Skye paused and arched her brow. “You have room?”
The woman spat into the dirt. “Just the three of you, or is your man coming back?”
“Drop off only.” Skye tightened her hand around the hilt of the knife. “He’s not my man.”
“Ain’t that the way of it,” the woman muttered, glancing down at Veridian and Kayla. “Your kids appear pretty healthy. We don’t have much, but you’re welcome to a place.”
Skye glanced around and noted several others were paying close attention to the conversation. A few had moved closer, most likely also sizing her up or listening in. She didn’t know this woman’s position here, but the fact they were close to the entrance indicated hers was more advantageous than others. “We don’t have much either, but we can share what we’ve got. How many are here?”
The woman assessed her shrewdly. “Best you come inside. You keep walking farther into camp and you’re gonna attract more attention than you want. Unless you have kin here, no one will lift a hand when some of our boys try to steal you blind.”
Without saying a word, the woman turned and ducked inside. Skye pursed her lips and led Veridian and Kayla into the structure. It was darker within the small building, but the stifling heat made it apparent why the woman had been outside. At first glance, Skye spotted two other adults and three children. One of the women had a baby pressed against her breast while the two other children played some sort of game in the corner. An older man slept on a nearby pallet.
The woman gestured to an area of the room where some debris had been pushed aside. “You can set up over in that corner.”
Skye nodded and walked over to where she indicated, putting the heavy bag on the ground. “I appreciate it. I’m Skye, and this is Veridian and Kayla.”
The woman nodded. “The name’s Tali.” She motioned to the woman with the infant. “That’s Bridge taking care of old Pete. And over there,” she indicated the two children who were now staring at Kayla and Veridian, “that’s Gryph and Cayenne.”
Skye gave them all a nod. It took only a few seconds to take the pulse of the room. Tali was more or less in charge for the time being, but based on the number of pallets, a handful more were wandering the camp. She’d wait to see who else would reappear later to determine whether or not they stuck around.
A weak cough caught her attention, and she glanced over at the older man. From the raspy breathing and rattle in his chest, it didn't sound good.
Tali noticed and said, “We don’t think it’s catching.”
Skye didn’t respond. All things considered, they were fortunate more of the people here weren’t sick. She crouched down to open the bag and withdrew one of the sleeping mats. Rolling it out, she motioned for Veridian and Kayla to help her with it. Judging by Kayla’s pale face and wide eyes, the little girl needed a job to distract her from the surroundings. Veridian was equally wary, but he'd traveled with her before to the family camp. Skye wasn't sure if Kayla had ever spent time in one.
Skye turned toward Tali. “Is there a water collection place nearby?”
“You armed?”
When Skye nodded, Tali gestured to the older boy. “Gryph, go show them to the well.”
Skye hesitated. If she took Veridian and Kayla with her, their belongings would remain unprotected. Until she knew these people better, she couldn’t risk it.
Kayla still appeared a little shell-shocked, and Skye didn’t know how well she’d handle herself in a difficult situation. At least Leo had been working with Veridian a bit on self-defense. She’d never been more thankful for the lessens than now.
Crouching down, she withdrew her other knife from her boot and handed it hilt first to Veridian. “I need you to stay here. I’ll be back in ten minutes. Can you do that for me?”
Veridian swallowed but accepted the knife. He sat on the mat, leaning against the wall so he could watch the entire room. “I'm fine, Mom. You can trust me.”
Tali’s eyes lit up in approval. “You’ve got yourself a good little man there.”
Skye glanced over at Gryph, who was waiting to take them to the well. He appeared to be a few years older than Veridian, probably closer to eleven or twelve. Skye guessed he'd probably be out trying to make a living for himself scavenging in another year or two. They always started young, but skill and luck depended on how long they'd survive. Turning back to Tali, she asked, “Is Gryph your boy?”
Tali paused, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Yes.”
“He just as good?”
Tali’s mouth curved upward. “You’ve got spunk, I’ll give you that much. With those fancy-ass clothes, I was wondering if you’d gone soft in one of those scavenging camps.”
Skye inclined her head. “We all come from the same roots, and we all end up in the same place. You take care of me and mine, Tali, and I’ll do the same for you.”
Tali held her gaze for a long moment, her brown eyes sharp. They weren’t so far off in age, and except for a twist in Fate, Skye could have been the one standing in Tali’s shoes.
Finally, Tali nodded. “Done. If you run into Hobb and his crew, keep your weapon handy.”
Skye didn't know who this Hobb was, but there were always a few troublemakers in every camp. Crouching down beside Kayla, she said, “You need to stay right with me, yeah?”
Kayla nodded, darting a quick glance at Veridian as though worried about leaving him. Skye reached into the bag to pull out the large canteen they’d brought with them. In the scavenging camp, they typically reused hydrating packs they purchased from OmniLab, but she couldn’t keep running back and forth to the well to refill the few she had.
Skye handed Kayla the canteen. “You’re gonna need to carry that for me. Veridian will be fine. Just stay close to me. We’ll be back soon.” She leaned close to Kayla and whispered, “He knows how to use that weapon. I’ll teach you too.”
Kayla's eyes widened. “Promise?”
Skye smiled. “Promise. Now come on.”
She stood and followed Gryph outside with Kayla sticking right by her side. At least Kayla followed instructions well, and it allowed Skye to keep her hand on her weapon. The gravel crunched underneath her feet from asphalt that had worn away years ago. When she’d lived in the trader camp, she’d watched some videos showing what the world had been like before the war. Part of her wondered if the people back then would have chosen their same path if they had any idea how much they’d destroy. Maybe that had been their intention. She’d probably never know, not that it mattered much now.
A loud buzzing indicated the UV guard over the area was still working, which was promising considering there were some family camps that didn’t have even that much. Barriers were marked off with warning signs indicating the areas where it was safe to walk. Daytime was usually a time for sleep, while darkness tended to afford more protection from the elements. It was the opposite in the trading and scavenging camps, where expensive technology had created more flexible schedules. It would probably take a while to adjust to being nocturnal.
Night was starting to fall, and people were beginning to emerge from their homes. She continued walking quickly, intent to get back before any unwelcome visitors stopped by Tali’s place. The area between her shoulder blades started to itch from the number of people watching them. She placed her hand on Kayla’s shoulder, hugging the girl toward her while her other hand gripped the knife tightly.
Kayla was a pretty child, which wasn’t exactly conducive to keeping a low profile. But Skye was determined to protect her with her last breath, just as she would with Veridian. She believed what she’d told Daryl back at the scavenging camp. These children were their future, and she was determined to make sure they survived to see it.
Leo walked into the camp and dropped his bag on the floor by the entrance. He pulled off his helmet and turned at a woman’s gasp.
Alanza stared at him with wide eyes. “You’re alive! We were all worried something had happened to you.”
“Yeah, it
took me longer than I expected to make it back. How’s Niko? Any change?”
Alanza lowered her gaze. “He’s running a fever now and won’t eat or drink. Chance doesn’t think he’ll last more than another day or two.” She lifted her head and clasped her hands together. “Were you able to find anything that might help him?”
“No. Everyone was hit hard by the last storm,” Leo admitted, tossing his helmet on the rack in frustration. “We’re going to have to figure out something else. Let me grab a hydrating pack first and see Skye. Then we can talk about some other options for Niko. Do you know where she is?”
“Um, I’ll go grab a hydrating pack for you. You should talk to Daryl,” Alanza said and ran toward their supply room.
Leo’s eyes narrowed. He tugged off his jacket and dropped it near his helmet, trying to bury the worry that had been plaguing him for the past few days. Something was going on. Otherwise, Skye or Veridian would have come to the entrance when they heard his voice. Alanza should have been pestering him with relentless questions about how they were going to treat Niko instead of running off to fetch him a drink.
Determined to find Skye, he headed down the corridor. Chance intercepted him, his expression one of relief. “Dammit, man. Where the hell have you been?”
“Two of the solar cells on my speeder blew. I had to strip them from my communicator and do a field repair to make it back. It took longer than I expected,” Leo said dismissively, glancing down the hall. It was too quiet, and there still wasn’t any sign of Skye or Veridian. “What the hell’s going on? Where’s Skye?”
Chance winced and rubbed the back of his neck. “About that…”
“Where the fuck is she, Chance?”
“A family camp,” Daryl said from behind him.
Leo whirled around, the news hitting him like a punch in the gut. He took a step toward Daryl and clenched his fists. “What the fuck are you talking about? If you kicked her out because I was a little late—”
Daryl held up his hand, cutting him off. “You've been gone almost a week, Leo. We had no reason to expect you’d return. I ordered Chance to take the girl to one of the family camps. Skye refused to allow it. It was her decision to go with the kid.”
“Of course, she refused!” Leo roared, a dark fury beginning to brew within him. “Kayla would have been exploited or worse. No one would abandon a child there without some sort of guardian. Kayla can’t be more than five or six. What the hell were you thinking?”
“I’m not running a fucking charity,” Daryl snapped. “Skye had a hard-enough time trying to cover the expenses for her and Veridian. There’s no way in hell she’d be able to take care of both kids.”
Leo grabbed Daryl and slammed him up against the wall. “You fucking bastard. I more than covered any deficits and you damn well know it. Skye works harder than anyone here. I should kill you for this.”
“Leo, don't do this, man,” Chance said from behind him. “Let him go.”
“And where the hell were you, Chance?” Leo demanded.
“I tried to talk her out of it,” Chance argued. “That woman was determined to protect those kids, no matter the cost. What the hell did you expect me to do? Skye's got a stubborn streak when it comes to them.”
Leo muttered a curse, knowing Chance was right. Skye rarely listened to him, except when she felt like it. Her passion and conviction were two of the things he loved about her, but it could also be infuriating at times.
Daryl shoved him away, his gaze turning cold. “Don’t put this shit on me, Leo. If I make allowances for Skye to take care of two kids, what happens then? When does it stop? If some other woman shows up with a kid, do you expect me to take them in too? What happens if Alanza gets pregnant? Or anyone else? We have these rules for a reason.”
“This isn’t some random stranger, Daryl. For fuck’s sake, Skye’s been living in this camp for eight years. You should have given her a chance.”
“I did,” Daryl said, his tone sharp. “We’re out of food, Leo. I’m down five scavengers because of that storm. We’re out of medical supplies because you used the last of the metabolic boosters on Skye. I dispatched Jaxon to one of the trading camps with the last of our scavenged items, but all trading has been suspended.”
Leo frowned. He’d heard something similar from one of the other scavenging camps he’d visited, but he'd thought it was an isolated event contained to a different district. “You're sure they've all stopped trading? Do you know why?”
“Not a damn clue,” Daryl muttered, worriedly running a hand over his head. “No supplies are going out of any trading camps, and they’re turning everyone away. In the meantime, I’ve got more than a dozen people to keep alive without any fucking supplies. I know you care about her, but it’s better that Skye’s gone. I need people who can mobilize quickly and take the necessary risks. A scavenger with two kids can't outmaneuver a trader crew. They're a liability we can't afford.”
Leo crossed his arms over his chest. “This isn’t right, Daryl. When Skye came here, she gave you every credit she’d earned working in that trader camp. She’s made you thousands more over the years and never refused to do anything you asked of her. Everyone in this camp owes their lives to her in some way, including you. At the first sign of trouble, you throw her back into that hell?”
Daryl blew out a breath. “I’m aware of Skye's value, and I’m sorry to lose her. But running a camp is about making the hard choices, not just the convenient ones. If you intend to lead this camp, you need to learn that. I can’t allow her to keep two children here.”
Leo was quiet for a long time. “Will you allow her to continue keeping Veridian here?”
Chance straightened. “You found Kayla’s camp?”
Leo didn’t answer. Instead, he focused on Daryl. “Will you allow Skye to remain here and keep Veridian with her?”
Daryl’s gaze turned suspicious. “If she can continue to produce and turn a profit, yes. But I won’t make any promises about the future. The girl is out of the question though.”
Leo’s jaw clenched, and he turned to Chance. “You dropped off Skye?”
Chance nodded. “Two days ago.”
“Good. You’re coming with me to get them,” Leo said, heading back to the exit. He’d hoped for a brief respite after traveling so far, but he wasn’t willing to leave Skye and Veridian in one of those camps for a moment longer than necessary. Over his shoulder, he called, “If anything happened to Skye in that camp, Daryl, you’d better not be around when I get back.”
Chapter Nine
Skye leaned forward, adjusting the light near them to better see the wiring she was working on. It wouldn’t do any of them much good if she injured herself again. The lack of food, barely drinkable water, and conditions within the camp were already unpleasant enough without adding an injury to the mix. As it was, she was worried about the illness that seemed to be sweeping through the family camp. Despite Tali’s assurances, the cough Pete had developed had spread to some of the others. Even Veridian had developed a slight cough earlier that morning, but he was trying to keep it suppressed.
Skye heard Veridian’s stomach rumble, and she reached into the bag to pull out one of their few remaining nutrient bars. Breaking it in half, she handed the pieces to the children. Everyone else had gone off to run errands or visit other areas of the camp, so she could risk feeding them without causing an issue. She’d shared a few of her supplies with Tali and the others, but they needed to try to make them last as long as possible. The small plot of land Tali had shown her where they were growing food wasn’t large enough to keep everyone sufficiently fed.
Kayla blinked up at her. “You’re not hungry?”
Skye gave her a small smile. “I’ll eat a bit later. You two need to keep up your strength so you can finish helping me strip that wiring. Afterward, we’re going to check the snares we set and help Tali work the garden plot.”
Veridian frowned and looked down at his nutrient bar. During the previous ni
ght, she’d taken the children out to a nearby scavenging site so they could collect old wiring and other pieces of metal from the ruins. Out here, most of the buildings had already been stripped, but a few things could be found if someone was creative enough.
Veridian and Kayla were in the process of stripping the wiring and brushing the corrosion off the other pieces of metal. Skye had promised to show them how to use the items to create a makeshift battery using old wiring and soil. It wouldn’t generate much power, but it was something they could sell within camp or trade for food.
In a quiet voice, Veridian asked, “What do we do when we run out of food?”
“I have a plan,” Skye murmured, leaning back against the wall and closing her eyes. “Don’t worry about that for now. You two just need to keep looking out for each other.”
Skye was so tired. Between keeping watch over the children and making sure their belongings weren’t taken, she was exhausted. Walking most of the night to collect supplies hadn’t helped either, but she couldn’t travel easily during the day with both of them. They didn’t have enough UV gear to risk going very far.
The two children were quiet while they nibbled at their food. Skye started to doze until Kayla asked, “Is Leo your dad?”
“Nope,” Veridian replied around a mouthful of food. The dry nutrient bar launched another coughing fit, and Skye reached over to hand him some water. He swallowed it and added, “My dad lives in the towers. I want to visit him there when I grow up, but Mom doesn’t think they’ll let me.”
Kayla’s eyes widened. She leaned forward and whispered, “There are some bad people living in the towers. You have to stay away from there, or they might hurt you.”
Skye frowned, somewhat surprised at the vehemence in Kayla’s tone. Some ruin rats felt that way about the towers, so it wasn’t altogether surprising. But Skye wasn’t willing to risk anyone learning about Veridian’s ties to the towers. Other than Leo, she hadn’t told anyone else. If someone thought Veridian had some connection to OmniLab, they might try to use him for their own purposes.
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