William seemed content, almost happy, for us to make pigs of ourselves. There was plenty to go around and they clearly weren’t wanting. We broke the bread off in chunks and dipped it into the generous bowls of the tasty stew.
I slowly relaxed as we ate. The hearty food and the buoyant mood of my group gradually chipped away at my disquiet. Will was quite the host and I didn’t fail to notice that Brooke appeared to be quite smitten with him, laughing enthusiastically at his jokes and stories. This didn’t seem to bother Luke or Ben who were as engaged as she was by our charismatic host.
It turned out that Will’s group had made several raids into Millbury, one time managing to start an old truck and load it with all the supplies they could fit. I told them the story of the pickup and the dreadful aerial response from the Chinese.
Will shrugged.
“Luckily, it was only a short journey for us.”
My disquiet again reared its ugly head. Not only because of the lack of detail he provided to explain their good fortune, but also at the lack of conversation from the other boys. It was almost as if they had been ordered not to speak.
After dinner Will showed us where we could clean up, a small bathroom down the hall from the kitchen, and then invited us back into the parlor. We fell to the carpet around the radiator, our full bellies bulging.
Beau still sat at the window, barely acknowledging the rest of us as we came in. He clearly took his job as a sentry very seriously.
“Have you had much trouble?” I asked, addressing him.
He just looked at me like I’d spoken a foreign tongue.
I saw Rodney, who was standing in the doorway to the dining room, give Will a strange look that none of the others saw.
“Honestly, we’ve been really lucky,” Will answered for him. “Like you, we’ve had some looters come through, but each time we’ve been able to scare them off. There was also a group of about twelve kids; we put them up for a couple of nights before they moved on.”
This last comment piqued my interest.
“Where did they move on to?”
“Um ... they were heading to the city,” he said.
“Worcester?” Luke asked.
“Yes,” he said quickly. “What about you all? What are your plans?”
Before I could say anything, Brooke had blurted about New Hampshire and the Morse code signal. I felt a flash of anger but held my tongue. William was silent for a moment, digesting this information. I think he was about to ask more questions when she followed up with an enthusiastic, “You should come with us!”
“Thanks for the offer, but we’re happy here. Well, for the winter at least. You’re welcome to stay tonight though ... for as long as you want,” he replied, graciously. I breathed an inward sigh of relief, both at his refusal and the offer of a night’s accommodation.
“Oh, marvelous! Thank you, Will, you’re very kind,” said Brooke. She turned to me. “Can we stay Isaac?”
“Yes, it sounds like a great idea to get our strength back. I vote for staying a few days,” said Ben.
“Me too, Boss,” said Luke.
“Thanks for the offer,” I said, outnumbered but resolute. “We’ll take you up on tonight, but only one night. We’ll leave in the morning.”
“It makes sense to stay at least another night, Isaac,” Will said, almost too quickly. “To gather your strength ... and to be honest,” he smiled at Brooke, “we really could do with the company.”
Ben and Brooke enthusiastically backed him up, but Luke for the first time wasn’t quite as keen – I’m pretty sure it had something to do with that look he’d seen Will give Brooke. Put on the spot, I couldn’t come up with a reason to say no outright so I did the next best thing.
“Alright, we’ll stay tonight, and make our decision about tomorrow night after breakfast.”
“Sounds good,” said Luke, offering me a knuckle bump.
Ben and Brooke weren’t quite satisfied with that decision but didn’t argue. Yet.
We didn’t chat much longer; our group was bushed after our flight from the last refuge. Will ordered Rodney to bring mattresses and pillows to the parlor. It seemed odd, this smaller boy ordering the bigger one about like that, but Rodney took it with no complaint.
Will bid us goodnight and went to his own bedroom, which was apparently one of the perks of being in charge. Ten minutes later, the twins were asleep on a double mattress and Luke had taken a comfortable looking sofa and was snoring softly.
I was on a single mattress, watching the comings and goings of Will’s group and attempting to ward off sleep. Ryan had relieved Beau at the window, and Beau was also now quietly snoring in an armchair. Rodney had disappeared with Will.
A tide of weariness lapped at the beach of my consciousness and I closed my eyes, telling myself it would just be for a second. My sleep was fitful at first and I remember jumping a few times. One of those times, I saw Ryan at the window, cradling the crossbow as he regarded me with his expressionless, pale face. He looked away immediately and I slowly relaxed.
Soon I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I awoke late the next morning, alone in the room except for Rodney who at some point had relieved Ryan at the window. I chastised myself. I had slept in after everyone again, not even stirring when they had gotten up. I’d read about soldiers being able to sleep at any time and waking up at the slightest noise. I wondered how long I had to live in this new world of almost constant danger before I would be able to do that.
“Where are the others?” I asked Rodney.
“Out back,” he said, without looking at me.
I stood up and picked up the jacket I had curled into a ball and used as a pillow. I felt the comforting shape of the .38 and then put the jacket on carefully so as not to drop it. There were plates on the table in the kitchen with the remains of a pancake breakfast on them. That’s not what caught my attention though – it was the laughing and squeals of delight from outside.
I went to the sliding door; its glass had been taped and blacked out too. I peeked through a crack and was surprised to see Ben, Brooke, Luke, and the rest of our hosts running around like lunatics throwing snowballs at each other.
They were in a private courtyard bordered by a tall hedge. As I watched, Luke failed to duck a fastball from Will and fell on his butt, his face covered in ice. I couldn’t help but smile and slid open the door.
“Hello, sleepyhead!” yelled Brooke, running up to me and giving me a hug as I stepped out. Her cheeks were pink, and her eyes watery, and she looked just about the happiest I had ever seen her.
Whether my presence was a dampener, or the game had come to a natural conclusion, I don’t know, but we headed back inside almost immediately and Will made us mugs of hot chocolate using powdered milk and cocoa. I accepted the last two pancakes, and even though they were cold, they were delicious.
Will fell into a conversation with the others about the before times and I excused myself. I needed to whiz badly and walked down the hall to the bathroom Will had pointed out the night before.
I had my hand on the door handle when I decided to have a quick peek in one of the other rooms. This was the first time I’d been alone without one of their group within sight.
The door swung open on silent hinges and I found myself looking into what used to be a child’s bedroom. I whistled softly. The room’s pink walls were stacked high with cardboard boxes of food. Powdered milk, flour, dehydrated eggs, canned vegetables, and more water.
Suddenly, Will’s explanation of raids on the local supermarket seemed weak at best; this stuff looked like it had been taken from a warehouse. Fair enough if they’d found a goldmine and didn’t want to share, but I didn’t like being lied to. I closed the door. As I relieved myself, I was even more convinced that we should leave first thing in the morning tomorrow. I knew there was zero chance of persuading the others to go today; I’d left my run too late.
The rest of the day passed uneventfully with board
games and some cards and after another hearty meal, we discussed our plans for the morning. Rodney, who would be on watch that night, was to awaken us just before daybreak so we could resume our journey. Brooke and Ben tried to persuade me that we should stay longer, but with Luke’s support I won out.
Will didn’t try talking us into staying longer this time. We soon found out why.
17
The crash of the front door being kicked open ripped me from sleep and I sat up fast. Red beams of light cut through the darkness of the parlor as a handful of figures rushed through the front door shouting in Chinese.
Instantly alert, I dug through my jacket for my handgun. It was gone.
In the glow of the weapons a figure loomed over me and I looked up to see Will’s smiling face.
“What the hell ...” I began to scramble to my feet and immediately found myself back on the floor with my cheek stinging. The little weasel had slapped me across the face.
Confused and enraged, I tried to rise to my feet again, only to feel a cold, hard ring of metal pressed against my neck.
I froze and in the wildly changing backdrop of shadows and light, I saw the gangly silhouette of Luke tackle another stocky form, probably Rodney, and shoot back to his feet with the baseball bat in his hand.
Luke’s back was to me and I saw him wind up, preparing to club the nearest interloper. He didn’t finish his swing. A series of three loud bangs, each accompanied by a bright flash, sounded from the direction of the door.
I saw Luke jerk as each of the bullets hit him.
“No!” I screamed helplessly, as he fell with a heavy thud.
There was a voice yelling in Chinese near the door to the dining room.
“Stay the bloody hell away from my sister!” yelled Ben, before groaning in pain.
I pulled myself up, ignoring the weapon pressed against my neck and ran to the prone figure of Luke. I hadn’t made it three feet when there was a loud pop and something that felt like a speeding bus hit my right arm and shoulder, sending me spinning to the floor.
I’ve been shot!
The thought reverberated through my mind as I lay winded, trying to get my breath back. I reached over and ran my left hand up my right arm to the shoulder.
I didn’t feel any blood, but my entire upper arm and shoulder were numb. What the hell? Then the answer came to me. Rubber bullets, like the ones police use in riots. Relief washed over me. Luke wasn’t dead.
Someone shouted in Chinese again, closer this time, and I was pulled roughly to my feet. One of the lanterns was lit and I turned to look, my eyes swimming with tears of pain and frustration.
Will approached one of the Chinese soldiers. By the light of the lantern, I saw the soldiers were all clad in black and carrying strange, large barreled guns. The treacherous bastard handed my pistol and Luke’s crossbow to one of them, then turned and approached me, smiling.
“You won’t be needing those anymore.”
Fury engulfed me, and I broke free of the soldier holding my arm and hammered Will square on the nose with a beautiful right hook. His nose crunched under my fist and gushed technicolor red as he fell backwards with a groan.
I stood over him waiting, almost praying, for him to get back up. A hand turned me and a Chinese rifle butt caught me dead center in the forehead.
The world went dark.
Part Three: Encounters
18
I don’t know how long I was out, but when I awoke, I was lying face down on a cold, unyielding surface that was bouncing and vibrating under me. I hurt. My right arm and shoulder felt like they were about to fall off and my head was splitting agony.
My arms were behind my back and I felt a tight pressure around my wrists. After a few moments, I became aware of the noises around me including the noise of an engine. I was in a truck or van. I began to struggle, which caused the bindings on my wrists to feel as if they were cutting into my skin.
“It’ll be alright,” I heard a voice whisper.
Ben.
“Shush, we don’t want the guards back here again,” I heard Brooke whisper back.
Turning my head in their direction, I strained my eyes to try and see anything in the darkness. It was pitch black, wherever we were. I gave up and just closed my eyes again.
“What happened to Luke?” I asked, speaking as loudly as I dared, which is to say a harsh whisper.
“Isaac, you’re awake?” said Ben, relief flooding his voice. “We’ve been captured by a Chinese patrol.”
“Thanks for the news flash, old chap,” I said, then groaned as I rolled over toward their voices.
“Luke’s in here too, someplace, probably still unconscious from his last thrashing,” he responded evenly, my sarcasm lost on him or ignored.
“Be quieter, both of you,” Brooke said, under her breath. “Luke woke up when they were loading us into the back and he made a ruckus. They hit him on the back of the neck and knocked him out again. We wouldn’t want the same thing to happen to any of us.”
“Any idea where we are or where they’re taking us?” I asked, dropping my whisper lower.
“No, they tied our hands behind our backs and piled us into the back of this lorry ... truck,” Ben explained. “I tried to catch what they were saying to those traitors, but they were too far away. You really got that little prick a good one by the way. I imagine he’ll think twice before he mouths off to someone again.”
Will ... yes, it all made sense now, the abundant food, the gas, and the insistence we stay just one more night. Their strange willingness to help us. They were working for the Chinese, trapping unsuspecting American kids and calling them in to collect. The house was a honey trap.
“How long was I out?”
“We’ve been driving for about 30 minutes.”
Thirty minutes? Was that all? I felt like I had been out for a whole day, at least. I tried to sit up, which was not easy with my hands tied behind my back. Finally, I shuffled to the wall of the truck and managed to maneuver myself into a sitting position.
Twisting my hands and fingers around, I discovered thin plastic bindings held my wrists. They had not actually cut into me but were tight enough that my fingers were starting to get tingly.
“What are we going to do Isaac?” Ben asked.
I felt helpless and very much lacking as a leader right then, even though I hadn’t asked for the gig.
“I’m not sure, let me think on it for a while.”
We fell into silence. To be honest, I didn’t do a whole lot of thinking. The pain in my head and the other injuries I’d suffered didn’t leave room for much besides self-pity. About a half-hour after I awoke, a groan came from the darkness near the rear of the truck.
“Luke?”
“Yeah,” he groaned. “I think my skull is caved in. Where are we?”
“Still in the truck, don’t speak too loudly.”
“Yeah, not sure I could if I wanted to … Ben and Brooke?”
“We’re here,” the twins said in uncanny unison.
Luke giggled despite his obvious pain.
“Just rest for now,” I said. “Not much else we can do.”
“Okay.”
We fell silent again. I still felt disoriented but was slowly coming back to my senses. The truck drove on at an even speed, slowing occasionally to turn in tight arcs before speeding up again. Weaving past abandoned vehicles, I assumed.
After what I think was about another half-hour, the vehicle slowed, and I found myself sliding across the metal floor and tipping onto my right side as the driver turned the corner a little too fast. I barely registered the truck stopping through the reignited pain in my bruised arm and shoulder.
Doors slammed up front and there was a short pause before the roller door clattered open to reveal the silhouettes of our captors. I blinked rapidly as my eyes adjusted to the dim light. One of the soldiers climbed in.
“Pit stop,” he said, in heavily accented, but surprisingly good English. “You
will use the bathroom now.”
We learned later that many Chinese patrols had soldiers attached to their units who had spent time in America as exchange students.
“What if we don’t have to go?” Luke groaned.
“It’s your last chance to go. We have a long drive ahead and no more pit stops. The only stops ahead are to collect more kids like you along the way.”
“I could take a leak,” I said, using the wall to force myself to my feet. “Thanks.”
“You are all going, everybody up. And no funny stuff; we’re watching, and we’ve put away the rubber bullets from last night. If you try to run, we’ll use the real thing,” the soldier said, patting the small machine gun he was holding before slinging it over his shoulder.
The rubber bullets had been bad enough; I never wanted to feel the impact of a live round, that was for sure. I stepped down out from the van with the help of the English-speaking soldier. We were at a rest stop beside a freeway and it was still dark, but the sky was brightening with a pink, pre-dawn glow.
At the restroom door, the soldier stopped us.
“One at a time,” he said. “I am watching, and Chan is watching around the back. Like I said, no funny stuff.”
He pulled Brooke forward and turned her around, pulling a small pocketknife from the pocket of his uniform. He cut through the zip-tie with one movement and shoved her toward the door.
“Ladies first,” he said.
Brooke disappeared inside, but not before giving him a defiant stare over her shoulder.
“You and Chan, huh? How many more of you bastards are there?” asked Luke.
My eyes widened.
The soldier looked at Luke, his cheekbone and chin bruised from his previous beating, and smiled dangerously. Without warning, he delivered a hard slap across his face.
Luke looked at him insolently.
“You have already been more trouble than you are worth, Mr. Redhead,” the soldier said. “You’d better hope we don’t find many more pick-ups between here and Washington. If the truck gets too full, it’s possible that accidents may happen to some of you.”
America Falls (Book 1): Hell Week Page 10