to look. For the first time since the Reaver attack, Donald felt confident.
86.
DONNY WAS the first to crawl up the hill’s incline and peer over the side. His head barely showed, looking down at the figures below. They were standing where they had been less than thirty minutes earlier. Donny’s breath caught in his throat at the figure bringing up the rear. His father.
A thousand ideas flashed through his mind. The powerful limbic emotions flowed like a tidal wave. There had to be a way to get him free. But how?
Figures on either side of Donny peeked over the edge. Fatty ducked down immediately and pressed himself to the earth as if he wanted to pass through it. It was Jamie’s reaction Donny was most interested in. He kept his arm loose in case he needed to wrap his hand over his brother’s mouth. He needn’t have worried. Jamie didn’t say a word and just stared at their father. That was good.
The last figure to look over the side was Lucy. She scanned the Reavers one by one. Then froze.
Her hands grasped the blades of grass that sprouted in meagre patches on the hilltop. Her eyes became large bulbous saucers. Her mouth dropped open. It was difficult to tell if she was angry or upset. Either way, it wasn’t good.
“Lucy?” Jamie said. “Are you all right?”
No. Lucy was certainly not all right. She rolled over and lay on her back. Her body shook. She stared at the blue sky and white fluffy clouds. So big they could almost touch them. White froth erupted from the corners of her mouth, spilling down her cheeks.
“We have to get her out of here,” Donny said.
“What’s wrong with her?” Jamie said. “What’s she doing?”
“She’s having a fit,” Donny said. “She might start shouting and give away our position. We have to get away from here now.”
He bent down and picked her up, carrying her in his arms. He began jogging down the hillside. Leaving his father behind like this made him feel like a traitor again.
Things were getting better and better, Donny thought. A clan of Reavers on their tail, their father a prisoner amongst them, and now Lucy reacting like this. What a day.
87.
THE NATURAL pathways wound like rope through the woodland. No one pass
ed through the vegetation often enough to form them. The Reavers would not be far behind. Donny had no time to disguise their tracks or lay false trails for the Reavers to follow.
As a boy, he’d explored these woods and gone as far as he could reach in a single day, ensuring to return before the sun had fallen. It was a rite of passage, something every boy from the commune did. If the Reaver attack hadn’t happened, Jamie would have been making that journey himself.
Lucy had calmed down and fallen asleep in Donny’s arms. It was up to Fatty to keep an eye on their rear, watching for any Reaver that might present themselves, suddenly lurching from the foliage. They tended not to see a lot of Rages in this space. It was just too dense for them to traverse. They often tripped and smashed their heads open on an outcrop of rock. Those were only the ones that managed to ascend the steep cliff faces. As an emergency compound, it really had all the security they needed.
They came to a small creek where the water tinkled softly over small pebbles. The light danced golden-green, the sun winking through the gaps in the leaves. Donny, sweat dripping from his brow, lowered Lucy to the ground, placing her with a gentleness normally reserved only for newborn babes. He stepped back and wiped away the sweat. He fell to his knees and splashed fresh cold water on his face.
Jamie fell to his knees beside Lucy and checked her pulse, going through the ABCs.
“She’s still alive,” Jamie said.
“Of course she is,” Donny said.
“What happened to her?” Jamie said.
“She had an epileptic fit,” Fatty said. “My sister has them sometimes.”
Jamie thought back to the times Fatty’s sister couldn’t come out to play. She always looked pale and weak after her episodes. He’d never seen her have the fit directly though. He wasn’t too bashful to admit it scared him to see Lucy react that way.
After the Fall- The Complete series Box Set Page 18