Roamers (Book 2): Fear. Loss. Survival. Hope.

by Viper, Velveteen

  Arriving back at base, Scarlett made straight for Quinlan in the kitchen. He was cleaning the stainless-steel surfaces and humming to himself. On seeing Scarlett, his eyes lit up.

  “You’re back early,” he chirped. “Find much?”

  “Have you seen Riley? I really need to speak to you both. Somewhere private.”

  Quinlan set down the grimy rag and turned to give Scarlett his full, concerned attention, “He was arms training today. What is it, Scar?”

  Before she could explain her ordeal, Grey’s voice blaring from her radio made her whole body tense with fear.

  “McKenzie, I need to see you in my office, please.”

  “Sure, I’ll be there in fifteen,” she agreed, trying to keep her voice steady.

  “It’s important. I need you to come now.”

  She looked at Quinlan, who was still eager to hear what she had to say, “I’ll come and find you both after I’ve spoken to Grey. I won’t be long.”

  “Scar, what happened?” Quinlan tried, but Scarlett had left the room before he’d even had a chance to finish the question.

  Scarlett stood outside Grey’s office, clutching the door handle for at least a minute. She took a deep breath, knocked and let herself in, sure that whatever he wanted couldn’t be anywhere near as bad as what he’d already put her through.

  Grey was sitting at his desk, and as Scarlett studied him, trying to work out what was different about him, he gestured for her to sit. She lowered herself cautiously onto the chair opposite him, grateful for the large desk between them. His face looked softer; there was nothing menacing in his eyes at that moment.

  “Scarlett, let me start by saying how sorry I am for what I did today,” he said, holding eye contact to appear sincere. “I don’t know what came over me. You’re such a valuable member of our team, and we – I – don’t want to lose you. What I did was repugnant and unforgivable, and I promise that you will never have to see that side of me again. To show you how sorry I am, I want you to sleep in here with me. No funny business. I’ll have another bed made up for you. I just want to show you that I can keep you and your baby safe. You’ll have use of my personal bathroom, too.”

  Mustering what she had left of her emotional strength, Scarlett responded, “I appreciate your apology, Sergeant Major Grey, but I think the only possible way I can prevent myself from being on the receiving end of your temper again is for my friends and me to leave.” She wondered how long it would take for Grey’s remorseful disposition to fade, “I can’t risk my life or my baby’s life by staying here. We’d be safer on the road.”

  “Don’t be silly,” he smiled, “nothing is going to happen to you if you stay.”

  If you stay. Those three words reverberated in Scarlett’s head as she stared back at Grey. Was that an indirect threat? Was he implying that something would happen to her if she left?

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out Scarlett’s locket.

  “That’s very… kind. But we really should leave.”

  “McKenzie, I insist. For the sake of your baby,” he asserted, placing the locket into a desk drawer.

  There it was. His eyes had darkened and Scarlett saw malevolence in his face. She had no choice but to agree. She would go through the motions until she could speak to Riley and Quinlan.

  Travis

  Cautiously hobbling to the door on his crutches, Travis had decided that it was time to involve himself with life at Homeside. Opening the door was a challenge he hadn’t anticipated. Once he’d conquered it, he stepped out into the fresh air to negotiate the uneven grass.

  “Nice to see you on your feet,” Vaughan said.

  “Thanks. I wish I could say it felt nice.”

  “I’m just heading over to the food tent to play some cards. Do you wanna join? We’re playing poker. We don’t have any chips though, so we play for whatever’s on offer; last week one of the guys walked away with a new toothbrush, four batteries and a leather belt.”

  “I don’t really have anything to bet with.”

  “Here,” Vaughan chirped, handing Travis a roll of toilet paper, “this should be enough to get you in the game.”

  “Thanks,” Travis chuckled, following Vaughan slowly to the food tent.

  Loud laughter and chatter could be heard from inside, and Travis smiled involuntarily. He missed the sound of people enjoying life.

  “We’ve got another player,” Vaughan announced, motioning an ‘after you’ to Travis.

  “Hey, T, we’re just about to start,” said Piper, “have a seat.”

  Travis did so with a grunt and Bill stood.

  “I’ll deal this one,” he said. “How many players?”

  Piper did a quick headcount, “Four,” she announced.

  Bill dealt Travis, Piper, Vaughan and Ada two cards each. They each looked secretively at their hands and at each other.

  “Check,” Ada said.

  “I’m gonna bet three matches,” Piper declared, counting and then dropping them proudly onto the table.

  “Check,” Vaughan sighed.

  “Yeah, I’ll bet my toilet paper,” Travis smiled.

  “All of it?” Bill laughed. “You’re confident.”

  He placed three cards face up on the table and Vaughan tutted loudly.

  “Not a good hand then?” Piper smirked. “Call.”

  Vaughan threw his cards on the table with an exasperated, “Fold.”

  Travis won the first hand before promptly losing his winnings in the second. It didn’t matter though. He was having fun; laughing, getting to know the people of Homeside. An hour in, and after confirming that Hope was sleeping, Piper brought out a large container of liquid, followed by a new person carrying cups.

  “You must be Travis,” he said, offering Travis a red mug, “I’m Stefan, Stefan Lear.”

  “Thanks, nice to meet you.”

  “Alright, who’s for some of Piper’s special homebrew?”

  “So, that’s what that is,” Travis said. He inspected the jar and shrugged.

  “Oh, that’s not all, Travis…” Piper dropped a tobacco tin in front of him, “It’s probably dry as the desert, but it’s something.”

  “Moonshine and rollups,” Travis said, setting to work on the tobacco, “reminds me of my teenage years.”

  “I can’t imagine you ever bein’ a teenager,” Piper smirked. “How old are you, anyway?”

  “I guess I’d be forty-one at some point this year,” he shrugged.

  “Well, the apocalypse has been kind. You don’t look a day over forty.”

  Hours passed and Travis, having not had Kate to tell him about how his painkillers could interfere with alcohol, was feeling merry, but slightly sick with it. Stefan had been talking to him for some time, and Travis hadn’t been able to keep track.

  “You know, I bet the planet’s pleased that the human race is dying out,” Stefan chuckled, downing his drink.

  “Yeah, why’s that?”

  “She can finally start to heal herself. In years to come, the only sign that humans ever existed will be all the leftover plastic. And even that will disappear eventually. Did you know, that somewhere around a week after the turn, every single nuclear power station in the world went into meltdown? That means that there are about four hundred and fifty locations, spanning for miles and miles, which are covered in radiation? They won’t be safe for hundreds of years.”

  “Don’t mind Stefan,” Vaughan chimed in, “he’s a bit of a hippy.”

  “Hey, if having an issue with killing our entire planet makes me a hippy, then dress me in tie-dye and show me the shrooms.”

  “No, no, I agree,” Travis said, a risky burp escaping his mouth, “it’s easier to hunt now, too. So many more animals. But they’re still so used to people that they don’t fuckin’ run away.”

  “You hunt?” Vaughan asked.

  “I did, before I threw myself down a hill. Once I’m healed, I’ll start again.” Travis took another swig of Piper’s mo
onshine and lit another messily rolled cigarette, “I know I’m a little drunk, guys, but I really just wanna thank you all for lookin’ after my daughter and me. I was in a really bad place after her Mama...”

  “Hey,” Piper smiled, “it takes a village, right?”

  Travis nodded once and returned her smile. What would have happened to them both if they hadn’t been found was haunting.

  Scarlett

  No matter how hard she tried, Scarlett could not get to sleep. She could hear Grey breathing deeply and it was driving her insane. Being away from the safety of Riley and Quinlan was proving too much.

  She sat up and watched Grey through the dark, while murky thoughts swam around in her head. I could kill him, she thought. Just put a blade through his neck, or hold a pillow over his face and kill him.

  Yet, despite everything Scarlett had endured over the years, she had never killed a living person before. Even when in mortal danger, no one living had died by her hand.

  But she placed a hand on her belly and felt that familiar fluttering of life inside her. A sign that she couldn’t do nothing. She got to her feet, pillow in hand.

  Approaching the side of Grey’s bed, Scarlett looked at his sleeping face. He looked different when he was unconscious. There was no malice; no sign that he wanted to hurt and control her. She knew she couldn’t do it. She couldn’t end another human being’s life, despite what he had done.

  Scarlett crawled back into bed, rolling on her side to face Grey. She felt alone. Riley and Quinlan were on the other side of the building, probably thinking that this was Scarlett’s choice.

  * * *

  As the sun rose, Riley lay awake, staring at the bunk above him. He’d spent the night wondering how Grey had convinced Scarlett to stay with him, and how to persuade her to come back.

  “Couldn't sleep?” Quinlan said, leaning over the side of the bunk to look down at him.

  “Nah. Although, I'm not sure how you'd know; the walls were shaking from your snores thirty seconds after your head hit the pillow.”

  “I can tell because you look like hammered shit. And the secret to not being disturbed by my snoring is to make sure you're sleeping first. That was how my wife always got a good night's sleep.”

  “I was thinking about Scarlett,” Riley said, completely ignoring Quinlan's supposed humour.

  Quinlan lowered himself to the ground and leant on a corner of the bunk bed.

  “Riley,” he sighed, “she's a big girl. You have to trust her.”

  “I do trust her. I trust her with my life. Grey, on the other hand...”

  “You think Scarlett's being coerced?”

  Riley sat up and rubbed his eyes, “I don't see any other logical reason why she'd want to stay in there with him. Something’s changed; something must have happened when they went out together, but she won’t – or rather can’t – tell us.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Travis

  Six weeks after mastering his crutches, Travis was finally able to be rid of them. He’d had his cast removed the week before and was finally getting used to using both legs again.

  He felt a rush of excitement as he loaded up his quiver with arrows. It was his first hunt in almost seven months, and he was itching to venture beyond Homeside’s walls.

  Slinging his crossbow over a shoulder, Travis made for the food tent and helped himself to some scrambled egg, downing it straight from the bowl.

  “Well, look at you!” Piper said excitedly. She was sitting with Hope and Kate at the large table.

  “Take some water and painkillers with you, T. At the very least, you’ll probably get some aching in your leg. Don’t go too far, either, and take a radio with you,” Kate ordered.

  “Yes, mother.”

  Kate smiled sarcastically and slid her radio across the table. Travis hooked it onto his belt and kissed Hope on the top of her head.

  “I’ll be back soon, sweetheart.”

  “Bye, Daddy,” Hope said.

  Leaving Homeside through the back gate, Travis began the slow and considered walk along the dirt path.

  These woods were unfamiliar territory, but Travis looked forward to learning about them; learning to navigate them in the dark, where the edible plants grew, the best spot for rabbits. He missed venturing out to hunt or scavenge in the woods by the cottage. He knew every inch of those woods; every tree, every stream and every rock.

  Stepping deep into the trees, he lifted his face, letting the light and shadow dance across his skin. He delighted in the sound of his feet sliding through the leaves, an array of oranges and browns scattered across the ground.

  Travis had missed the earthy smell; the scent of new life. The atmosphere was alive with a fresh, stark, pungent stink, unmistakably reminiscent of winter Holidays past. A smell so strong that he could taste it.

  He stopped for a moment to take it all in. Closing his eyes, he listened to the chorus of creaking branches and the leaves rustling as the breeze disturbed them.

  As he continued, the uneven, root-laden ground began to make his leg ache. Before he had a chance to rummage through his bag for pain relief, something moving straight ahead caught Travis’ eye.

  A young doe was foraging on the forest floor, and Travis slowly swivelled his ready-loaded crossbow to his chest. He raised his weapon up to his shoulder, seated his cheek onto the stock, and took careful aim. He slowly squeezed the trigger until the bolt was fired and watched the animal fall onto its side.

  Travis quickly loaded another bolt and repositioned the ‘bow on his shoulder, slinging it against his back. When he investigated the deer, he was pleased to discover that months without hunting had apparently not hindered his aim. Travis yanked the bolt free from the animal’s heart and replaced it in the quiver.

  A fallen tree lay a few feet away, and Travis took the opportunity to rest his leg. He wasn’t yet ready to go back. The peaceful swishing of the trees calmed his mind, but something was still missing. Although he was free to come and go to the forest, he didn’t always want to do it alone. He had no one to speak to. No one to compliment him on his hunt. No one to exchange sarcastic comments with. No one to surreptitiously hold hands with while they listened in silence to the sounds of nature; leaves and sticks crackling underfoot, birdsong, running streams… No Scarlett.

  The realisation was like a dagger all over again, and suddenly Travis was grateful for the solitude. He allowed himself a private moment to think about her, resting his elbows on his knees. A moment to grieve. He missed her enormously, and he couldn’t help wondering what would have been if she had not gone with him to the hospital that day.

  He imagined her, singing to Hope and running a hand over her own rotund belly where she harboured new life; another part of her and Travis. He wondered whether he would have had another daughter, or a son. Would he or she have his eyes and Scarlett’s hair, just as Hope did?

  A silent tear slid down his cheek and he didn’t want to think about it anymore.

  Scarlett

  Over the course of Scarlett’s time at the Headhunters’ base, she had managed to recruit fifty-two people. Riley had made them proficient with guns, and Quinlan had helped keep them fed.

  To Grey’s annoyance, Scarlett was no longer able to leave the compound. Everything had to be done on foot because Grey was protective of what little fuel they had, and Scarlett’s back couldn’t take the walking any longer.

  Instead, she organised a small group every few days and gave them location suggestions. But she was running out of places to send them, and now Grey had decided to get involved in the process.

  “The only place left within a walkable distance is here,” Scarlett said, pointing to the map spread over Grey’s desk. “It’s right through this woodland. Riskier than the road because of Roamers, but it’s more direct. I’d say about four miles. If we send two or three of our more experienced recruits, they could make camp somewhere for one night.”

  “We’re not sending anyone there,” Gr
ey said dismissively. Scarlett looked at him blankly, “There are people there, but they aren’t the kind of people we want here.”

  “Are you sure? Perhaps a little diplomacy would--”

  “No, McKenzie. We’ve had run-ins with them in the past. Nasty folk. We’ve been watching them for some time now.”

  “Watching them?”

  “Yeah, just keeping an eye – making sure they don’t come too close to us. We tried talking to them once, but they were so hostile, we had t--”

  Grey suddenly stopped speaking, stood and made his way to the door that led outside.

  “You hear that?” he whispered.

  Scarlett got to her feet but didn’t get any closer, “What is it?”

  He didn’t answer. Instead, he slowly drew his pistol with one hand and placed the other on the door lock. He turned it quickly and swung the door open to reveal three women. They looked awful; thin and dirty, with matted hair and torn clothes. Observing them, Scarlett could easily have mistaken them for Roamers if they hadn’t been panting and looking so frightened.

  Throwing them into his office, Ethan slammed the door shut and pointed his weapon at each of them. Scarlett observed his expression; the menacing glint in his eye told her that there would be no painless solution, there was nothing she could say to defuse the situation. So, she stayed quiet and anxiously looked on while he directed them.

  “You, on your knees, right now,” he spat, singling out the most timid of the three women. “You can’t just wonder into someone’s home and take whatever you want.”

  “We didn’t know there was anyone--”

  “Shut the fuck up,” he interrupted, quickly approaching and jabbing the muzzle of his pistol into her head. “I wasn’t done talking yet. What do you think we should do with these idiots, Scarlett?”

  Scarlett’s eyes widened; the last thing she’d expected was to be asked her opinion.

  “I--I don’t know, Sir,” she stuttered. “I think they get that they’re not welcome here. Maybe it was just an honest mistake… couldn’t we let them go? Or recruit them?”