Spore Series | Book 4 | Exist

by Soward, Kenny

  “A quarter of our people are camped right here,” Rex said, “but we’ve moved the young and elderly far into the canyon. It would take Carver a week to find them if he used every resource he had.”

  Moe nodded, eyes drifting across the sea of tents where the most able-bodied Navajo waited. Dozens milled around, arms folded as they stared toward the meeting. Others appeared more festive and played music to pass the time.

  The two-dozen people in attendance shifted, and Ahiga’s voice carried over the murmurs. “Attention, everyone. I think we have the key players, so let’s get started.” He looked around as the tribe settled. “We’re here today at Fortress Rock to discuss our plans to live in the canyon and how we’ll defend ourselves. As you know, our town has been overrun and taken by the refugees. They’re folks not from these parts, sustained only by the supplies the military and FEMA people left behind. They are now led by a man named Carver.” His eyes fell upon Moe. “Why don’t you start by giving your thoughts on the man and tell us what he plans to do with our town.”

  Moe blinked, surprised Ahiga called on him. “You were there, Sheriff. You could explain it--”

  “We’ve all come to trust your opinion on these things,” Ahiga said, almost apologetically. “You’re former military, and you’ve made many sacrifices for the country and for our people. I’d like to put you in charge of the camp defenses, if Cynthia agrees.”

  “That’s a big decision,” Moe said, staring between the two.

  “We don’t have much time, son.” The sheriff offered a confident nod. “We need to make quick decisions and form a chain of command. I made a decent law officer, but I’m too old to run a military operation, so...”

  Moe looked around, waiting to hear any objections. But no one opposed Ahiga’s idea. In fact, they seemed eager for him to accept the responsibility.

  Cynthia Tso stepped in front of him and squeezed his arm. A breeze blew her hair across her face as she peered up at him with her deep, hopeful eyes. “We need you, Moe. Will you help us? Will you be our warrior?”

  He stared at the elder with a helpless expression. His mouth worked back and forth as a great weight hovered above him. How could he refuse? If he did, it would prove that he was afraid to commit. That he’d easily abandon responsibility if given the opportunity.

  No more.

  “Okay,” Moe said, simply. The weight settled firmly on his shoulders, pressing down hard and rooting him to the earth. He felt himself slouch forward but kept his head up. “I’ll do my best, Elder Tso.”

  “Thank you,” she said, the creases of her face drawn up in grave sincerity.

  He nodded and turned to the group as Sage and Rex stepped away to give him room. He was about to tell them about the meeting with Carver when Captain Melissa Bryant strode up with two of her Marines in tow. They were two hardened men with crew cut hair he might have called grunts if not for their dedication to detail and calm energy.

  She stopped at the edge of the tent walked inside. “Sorry I’m late.” She hesitated when she realized she stood in the middle of the Chinle town elders and that she and her soldiers were outsiders. She gave the sheriff a halting look. “Is it okay we’re here?”

  “I wouldn’t have asked you to come if we didn’t value your input,” Ahiga said, gesturing to a pair of chairs. “Please join us. We’ve put Moe in charge of the canyon’s defenses, if you’ve no objection.”

  Melissa glanced at Moe and then shrugged. “He’s a great choice. And since this isn’t an official military operation, I have no jurisdiction here.”

  The sheriff gave her a solemn nod and gestured for Moe to continue.

  He shifted uneasily and then began. At first, his words came haltingly, but he sped up as he gained confidence.

  Moe told them everything about the meeting with Carver and the Light and Venom Commune. He began at the point they pulled up to the hippie bus until the end when the people inside had risen like corpses from graves to stare at them.

  Ahiga and Melissa nodded along to confirm his story. Two parts drew the strongest response from the elders. One was Carver’s threat about cutting off access to the Navajo water supply at the springs. The second was his invitation for the women and children to join the Chinle camp.

  “We can’t allow any of our people to go with them,” Cynthia said. “That would be sheer foolishness.”

  “No question,” Moe agreed. “From what I’ve seen, they’re holding the camp together through a combination of fear and sadistic rituals. They have two enforcers, Susan and Cash. They shoot anyone infected with the fungus and burn their bodies, and I think Humphreys and his officers are prisoners. Maybe to convince the troops to join them.”

  “Or to set an example,” Melissa chimed in.

  “Sounds like an evil bunch.” Cynthia’s words drew murmurs of agreement from the other elders.

  “They call themselves the Light and Venom Commune,” Ahiga said, “but I think it’s safe to say they’re a cult. What are our chances in a straight up fight with them?”

  Moe shrugged and turned to the captain “Melissa? Any thoughts?”

  She responded with a question of her own. “When you were in camp, did you notice if Carver had swayed any soldiers to join them?”

  “I can’t say for sure, but at least a hundred, maybe more.”

  Melissa whistled low and shook her head. “That doesn’t bode well for you. They’ve got armaments, fuel, at least two armored vehicles, and helicopters. If he convinces the soldiers to fight with them, you’ll struggle in a head-to-head confrontation.”

  “That’s why we need to get deeper into the canyon,” Ahiga said, his voice rising with concern. “They could drive one of those armored vehicles down here, and we couldn’t stop it.”

  “You have one saving grace,” Melissa said.

  The sheriff shook his head in exasperation. “What’s that?”

  “Window Rock,” she said. “He won’t risk exposing himself with Window Rock so close.”

  “Did you speak to them?” Moe almost forgot about the nearby military encampment. Carver would have to consider them a threat to his power.

  Melissa nodded. “I just got off the horn with them. They’re led by Colonel Evaline Sturgis. I’ve met her before. She’s a good soldier and a capable leader. I trust her. And she wants to formally apologize for what happened to John Wolf and Klah.”

  Ahiga closed his eyes with a pained expression. “Her apology will hold more weight if she can help liberate our town.”

  “Sturgis is aware of the situation in Chinle,” Melissa continued, “and she’s not happy about it. But they’ve got their own problems. The Navajo citizens and her soldiers are locked down because of the fungal outbreak. They’re not positioned to attack, and they won’t move on the FEMA camp until they’re ready. Still, their presence is enough to keep him in check.”

  “Carver’s camp is infected, too,” Moe added. “And we need to make sure it doesn’t happen here.” He slid Sage a side look and stepped back to give her the floor.

  “We’re taking precautions,” she said. “We’ve identified ten potential infected and have isolated them in one of the lower caves. I’m not going to lie. They’re struggling to breathe, and the antibiotics we’re giving them are having little affect.”

  Cynthia Tso spoke up. “The infection. Does it spread through the air?”

  “I don’t have the lab equipment to study it,” Sage shrugged helplessly. “But it’s fungal in nature, and fungi struggle in arid environments. It requires close contact to spread. The exchange of bodily fluids...drinking or eating after others, kissing, inhaling droplets from a cough or sneeze. That’s probably why we didn’t notice it right away. We should be safe as long as we keep at least three feet away from the infected and wear masks when caring for them.”

  “The infection won’t slow Carver down,” Moe shook his head. “He’ll just shoot the sick and burn their bodies to quell the outbreak. That will leave him a few hundred troops
to wield like a hammer and enough refugees to form his new society. He’ll eliminate the thinkers, anyone who questions him.”

  “He’s probably hoping to trim his numbers,” Melissa said, pulling her dark hair back. “Every person is just another mouth for him to feed.”

  Moe nodded. “Once he’s running things smoothly, he’ll make a move on us.”

  “He’s keeping us on the back burner,” Melissa concurred.

  “The ball is in our court,” he said. “What about your helicopter? Can we use it in any capacity?”

  “I don’t have much fuel,” she explained. “We flew it farther into the canyon and covered it. Sturgis doesn’t want us back at Window Rock for now, so we’re orphans.”

  “Well, we’re glad to have you,” Moe said.

  Melissa spread her hands. “At your service.”

  They stood in the quiet as a breeze blew through, carrying with it the faint green scent of cottonwood trees. Some elders murmured amongst themselves.

  “Thanks, you two.” Ahiga gestured to Moe and Melissa before facing the town elder. “Cynthia, I’ll turn it back to you to give us a rundown on the camp resources.”

  The elder shuffled forward with a notepad in her hand. “The canyon is holding over thirty-five hundred people from town and the surrounding areas. Some opted not to stick around, but more trickle in. We have fifty families who lived in the canyon, and they are pitching in with their farmland and crops. On top of that, we have food and produce taken from Hasher’s Grocery soon after the FEMA camp went up. We stripped every home and pantry.”

  “We left nothing for Carver and his people.” Moe voiced his approval.

  “We’re still taking inventory,” Cynthia continued, “but we think we can stretch our resources and feed everyone for three weeks. But with no regular supplies coming in...” The woman let her words trail off, her face doubtful.

  “What about water?” Ahiga asked.

  “There’s the new Chinle Works Well in town, but that’s Carver’s territory. Many Farms has a well, too, and we’ll truck it down from there. Someone is delivering two-thousand gallons tomorrow. That should hold us for a week, but we need to keep the supply coming.”

  “That’s good,” Moe said. “Water and shelter should be our first concern. You mentioned people have moved deeper into the canyons. I assume you’re spreading out?”

  Canyon de Chelly comprised three long stretches of canyons shaped into a three-pronged fork. The north stretch was Canyon del Muerto, the middle was Black Rock Canyon, and the southern run was Canyon de Chelly, which extended east to Spider Rock. The cluster of weaving valleys and deep basins was littered with old ruins, caves, and habitable cliff dwellings etched into the striated red stone.

  “That’s right,” Cynthia confirmed. “The sheriff and I have divided the communities up and are interspersing them amidst the ruins and caves.”

  “We’ll need more watches.” Moe shook his head. “Carver will have scouts along the rim, looking down at us and spying on our movements.”

  “I’ll introduce you to my three deputies,” Ahiga said.

  “It won’t be enough,” Moe stated. “I’ll need some able-bodied folks who can drive quads and ride horses. I’m assuming we have those on hand?”

  “Thirty-seven horses, ten ATVs, and several pickup trucks.” Ahiga gave him a gritty look. “We’re not going to be able to hide everyone. Carver will take the high ground and snipe us.”

  “We can get up on the rim and make sure it costs him dearly every time he pokes his head over the edge,” Moe grumbled, eyes shifting from Ahiga to Melissa. “If we have long-range rifles and people who can shoot, we need to get them into position where they can pick enemies off the rim. And we need a back door. Someplace we can escape if Carver tries a full-on assault.”

  “We’re working on that,” Cynthia assured him, brushing a lock of gray hair out of her eyes. “You okay, Moe? You’re looking a little pale.”

  Moe chuckled and shook his head, his loose hair falling over his face. “Sorry, all this is a lot to think about. I’ll be fine.”

  “I know how you feel.” Ahiga patted him on the shoulder.

  The sheriff turned to the rest of the elders, casting his eyes over them in the approaching dusk light. “It’s a lot to accept, for all of us. We’ve been driven out of our homes once more, my friends. Made to retreat to our Fortress Rock while they destroy everything we built. For years, my father worked to raise our town from the dirt. We dug wells, brought investors in our businesses, and even fielded a championship high school basketball team.”

  Many of the elders puffed out their chests and raised their heads up. Moe felt a deep stab of nostalgia laced with regret. He’d not been around for many of those good things. He’d not helped build Chinle up at all, though he would rectify that soon.

  Ahiga continued. “And now this happens.” He gestured back toward town. “The spores and fungus. The military and refugees and cult. We’ve faced trials such as these before, and we’ll face them again. My brothers and sisters, this is the time to rise! Now is the time for us to overcome the chaos!”

  The group’s murmurs grew into light applause and low whistles. A chill skittered up the back of Moe’s arms, and he thought of John Wolf and how concerned he’d been about the military’s arrival in Chinle. The man had been right. Nothing good had come from their presence.

  The sheriff called for quiet, and the Navajo leaders settled down. “Myself, Moe, and Captain Bryant will work on defensive strategies while Cynthia, Sage, Dr. Reemer, and the elders focus on organizing. Together, we will survive this.”

  The crowd disbursed, and Moe turned to Sage to tell her goodbye one more time. But she wasn’t having it. She grabbed his hand and pulled him down toward the basin, marching him away from the milling group much to the sheriff’s chagrin.

  “You can have him back in a minute!” she called over her shoulder, leading him to the trickling creek.

  “What are you doing?” Moe asked, limping beside her.

  “I need to talk to you,” she replied in a hushed tone, “and you’re not going anywhere until I’m done.”

  *

  Sage slipped her arm around his waist, helping take the pressure off his foot. The stout woman bore his weight with little problem, and soon they stood near the stream where it trickled into Canyon del Muerto. She stopped and shifted to face Moe, taking his hands in hers and squeezing them tight.

  He stared back, confused at her behavior. “I don’t understand. Why are we--”

  “Shh. I have something to say.” Her wide brown eyes stared up at him, filled with a sudden passion that tickled his belly.

  He held her hands in return, patiently waiting, eyes searching hers for a clue. The sun shot across the valley in brilliant rays. It glanced off the creek behind them and colored the trees in golden light.

  Sage took a breath like she wanted to start, but doubt crept across her features. She tried again, paused, and released a frustrated sigh.

  “Go ahead,” he chuckled. “I’m listening.”

  She shook her head in embarrassment, but her eyes grew firm. “I thought I lost you the other day.”

  “It was a hard fight,” Moe confirmed, and his heart stirred.

  He’d tried to act on his feelings for the woman three days ago by leaning in to kiss her on his back porch. Unfortunately, Rex Yazzie had unwittingly interrupted the moment.

  He still felt embarrassed and stung, though she’d eventually made her feelings known by kissing him before all hell broke loose at his house.

  After that, it had been nothing but busy work for both of them, setting up the Chinle folks in the canyons. They’d not gotten a chance to talk much since then.

  “What I mean is...” She clicked her tongue, frustrated. Instead of speaking, she raised on her toes and planted a firm kiss on his lips.

  Moe’s eyes widened with the pleasant surprise, and he closed them and leaned into her body. She rested against him. He p
ressed his palm to her back and embraced her tighter.

  A moment later, they broke the kiss and interlocked fingers with twin smiles.

  “What did you want to tell me?” Moe asked.

  She bit her lip. “That’s all. Just a kiss.”

  “Oh, I--”

  Cheers exploded from the tent area, folks applauding and whistling and laughing. Moe tore his gaze from her eyes and glared at three dozen townsfolk and elders grinning warmly at the love-struck couple.

  Rex, Cynthia, Ahiga, and Melissa joined in, amused at Moe’s growing embarrassment. Blood rushed to his face, and he wanted to crawl under a rock.

  The kiss wasn’t a big deal, but everyone enjoyed giving them a hard time about it. It was good to have a bit of fun. Moe raised his hand and waved at them before flashing Sage a smile.

  An attractive woman wearing skintight jeans strode between Rex and Ahiga. Short-cropped hair topped her round face, and her thick black eyebrows arched high with amusement.

  She waved at him and jeered with her chin. “Hello, big brother! I see you’re finally ready to settle down! I never thought I’d see the day!”

  Sage gave Moe a questioning glance.

  He shook his head as his amused expression fell away. “That’s my sister. Waki.”

  Chapter 6

  Bishop, Salina, Kansas

  Bishop tightened the last lug on the tire. The corded muscles of his forearms bulged as he finished the half turn and let the 4-way lug wrench fall to the concrete.

  He’d changed two front tires and two rear ones, and now only one remained. It was growing late, the sun was dropping fast toward the horizon, leaving him struck in the paltry gray light. He could have gotten a spotlight out of the bus and kept working, but he didn’t have the energy to finish.

  Bishop wanted to decontaminate himself and enjoy an evening without his itchy mask on. It had been weeks since he’d really snuggled with his wife, and he looked forward to taking a hot shower and having a meal in the living quarters.

  He’d sent Trevor inside an hour ago after the kid’s shoulders sagged. It didn’t do the boy any good to be out there risking injury or contamination when he wasn’t at his sharpest.