Samantha Sharp Chronicles 2

by C C Roth

  Her only response was a barely noticeable glare in the rearview mirror before she jerked the truck onto the highway. He didn’t ask again.

  “I didn’t know that,” I said, “that you would be graduating this year.”

  “Why would you? That would require you asking me a question about myself.” His tone was teasing and playful, but it must’ve bothered him.

  “I’m selfish and I only think of myself…all the time.”

  “I know. We’ve met.”

  “So where would you have gone to college, if you’d graduated?”

  “Probably IU, back in Indiana. My family wanted me close to home so…” he trailed off and I didn’t blame him. No one wanted to talk about their dead family.

  Vie turned on some music and we didn't say a word, staring out our open windows at the emptiness. It was hard to believe the government had publicly committed to re-inhabiting most metropolitan areas. I wondered if we still had the population to warrant such a move or if they were actually planning on farming all of the survivors to Utah or somewhere. The dusty cars and empty roads we passed were becoming commonplace and it was strange to picture people walking on the sidewalks, cars stuck in traffic, grocery stores open that actually had food on the shelves. Time was a strange thing to be able to accomplish so much. In a blink, half of us had been erased.

  The damp spring air blew over my face and I wondered for how much longer I’d live in our new world. Something inside me was twinging at the thought of “normal.” Would it be possible? I suppose I hadn’t given it much thought but of course things would have to go back, wouldn’t they? People would go to school and work, stores would open, things would thrive again. But how would I fit into that? I couldn’t see myself there, not now. I couldn’t picture going back to school after this. I wanted…something. Or maybe I wanted nothing at all and that was the problem. A desolate and doomed future somehow seemed a better fit for who I was turning into. Navin reached over and rubbed my arm, his skin so warm I thought I might melt, but I steeled myself against it. My cold friend was rooted so strongly within, I knew nothing would ever thaw it. It gripped my insides and I stopped thinking about the future. It wouldn’t matter to me anyhow. That wasn’t where I belonged.

  You belong with me.

  Fields and trees were starting to take over the landscape and the sudden shift snapped me back to reality. Navin had a look on his face, as if he’d been studying me. I knew critical when I saw it, I’d lived with the master. I smiled to put him at ease and heard a comical robot voice in my head, Initiate human sequence. Hold hands. Beep beep boop boop. I did my best to act normal, whatever that was, and he smiled back, his eyes losing some of their intense focus.

  “Up ahead is the lab,” Vie said pointing through her window.

  Over a hill, maybe two miles away I could see a gray building peeking through a tree line.

  “How close are we getting?” I asked.

  “This road goes straight to their front door but we’re taking the scenic route that wraps around to the back access road. This way they won’t see us coming. Only ten more minutes now.”

  The trees’ greenery, dancing in the air, slowly swallowed the gray building from our view as we drove onward. We followed the van in front of us as it turned right onto a small dirt road that appeared to go nowhere, but actually side-winded its way past several farmhouses, fields, and finally turned back west toward the lab. We made another turn and another, eventually winding our way behind the lab just as Vie said we would. Trees loomed overhead and blocked out most of the sun creating a lattice-like shadow pattern on the ground and truck.

  “Oh good,” said Navin. “This isn’t creepy at all.”

  “What’s creepy about it?” I looked around confused.

  “Middle of nowhere in the dark woods and a treacherous road is our only escape if we’re found out.”

  “There’s a faster way out, the main road just there past the entrance. The night we do this for real we’ll take a shortcut if we need to,” Sutton said.

  “If we need to. Like if we’re being chased by a bunch of dudes with guns?” Navin asked.

  “Just like that.” Sutton’s face was steely, and I couldn’t deny a part of me wanted to reach out and tickle him to see if he’d crack a smile. But that was one of those urges I’d been told to suppress.

  “Don’t worry so much,” I said to Navin. “You’ve run away from guys with guns before and that worked out fine.”

  “Yeah, that’s how I know I don’t like it. Being shot at isn’t really an activity I want multiple experiences of.”

  “Then be super sneaky,” I teased and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

  Vie parked behind the van and everyone piled out. Mike was still semi-ignoring me, but he nevertheless kept an eye on me as the group circled up together.

  “Okay,” Karina said, pulling out her map for everyone to see. “This is us, right now. We are right along the west wall of the lab. When we walk through that tree line we will be in sight of their cameras and the people on watch. So, what are we not going to do right now?” she asked in a mocking tone, looking directly at me.

  I rolled my eyes so hard I thought they would fall out of my butt. “We’re not going to get caught.”

  “Good. So, let’s go through this. We meet here, just like now. It will be dark out so that combined with the woods will provide cover. We will stay together and go to the tree line where we wait until we see our signal. It should be a pen light pointed directly at us from the fence so no one inside will see it. That’s our mark where the fence should be open. You go in,” she pointed to me and the guys. “If you clear the fence then you go up the side access metal stairs along this wall and the door at the top will be unlocked. You turn left and move to the back hall on that second story where our person will be waiting for you. He should let you into the room where our people are being held. If you do it right, we get out unnoticed. If you screw up, our guy walks and we’re on our own. Got it?”

  Everyone nodded and studied the map. I could just make out the gray brick through the dense trees. The building was big, and I knew from our first recon that it was loaded with military people who wouldn’t hesitate to use their skills.

  “We’ll be here the whole time as your back up, but Mitchell doesn’t want us going in. If things go wrong, we break radio silence and we’ll do our best to get you out…but we’re not coming in after you. We have strict orders not to go beyond the fence.”

  All the talking and plotting had me bored to tears and I wanted nothing more than to jump through the tree line and do cartwheels just to test the guards’ aim.

  So anticlimactic.

  I wasn’t the only one who was bored. My cold friend knew we were inches from a firestorm, and it was eager for action. I imagined a tiny toe tapping with irritation in the recesses of my brain, trying to nudge me along.

  “I just don’t like it,” Mike said. “How do we know this guy will be able to help us? How do we know he’ll do what he says?”

  “We don’t,” I answered for him. “But it’s our only choice.”

  “This is how we help The Resistance, Mike,” Karina was making doe-eyes at him. “This is our contribution. Getting our people out of this place will not only send a message but will give us first-hand accounts of what’s going on in there. If we have proof, then we have a chance to shut them down. Mitchell has connections but we need more than that if we’re going to take down an entire rogue faction of our government. We must do this. Just tell yourself, we’re rebuilding America…except no one can ever know.”

  Mike sighed and nodded in compliance as we stood in the silence of the woods, taking in the gravity of what we were planning. This wasn’t just another random whim of mine. It wasn’t just our asses on the line either. What we did there would have ramifications larger than what we could grasp.

  Suddenly, we heard it. Everyone froze at once and shared a look of wonder. Luis smiled and pointed up, telling us all
to listen. It was a familiar sound but one I hadn’t heard in a while. Not since before the outbreak. There were birds overhead and they were singing. Carrying on as if we weren’t there, their sounds echoing off one another, creating one endless song. We were all transfixed, heads up and awe struck listening to their calls. Even Vie smiled as she looked up at the treetops. After the virus had wiped out so many birds, the gentle sound had faded into a distant memory. It wasn’t something you’d think to notice until it was just gone. A silent forest is its own kind of sadness all together. They had come back though, and we would too. I could read Mike’s face in that moment. He took the birdsong as a sign that our world could turn back the clock just like he hoped. His smile said it all, he could see us going home.

  “Okay, let’s move out.” Karina folded her map and we all went back to the cars, leaving the birds to their choir.

  ────♦────

  By the time we made it back to the highway I had the back roads mapped in my head. I’d developed a pretty good sense of direction over the past year and this was one of those times I was going to need it. Navigating those roads at night would be a feat all its own. It wasn’t in the plans for me to drive but I knew by now plans only got you so far. I turned backward and watched the trees fade behind us. I hated to say goodbye to the woods and the feeling of freedom the open space allowed. In moments we would be back to the house, jam packed full of people and noise with nothing to do but wait. And I would have to talk to Mike, our fight had gone on long enough. Just the thought of it made my eye twitch. Waiting around that house would be like sitting in a pressure cooker until I could find my next escape. I longed for more freedom but soon the city was back in sight and we were traversing the depressed concrete jungle once more.

  “Karina sucks,” I said randomly.

  “How’s that?”

  “I can’t believe she thought I was going to screw up the recon today. I mean, what was she worried about? It’s not like I go looking for trouble or something.”

  Navin chuckled. “Oh, you’re serious? I thought that was a joke. Yes, you do. You obviously go looking for trouble all the time. A lot actually. You’re aware of that right?”

  “Yeah, okay I do. But she doesn’t know that.”

  “It’s sort of just implied, like…”

  “Like what?”

  “Like when you breathe.”

  I punched his arm hard. “Well nothing happened. It was a completely boring excursion so everyone can shut up and be happy.”

  We turned onto a one-way street one block away from The Home.

  “So, do I get a reward for being good? I’ve heard positive reinforcement works wonders for people like me.”

  “There are no people like you.”

  “Hmm, you could be right. I might be one of a kind. That makes you incredibly lucky I’d say.”

  I leaned in for a kiss but Navin wasn’t interested in my adorable flirting. He was sitting up at attention and peering through the front windshield ahead of us.

  “Crap,” he said.

  “What the hell?” Vie said as she slowed the truck.

  I looked and instantly smiled ear to ear. “Hey! It’s Axle!”

  Vie rolled to a stop next to Karina’s van. We were once again blocked by a row of cars dotted with armed hipsters. And standing out in front was poor old Axle, busted foot and all.

  “These guys just won’t give up. You’ve got to admire that kind of gumption.”

  “What am I looking at?” Sutton asked.

  “Well I’m guessing the result of overly indulgent parents and too much self-esteem,” I teased.

  “What?”

  “Oh, that’s Axle and his band of hipsters. They’re going to try and rob you. But they’re not very good at it. Points for trying though.”

  Vie and Sutton looked at me then to Navin, knowing between the two of us he was the saner one. “Do you mind translating that?”

  “Yeah. What she said. This has happened twice now. Sam shot that guy in the foot and last time she slapped the hell out of him. It was sort of awesome and sad.”

  The walkie on the dashboard lit up with Karina’s voice. “Sutton, Vie. Get ready and wait for my call. Let’s see what they want.”

  I waved my hand in dismissal. “Don’t worry, I got this.” I slung my rifle across my back and jumped out of the truck.

  “Stop!” Vie snapped at me. “Wait for Karina!”

  “Nope. I’m good.” I slammed the door and strolled up toward Axle, waving my hand as I put on gloves. “Hi Axle! It’s only been a couple days. Did you miss me already?”

  The pain on his face was unmistakable. “Aww, Jesus Christ. No, no, no. Not you again. Look, this is a mistake. That’s not even your car. Just leave okay? You can leave, please.” He started instinctively backing up, but it was difficult with that foot I’d shot.

  “We really do need to work on your people skills, Axle. I love your beard, but snazzy facial hair will only get you so far in life.” I stopped eight feet away from him. “I know, let’s play a game.”

  Mike and Karina were yelling at me from the van, but I waved my hand up to calm them down.

  “What do you say? Would you like to play a game with me?”

  “No kid, I don’t. You’re nuts. Would someone please shoot her?” he yelled over his shoulder.

  “Shoot me? Why would you want to shoot me? I’m just trying to play a game with you. You see, you do need to work on your people skills.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the grenade I’d swiped earlier. His eyes widened as he recognized what I was holding, and I couldn’t contain the evil giggle that rose up from within. “Let’s call this a trust exercise. I throw you the grenade. Then you throw it back. Like hot potato.”

  His face was desperate as he searched his followers for help, but none of them seemed to care he was in mortal peril. Cat sweater girl was knitting something, she didn’t even have a gun, ugly bangs guys had a gun but he was spinning it around in a circle on the hood of a car, and the rest may as well have been napping.

  “How is this a trust exercise if it’s like hot potato?”

  “Excellent question! We’re going to trust each other not to pull the pin out. Got it? All you have to do is catch and toss. Easy right?” I chucked the grenade right at him before he could answer, and a high-pitched squeal escaped his manly beard as he caught the grenade and bounced it from hand to hand.

  “Nice, Axle. Good job. Now toss it back to me.”

  Cat sweater girl finally looked up from her knitting and shrieked, “Holy crap, is that a grenade?”

  Axle held onto the round metal ball, his hands quivering as he weighed his options. He stared at it then back at me.

  “Axle, remember this is a trust exercise. Don’t make me shoot you again.”

  He whimpered a little then gently tossed the grenade back to me.

  “Good boy. So tell me, why do you keep getting in my way? It doesn’t seem to be working out too well for you at all.”

  “I just…” he caught the grenade more easily but still gasped, “my friends and I are trying to survive. Like everyone else.”

  “Hmm, no not like everyone else. You clearly bring your own particular flare to the job. You must not be very results oriented though.” I caught it again and this time fiddled with the pin for a second. “So if I let you go again, are you going to be back out here tomorrow or is this the last time we’re going to see each other? Because as much as I like your beard, every time I see you, I want to rip it off.”

  His whole body shook as he caught the grenade again, he was not holding up well. “I, I don’t have any other way to feed these people. Look, I promise we won’t bother you again. Okay? I promise.”

  “Uh-huh.” I caught the grenade and fiddled with the pin, eyeing him for a long moment. Mike was yelling at me from inside the van, but I knew Karina wouldn’t let him come after me. “I think you’re lying, Axle and I think I’m bored with your beard.” I threw the gren
ade one last time and watched his face turn to horror as he looked it over and realized the pin was out.

  He fumbled it with a squeal, flipping the grenade clumsily into the air. It bounced behind him onto the hood of one of their cars, rolling to a stop on the windshield right in front of the guy with unfortunate bangs. That was the fastest I’ve ever seen a lazy, over-entitled group of hipsters move in my life. I guess they were worried about messing up their hair in the explosion because they really hauled ass. I think most of them got away, but to be honest I didn’t really care. There’s nothing worse than an apathetic criminal. At least put some heart into your thieving and plunderous lifestyle.

  I dove inside our truck just in time for the explosion to rock us side to side with a deafening boom. It took several minutes for our brains to start again after that one.

  “Whoa. Did you see that?” I asked excited.

  Navin’s jaw was hanging open as we both stared through the windshield at the decimated hipster barricade. There were no bodies in sight and one of the cars had been totally destroyed. A red striped beanie floated down dramatically and landed on our hood as Vie turned slowly to stare at me.

  “What is wrong with you?” she asked.

  I blinked innocently. “What? Now we can go. You’re welcome.”

  7 Fractured

  Isat in Mitchell’s office as Karina raged and roared about my insolence. She actually used the word “insolence.” Eye roll. He listened calmly and let her go off in an epic retelling of my terrible behavior. I wasn’t cut out for this. He shouldn’t trust me. I shouldn’t be allowed near the lab. Blah, blah, blah. She just kept going.

  Finally, I’d had enough. “You know it’s not like this is an authorized mission you all are running here. You can’t technically stop me from going. Just a happy little factoid for you, Karina,” I grinned obnoxiously.

  “Oh, I could stop you I if wanted.”

  “That would be hilarious. But it’s important to have goals.”

  “Ugh!” She screeched and threw an arm in my direction as if putting me on display for Mitchell.

  He finally lowered his hands from his face to speak. “Thank you, Karina. I appreciate everything you’ve shared with me. I need to speak with Samantha alone now please.”