by Shepp, Roman
Rosa didn't have much to say to Frank. He could talk, that was for sure. Then again so could most politicians, and she often found that many of them spoke without really saying anything. Frank could talk about a New America all he wanted, but words were easy. So far, she hadn't seen anything from him that suggested how he was going to go about rebuilding the country. Sometimes it seemed as though he just assumed it was going to happen because that's what he wanted to happen. Of course, she'd had enough of his pontificating in the bunker, and missed the time he'd spent dazed and confused.
Jane was staring out at the forest, while Frank was staring at Jane. Rosa felt bad for Jane as it was easy to see that Frank wasn't quite done with her yet. The two of them seemed linked, and Rosa was glad she didn't have any human ties to make her weak. Phil was the only one who seemed game for a conversation, and he rambled, talking about all manner of things. Rosa half-listened to him. He had the sense of man who spoke of having lived life, yet who hadn't really lived it at all. Most of all Rosa thought back to her conversation with Jane and the people she had lost. As a soldier she had been trained to compartmentalize grief, but it wasn't easy when she'd lost everything. Steve would have been a better fit to survive. At least then he'd be able to come up with a plan and rally the rest of them.
“Rosa? Did you hear what I said?” Phil repeated. Rosa looked at him and smiled.
“Sorry, I got lost for a minute there.”
“I was just saying that it's good you've survived. I mean, I know a fair bit about military strategy, but you've actually lived it. When we come across this community we'll be able to use your expertise to defeat them.”
“I don't know if it'll be as easy as all that.”
“No, it probably won't, but it's an advantage we have. Have you given much thought to weapons? We have to assume they have some guns at least. I guess we'll have to take on the role of guerrillas. We'll have to strike quietly and swiftly, focus on their supplies and equipment. There's only a few of us, but we can beat them, can't we?”
“Sure we can,” Rosa said, “although right now I'm not sure it's a good idea to be thinking about that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, we're hardly part of an army. There's four of us, and one of us isn't exactly trustworthy. We can't take on an entire community. We should consolidate first, try finding a safe place.”
“We'll find one soon. I have the map memorized, remember? I bet there's another group somewhere we can join.”
Rosa found his optimism amusing. She supposed it was all Phil had left after what he'd been through. During her time in the bunker, Rosa had hated how confined they were. It was the safest place but being outside held its allure. However, now that she'd seen the dangers that lay out here she was glad she had been so sheltered. Sometimes it felt as though the world had cracked open and hell had spilled out over it, and now there was no putting it back. At least she wasn't alone. For all her grousing about her companions she didn't think she could handle being alone in this world, not with danger lurking around every corner.
“The first thing we need to do is breakfast. Come on, let's go,” Rosa said, standing up. The other three followed, with Phil being the most eager. The two of them led and walked away, with Jane and Frank bringing up the rear. Jane tried to stay as far away as possible, and Rosa promised herself that she wasn't going to get involved.
Keeping her eyes peeled, she scanned the forest, then was pulled back by Phil.
“I've got this,” he said. “I think I've got the hang of this arm and I'm going to put it into practice.”
Rosa had no qualms about him training with his weapon. It certainly would make for a formidable one, and a man with a sword for an arm would make others think twice about attacking them. They stayed still as they sensed movement ahead, and Phil kept low. He gave a knowing smile to Rosa, who found herself smiling back. Phil's gregarious nature and enthusiastic outlook on the world was contagious. It was too easy to get bogged down in sadness. She figured that Phil had seen enough sadness in his life recently to not let it get him down anymore. He'd thought he would die at the hands of the cannibals, so any days he lived after that were a blessed second chance.
She watched Phil creep forward. He had to be like an animal, getting in close to the prey. Moving through the foliage he crept up on the unsuspecting squirrel, tiptoeing as lightly as he could. Rosa watched, impressed, as Phil brought his stump back and then stepped forward, ready to make the final lunge. In his excitement he misjudged his step and cracked a twig. The squirrel looked around, alarmed. With a twitch of its nose it scurried away, but Phil was not to be undone. With a mighty bellow he threw himself forward and thrust out his arm, piercing the squirrel's tail. The animal yelped. Phil pushed himself up and jabbed the squirrel again, using the force of his shoulder muscle to kill the animal with one swipe. It was a devastating blow, and Rosa was quite impressed with the force Phil could generate. He stood up, looking proud of himself, until Rosa gestured toward the blood hanging off his sword.
“Barbarians,” Frank said, shaking his head.
“I assume that means you don't want any, Frank?” Phil asked cheerily.
They walked the short way back to their camp, then gutted the squirrel and cooked the meat. None of them particularly liked the thought of eating a squirrel, but their stomachs were crying out for nutrition. They passed the meat around, each of them tearing a little piece off, then chewing it and gulping it down, hoping it would be enough to sate their hunger for another few hours. Despite his show of disgust, Frank took some too, although he wiped his fingers on the grass after he had touched the animal, as though he was above all this.
Rosa could tell Jane was about to say something again. Before another argument could transpire, Rosa sighed and was about to tell them the new plan (which she was going to improvise while she was talking) when she heard a rustling from nearby.
“What's that?” she asked.
“Maybe it’s the squirrel's family come to get their revenge,” Frank said dryly. Before anyone could tell him to shut up they were surrounded by at least fifteen people.
“You're coming with us,” one of the men said.
Rosa sighed, hanging her head. She threw the rest of the meat she was eating to the ground and then rose. Phil rose too, imagining they were going to make a fight of it, but Rosa shook her head. There was no point in fighting. They were outnumbered, most likely outgunned, and it only would lead to more pain for all of them. Better to surrender now and see what these people wanted. They could think about escaping later.
“We'll come, we won't put up a fight. I can see there's no point in that, but aren't you at least going to tell us who you are?” she asked, fearing that they were from the same community Martha and Belinda had warned them about.
“You don't need to know. Just be quiet and come with us.”
Rosa held up her hands and followed their path. She took stock of those who were standing around and started to wonder if they should have tried fighting back after all. Some of the people looked in good shape, but others were young and uncertain. If there was a fight it was likely that some of their force would run away in fear, even though the odds were probably still in their favor.
“Now, let's not be hasty here. I'm sure we can come to some sort of arrangement. Let's sit down like civilized adults and remember that we all live in this world and we all want to be safe,” Frank said. Rosa rolled her eyes.
“Walk,” the big man said.
The group followed them. Phil worked his way up to Rosa and whispered to her, asking if they should make a move. Rosa shook her head. Jane was sullen, walking along with her arms folded. Frank kept talking, trying to make a deal, but his words were falling on deaf ears. They walked for about an hour until they came to a clearing. The four of them were placed in cages made of wood and twine. The craftsmanship was not excellent, but it was good enough to hold them. Each of them tested their own cage and found there was no way to esca
pe.
“Come on, guys. We can work out some kind of a deal. Look, if you let me out of here, I promise you'll be well-rewarded. I'm quite important and if you just let me out I'll tell you about everything I have planned,” Frank said. None of them listened to him, they merely walked off in silence.
“Now they really are barbarians,” Frank muttered.
The four of them could do nothing but stew in their cages, looking out at the small camp before them.
“Do you think this is the community?” Rosa asked in a low voice.
“I don't know. It doesn't seem big enough. Although they could be working with them. We'll have to be careful,” Phil said.
“This is ridiculous. They should at least listen to reason,” Frank said.
“I think you should try keeping your mouth shut. They hold all the cards here. We can't do anything until we know what they want from us,” Rosa said.
“Fat lot of good the army is doing to protect me,” Frank muttered. Rosa let the insult pass without commenting. Jane was sitting with her head bowed, trying to shut out the world.
The four of them waited for a little while. Life passed in the camp. A few people looked at them, but none of them came over. Then, a woman came up to them. She opened Rosa's cage.
“You're coming with me,” she said.
“Wait, why is she being let out?!” Frank yelled.
Rosa couldn't hide the smirk from her face. She was taken to a small hut. There was a table and two chairs. They didn't match and evidently had been scavenged from somewhere else. The woman disappeared, then a man entered. He hadn't been present at their capture.
“My name is Andrew. I'd just like to ask you a few questions,” he said.
Rosa narrowed her eyes at him. He had tousled brown hair, a thick beard, and blue eyes. He looked in decent shape, which suggested the camp had a steady supply of food, although his clothes were torn. Was that fear she saw in his eyes as well?
“Have I done anything wrong?” she asked.
“Well...”
“Do you make a habit of capturing random people?”
“Hang on a minute. I'm the one supposed to be asking questions here, and if you have a problem with that, I always can put you back in your cage and let one of your friends out,” he said. Rosa pursed her lips and nodded.
“Shoot,” she said.
“Let's start with your name.”
“Rosa.”
“And you're in the army?”
“I was. I'm not sure there's an army left anymore.”
“What were you doing in the woods?”
“Running from a maniac. Trying to survive. Trying to find a place to live. What do you think we were doing?” she asked. Andrew looked at her with an inscrutable expression.
“That's what I'm trying to find out.”
“Look, I'm willing to answer your questions, but you've gotta tell me what you're afraid of.”
“Who says I'm afraid of anything?” Andrew asked, his voice trembling. Rosa fought the urge to smile.
“Just level with me here, and we can try sorting this out,” he said “Are you working with a man named Hugo?”
“What? No! Never!”
“Were you sent by him? I knew we were right to capture you.”
“Whoa, cool down. We're not with him either. That's where we were going. We heard some...disturbing things about him and what he's planning.”
“From whom?”
“Two women called Martha and Belinda.”
“Oh my God. They're okay? Was there a man with them?”
Rosa furrowed her brow. “I think their companion died. What do you know of them?”
Andrew hung his head for a moment, but then seemed to be a little more willing to talk. “We lived there too. We all ran away from the community. Hugo twisted it into something it wasn't. We were supposed to be devoted to peace, but he changed things for the worse.”
“I get what you've been through, but honestly, capturing us and throwing us in cages doesn't seem too peaceful.”
“It's easy to be a saint in paradise,” Andrew growled, “and trust me, you'd be much worse off if Hugo had found you.”
“Okay, but you don't need to worry about us. My friends and I are here to help. We were trying to think of a way to stop Hugo. We heard he's going to march to the city. We want to try stopping the threat, but we can't do it by ourselves.”
Andrew stared at her. “I think I can trust you, although I'm not sure about your friends. I'll allow you to join us, as long as you don't do anything to make me doubt your story.”
Rosa didn't have to think about it for long, even though she knew the others were going to hate her for it. “I accept. What do you want me to do?”
“Go back to your friends and guard them until I can be sure of their intentions,” he said.
Rosa nodded and left the small hut. That had been easier than she thought it would be, and she was glad there were others who wanted to stand up to Hugo. She walked back to the cages. The others were indeed surprised when she stood in front of them and didn't get back in.
“What happened?” Phil asked.
“They're an offshoot of the colony, leaving after Hugo took over. They asked me to join them. I said yes, and I'm sure you will too once he's sure of you.”
“You what?!” Frank said. Jane and Phil also stared at her in disbelief. Rosa was surprised at how much their shocked faces affected her.
“I'm doing this for our own good. Now that I'm out I can help convince them that you are trustworthy. Just hold tight, and when you're called for questioning tell them the truth. I think they're just scared.”
“They're not the ones in cages,” Frank muttered.
“I'm sorry, but this is just the way it has to be,” she said, and walked off so she wouldn't have to be within earshot of them. As she walked away she could hear Frank mutter that nobody could be trusted, which was especially rich coming from him.
Chapter Five
It was late at night and Jane still was asleep. Rosa long since had walked away, although she had provided them with some food and water. Jane still couldn't believe that Rosa had sold them out like that. Rosa had tried to explain, but the four of them were a group. They were supposed to suffer together, and as of yet none of them had been questioned. Tony wouldn't have done that. Jane found herself pining for the days when it was just her, Saeed, and Tony. The three of them were from different walks of life, yet something about them had just worked. It was simpler then as well. At least they only had one thing on their minds, trying to get to the bunker. Since they'd arrived life only had been more complicated.
“I could have told you this would happen,” Frank said. Jane tried to ignore him. He'd been speaking now and then for the whole time, even though Jane hadn't given any kind of response. “I knew she was a bad egg from the moment I walked into that bunker. Steve, now, there was an honorable man. He really knew what the uniform meant. She doesn't care about anyone but herself.”
How she wished she could shut him out of her mind. How she wished that Tony was there. He'd know the right thing to say. He'd know what to do to make Jane feel safe. But Tony wasn't there. He was dead. For all she knew Saeed and Tara could be dead as well. That's all this world did, chew people up and spit them out again. Why was she so different? Maybe they all had died on that first night and this was hell. It certainly would explain why she was paired with Frank again. Part of her thought that if it was so inevitable that she should be with him she might as well face the music now and just give in. The only time she felt hope was with Tony. Now that he was dead that hope had been taken away.
Looking at the next cage, she gazed at Frank. It amazed her how he still had the energy to talk after all this time. Phil was sleeping soundly. Frank was awake and would be for a long while yet. The man always had pushed himself hard. That was another thing Jane had admired about him. She recalled all the nights they had stayed up late together, working in the office until the wee h
ours of the morning, then returning to a hotel or an apartment to while away the rest of the hours in a heady haze of ecstasy. Despite herself she thought of his hands running over her body, or the way he used to whisper her name when enveloped her in his arms, and the sad truth that she actually liked being the other woman. That's why she had let the affair run so long, after all. It added spice to their relationship that Frank chose her over his own wife.
She almost cried, it was so sad. What a horrible person she was. Maybe it was for the best that Tara had gone away with Saeed. If she had stayed with Jane, the child only would have been misguided. For all her intelligence and drive, Jane had made some really stupid mistakes through life. Sometimes it seemed the only thing she did get right was Frank. When they were good, they were good, and for all his faults he was the only person to have made her feel something intense, something uncontrollable. Now that the world was ending what the hell was the problem with indulging her sins a little? They were all as good as dead anyway. What good had it brought her? She was locked in a cage, her only friends in the world were dead. The only thing she had left was Frank.
“Okay, I admit it, I guess I do miss you a little bit,” she said eventually after Frank had goaded her for a long time.
“I knew it!”
“That is, I missed the times when we were together. When I actually felt like I was a part of your life. I miss how you made me feel special, how when you looked in my eyes I actually could believe you loved me.” Her words were bittersweet, and as she spoke them wistful memories tugged at her heart.
Lowering her face down again, she closed her eyes and tried forcing the horrid thoughts out of her mind. That night when the world went to hell she swore to herself that she never would return to loving Frank. Now that she was with him again she could do nothing but return to that state where the two of them were together. It was so easy for her to love him. She had been doing it for the best part of her adult life, and it came so naturally to her. He was a monster. He had attacked her, pursued her through the city, and he only ever looked out for himself. But he was alive. He still was with her. Tony had died. Saeed was as good as dead. Was she supposed to live through the rest of this life alone? Maybe there was something to be said for better the devil you know...