Soon, it wasn't two separate groups moving independently. Holly and Garrett's group caught up and merged into Sam's group. Now they were one large force, not what they'd intended. Size would've been OK if they managed to keep the momentum moving in the right direction. Instead, it shifted. Sam and Garrett tried to rally the groups, calling to them, sharpening their focus. It was working, and a few started moving in the direction of the Y once again.
"We need to get inside," Garrett called out, as Holly motioned people to her, trying to pull them in the right direction. Those close to her nodded and fell back into step.
But the larger momentum had stopped, and the majority of the group was moving either in the direction of Susan, or the direction of Bruce. The ones going to Susan had a better chance. There was only one hostile. Susan’s captor stopped in her tracks, uncertain. That fueled the confidence of Susan’s would be saviors. A couple more joined in.
"No, no," Sam called to them. "Come back. We need to stay together."
"We're not going convince them. They made their choice. We've got to keep going," Garrett said. "I just pray there aren't many left inside. We've got to move quickly before this gets worse."
There were only a dozen or so that charged the Y's doors. The remainder of the group hesitated, like deer in the headlights.
It was like one of those moments of awkward silence when somebody says the wrong thing at the wrong time, and nobody knows how to respond. Today unfortunately, a heavier cost hung in the balance that couldn’t be rescued with a witty comeback. Lives were at stake. The group holding Bruce moved with confidence, back towards the Y. They could tell something was up at the Y, and a growing panic drove them.
Things would have been easier if the group from the boat had weapons, but they didn't. They counted on their sheer numbers to overwhelm and distract their enemies. That gamble was about to be put to the ultimate test.
People were scared and started huddling together. Even the group that had started toward Susan was backing down. They were collapsing into the larger crowd of deer in the headlights. Totally exposed, and totally vulnerable.
Then, the Y doors burst open, and things looked surprisingly better.
Chapter 37 ~ Hangover
Just south of Browntown NJ.
Becky and William found themselves waking up on a dirt floor in a darkened room with a sliver of moonlight shining through the broken timbers above them. It wasn't a pleasant wake-up. Becky was the first to stir and felt as if she'd been drugged. She almost screamed when she saw William lying in the dirt still unconscious, but managed to catch her breath.
Unable to see much in the gloom and unsure of her balance, she crawled across the room through the dirt to his side. Putting her hand on his chest, she could feel his breathing ever so slightly. Seeking more confirmation, she rested her ear on his chest, hoping for and finding a heartbeat. She sat back for a moment to compose herself and rested a hand on her own chest feeling a very animated heartbeat.
Her eyes scanned the room, as she stayed close to William. From what she could tell, they were alone. The room was big, with what looked like a loft obscured in shadow. The moonlight filtering in played tricks on her eyes as her imagination painted images of movement in the space around her.
She felt like she had the worst hangover ever. Not that she'd had that many to speak of. Even in her early college days when lots of other kids were big into partying, it wasn't a thing for Becky. She knew how lucky she was to be at the school and how much her parents were giving up to put her there, so she was determined to do well.
After spending a few moments reining in her overactive imagination, Becky tried waking William. She put her hand on his chest, and gently shook it back and forth. Quietly she called his name. "William, William, can you hear me?" She was cautious not to speak too loudly.
It was hard to remember how they had come to be in this predicament. All she could recall was biking into a new town. They had full packs, and she remembered being in a hurry for some reason. What it was exactly she couldn't put her finger on. She tried focusing on details from her memory, the weight of the packs, the sound the bikes made, what William was saying, his urgency.
William started to moan, moving his arm but his eyes still closed. He rolled to another side, trying to find comfort on the dirt floor. He couldn't, then bumped his head into a wooden beam laying there.
"What the hell?"
"William, it's OK, but don't make too much noise."
"William was more out of it than Becky, at first he didn't even recognize her as his eyes fought to open. He tried sitting up, but the spinning room laid him back down.
"How do you feel?" Becky said. "I don't feel that great myself, it must be something we ate or drank."
"My head feels like shit, and my stomach hurts like I've been puking for days."
Becky put an arm behind him and helped him up so at least he could get his bearings. They leaned against one another for support. William managed to keep himself upright, as Becky kept an eye on the shadows.
"Where the hell are we?"
"I'm not sure. I just came to myself a little while ago. It feels like a stupid, wicked hangover, without the fun memories from the night before."
"I don't remember anything either. Just those people chasing us."
"Chasing us? That's what I couldn't remember. I knew there was something else."
"Have you seen our stuff? The packs, and our bicycles?"
"To be honest, I've been too scared to even move from this spot. I just waited for you to wake up. I haven't seen them, but I haven't really looked either. Probably should, I guess."
"Yeah, we should. Just give me a few minutes. Still feeling kinda dizzy here. Maybe if I rested a little, I could actually stand up."
Suddenly, they heard a loud crack, and then a boom broke the silence of the night. They couldn't decide if it was a shotgun shell or a car backfiring. Or worse.
"How close was that?" Becky asked.
"I don't know, I'm not even sure what it was."
"A storm maybe? I hope, but given our current situation, I have a feeling that's just wishful thinking. We should get up and get the hell out of here."
Becky agreed. There was a post behind them, so William shuffled his butt backward till his back was up against the post then slowly stood using it as support. No sooner had they stood, when big barn doors flung open and two powerful beams of light illuminated the inside blinding Becky and William.
"I don't know about you," Becky whispered frantically, "but I sure hope there's another way out of here."
Chapter 38 ~ Close The Deal
It was one of those moments where the cavalry comes over the hill, the hero bursts through the barricaded door to save the day, and the sparkling white knight shows up on his horse to swoop up the princess from the clutches of the evil villain. That's exactly what it felt like when Sam, Garrett, and Holly emerged from the YMCA. To top it all off, they weren't alone.
There, in front of them looking like he'd just been through a prizefight with the heavyweight champion of the world, stood Jaden. He didn't look nearly as big and proud or scary as he had when executing dissidents in the middle of the street. Instead, he looked like a dog with his tail between his legs, willing to capitulate to every demand that was thrust upon him. His hands were bound, with one arm held roughly by Sam and the other by Garrett. If they weren't holding him, he would have collapsed into a heap. Jaden wasn't having a good day.
The remaining survivors in the street turned their attention to this stranger held roughly by Sam and Garrett. Susan and Bruce's captors stopped in her tracks. It was their turn to be indecisive. They quickly realized that their next decision had bigger implications. They couldn't tell from where they stood what was kept Jaden in check. Did his captors have weapons, or was it just a question of sheer numbers? They stopped and waited, contemplating the odds.
The boat people, however, were imbued with confidence and surged closer to the YMC
A steps. They didn't outwardly cheer, but the din of the crowd grew. The air had a buzz about it. They felt, just for a brief moment like they actually accomplished what they came to accomplish.
Garrett addressed the group. "There isn't anyone else. The thugs and thieves that held this building have been defeated. You have nothing to fear anymore. This place is ours."
Garrett, Sam, and Holly, now brandished handguns. The held them out to make them clearly visible, not just for their own people, but for those that held Bruce and Susan.
Holly waved hers high above her head and looked in the direction of the group holding onto Bruce. The man holding onto Susan had already let her go. She wasted no time limping quickly in the direction of her friends. Several ran to greet her.
The group holding onto Bruce, however, hadn't giving up so easily.
It was Sam’s turn to show that he meant business. He raised his gun and pressed it against Jaden's head. He twisted Jaden around so that the group holding Bruce understood the message. This was no time to be ambiguous. Holly looked anxious by the gesture. If Garrett was, he didn't show it.
"Let him go," Sam yelled at Bruce's captors. "If you don't let him go, then you'll never see Jaden alive again."
Still, they hesitated. They had to know, that once they let Bruce go, they'd lose their leverage. They weren't stupid, and didn't look ready to concede. The question was, who was more valuable to whom? Did Jaden's group need him, more than Bruce's group needed him? Sam had already run the numbers in his heads. Bruce's captors came to the same solution, as they undid his shackles.
Then suddenly, a gunshot broke the tense silence. Everyone looked at Sam, who looked to Bruce. Everyone watched Jaden, expecting to see him drop from a bullet to the brain. Instead, they were shocked to see Garrett drop to his knees and grab his arm as blood trickled over his hand. He'd been shot from behind, and before anyone could turn around to see who had pulled the trigger, another shot rang out. This time Sam dropped.
Everything moved in slow motion. A suddenly invigorated Jaden turned. Holly ducked and fell out of the way by reflex to avoid the next shot, but it never rang out.
Standing behind them was Javier, the short man from the boat that had brought about the death of the lifeboat captain. He was trying to fire his weapon again, but it had jammed.
Holly raised her weapon but seemed unsure at first as to who to aim at, Javier or Jaden. Jaden's sudden burst of energy implied that he had been playing possum. He was the main objective of their raid, but Javier with a gun was the more immediate danger. Either one could be a problem if she chose incorrectly.
Then, the door to the Y flew open one more time, and more gunfire sounded. That bullet hit a surprised Javier squarely in the chest. He dropped, clasping his hands over the entry point before rolling clumsily down the steps. Based on the amount of blood on the steps, Jaden decided the shot was fatal and froze where he stood.
New on to the front steps stood Veronica and Gary. Two of the group that had been taken prisoner by the locals. Holly ran to Garrett, who was in shock, but alert.
"I think I'm going to be OK," Garrett said. "It's stings like hell, but I think I'll survive."
Holly looked over at Sam, who nodded positively. For whatever reason, Javier hadn't scored critical hits on either of them. Whether out of twisted compassion or simply bad marksmanship, they'd never know. Veronica checked Javier, for a pulse but found nothing. Gary's shot wasn't so kind.
The group holding Bruce had decided that it'd be better to turn and run to fight another day. Same with the man that had been holding Susan. They'd all disappeared from sight.
"Hell of a shot there," Sam said to Gary.
"Your timing was pretty spectacular as well," Garrett added in.
"Yeah, I figured it was about time for me to show up and start doing my fair share," Gary took note of the crowd on the street. "I guess it looks like, we found ourselves a new home. Hell of a way to close the deal though."
Chapter 39 ~ Bright
Just south of Browntown NJ.
The lights were piercing, neither one of them could see at all. Their eyes had become accustomed to the dark, and the lights stole that from them. They stumbled around, trying to find a footing. Random posts and debris scattered around the floor made that difficult. The knocked each other off balance, stumbling into and tripping over each other's feet. Then, they finally settled. The lights were moving, getting closer and intensifying. There were voices, in the darkness beyond the lights.
William's heart raced, his adrenaline pumping frantically as he searched for a way out. Becky, barely in control up to this point, felt lost and frightened. She was in a state of panic, holding onto William for dear life.
The adrenaline surging through William pushed aside his dizziness, at least temporarily. His heart pumped, forcing oxygen and blood through his system, compensating for the earlier disorientation. Becky too, in spite of her fear, fought to muster some courage.
They were in survival mode. Whoever or whatever was controlling the lights had the upper hand. They had to put distance between them and whoever controlled the lights. They ran their hands along the doors and the walls of the building but found no exit. There had to be a way. The upper loft maybe, but how to get up there?
The other voices were undecipherable, high-pitched and frantic. They hurt their ears and pounded their brains, like the hangover symptoms they'd experienced earlier. They desperately needed to find an exit. The voices kept distracting them, like a barrier to escaping. What were they saying? It sounded like questions.
They ran desperately around the edge of the enclosure, tripping over pieces of lumber, and at one point find themselves trapped inside a horse stall. They hit one side, then quickly turned to run the other way and bumped into another wall. Their panic grew stronger than their ability to think.
Then, things felt different. The lights stopped chasing them and started following them, like performers on a stage. Simply content to see what they'd do next. The lights seemed less threatening. Eventually, William and Becky found themselves in a corner they couldn't escape from. They stopped running. Instead, they clung to each other. Becky wrapped both hands around Williams right arm, while he wrapped his left one protectively around her. They were out of breath with hearts racing a million miles a minute and nowhere to turn. Their eyes began to adjust to the lights. They could see some of the wrecked building around them. It had been deserted for a long time as it's decrepitude reflected in the light. It was a wonder they hadn't killed themselves by tripping over the wreckage that was haphazardly strewn across the floor.
Then, the light lowered. It was no longer shining in their eyes, but at the ground in front of them. The spotlight retreated further along the ground and back towards its owners. Becky and William were confused. It was like the light was giving up. Or maybe, it was the people behind it that gave up.
A small voice was suddenly close to them. "Are you guys OK? We didn't mean to scare you, but you were running around, and we didn't know what to do. You freaked us out."
Becky and William focused their eyes on two small children standing in front of them. They couldn't have been more than ten or twelve years old. They looked harmless and terrified. It took a while, but eventually, Becky and William shifted from terrified to confused.
"Why were you chasing us with the light?" Becky asked. "And where are we?"
"You're in our old barn." The young boy answered. He was holding his little sister's hand. "We were looking for our puppy, she likes to hide in here sometimes."
The little girl spoke, "Have you seen her?"
<<<>>>
Becky and William, couldn't quite put the pieces together, even after the children introduced them to their parents. Somehow they'd ended up down a road they never ventured. At least couldn't remember venturing down. They were at least fifteen miles from the last small town they could remember. All their belongings were gone, including the backpacks and the bicycles. The good news was t
hat the family took pity on them. They offered them a place to stay for the next couple of nights. It was a small blessing, but a blessing nonetheless, and a good lesson learned. The world had become a scary place, and even this small bit of good fortune wouldn’t blind them to the larger reality.
Chapter 40 ~ Now, Where Were We?
The lot of them regrouped inside the YMCA, to assess the situation and secure the facilities. Those that hadn't visited the facility earlier were quickly brought up to speed, on the building and its weaknesses. Specifically, the multiple entrances and exits. There were broken windows that needed to be secured, as well as entry points that would need round-the-clock guards. It didn't feel like home, but the intent was to make sure that eventually, it did. Surprisingly, there were still quite a few supplies that had not been carted away. This was good news.
"I suppose I'll have to take lucky over good," Sam said. "The plan didn't exactly fall into place the way I thought it would." No one wanted to talk about the raid away. As time passed and everyone had time to digest the trauma, people started talking.
"Yes, it was touch and go there for a while, but I'm just grateful that we managed to survive it with minimal bloodshed on our side," Holly said. None of them forgot what happened to Javier, but it wasn't breaking anyone's heart either. The man had been a thorn in their side from way back on the cruise ship, and if anyone deserved to die it was him. Even Jaden, who still remained silent didn't seem very broken up about the whole thing. He'd never trusted Javier.
"So what exactly happened inside?" Susan asked. Both her and Bruce were recovering quite well from their assaults. Given their age, they were quite remarkable in terms of how quickly they bounced back, both mentally and physically. Especially Bruce who had taken more of a beating.
Susan was no slouch either. She'd almost given both her pursuers the slip. If she hadn't turned her ankle on that one curb, chances were good that neither one of her pursuers would've caught up with her. As it turned out, it was probably better that they brought her back when they did.
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