The Navigator (The Apollo Stone Trilogy Book 1)

by P. M. Johnson

  Harken leaned forward and smashed his fist on the table. “This must change! Or one day soon another country will look at North America and realize just how weak we really are. Then we’ll be consumed one by one!”

  He clenched his jaw muscles and looked intently at each of the other Guardians. Then he leaned back into his chair and continued in a calmer tone. “The attack will occur on schedule, but Defense and Justice must cooperate with each other to retrieve the Apollo Stone and the girl. Use every resource at your disposal not needed for the war. Failure will lead to a speedy trial and public hanging for both of you.”

  Castell and Bishop quickly said, “Yes sir,” but Harken was already out of his seat and walking to the door.

  Chapter 34

  As the sun sank in the west and shadows began to stretch over the meadow, Ravenwood woke the others. None of them had slept well on the cave’s hard cold ground, but at least they’d strung together a few hours of rest. They slipped by the waterfall and back into the open air. As they passed by the little pond, Logan looked up to see the early-evening sun touching the peaks of the Blue Mountain in the distance ahead. It did not look blue to him in the yellow and red evening light.

  “Why do they call it the Blue Mountain?” asked Logan.

  As he found the narrow trail leading west, Ravenwood replied over his shoulder, “It is named for the events that took place there long ago. As you know, after the Impact there was the Long Winter, caused by the massive amount of debris the collisions threw into the atmosphere. Those lucky enough to have survived the Impact were now in danger of starving. People grew desperate and civil order broke down. That was when the Nine Oligarchs, or Tyrants as they are sometimes called, seized power and directed the military to secure all remaining critical resources and collect them in certain locations. The southern and western states refused to obey the order and the Tyrants ordered the military to enforce it.”

  “Which sparked a war,” added Logan.

  “Yes, it was the spark, but the kindling was already quite dry,” said Ravenwood.

  “Ironic that the Tyrants chose to expend dwindling resources on a civil war,” said Lena.

  “Those were terrible times,” said Ravenwood. “Resources were scarce, but compassion and understanding were scarcer. The fighting soon stopped when it became clear to the Tyrants that they would not achieve a swift victory. They pursued their collection plan here in the east where they had much greater control.”

  “What about the Midwest?” asked Logan. “We were taught that the population there died from the impacts and the fires that followed, but I always thought there must have been a lot more survivors than we were told.”

  “There were some, but not many,” said Ravenwood. “The direct hits to the Midwest had the destructive power of many atomic bombs. The shockwaves and fires destroyed the land and the people, but some escaped. Almost all of the survivors had been living just west of the Mississippi River. They fled across the water, which acted as a firebreak and prevented the conflagration from spreading.”

  “What happened to them? Where did they go?” asked Cap.

  “Wherever they could,” answered Ravenwood. “Unfortunately, these refugees from west of the river were soon viewed as a burden and their presence was no longer welcome. And it was this ill feeling which allowed the Nine to implement harsh policies toward them without fear of opposition. The effects of those policies are still quite visible.”

  “Such as what?” asked Lena.

  “Such as your ‘developments’,” replied Ravenwood. “Many refugees were gathered into camps, ostensibly to facilitate efficient distribution of food and to shelter them, but they were soon put to work growing food. It wasn’t long before more developments were established to produce other necessary materials. You will not be surprised to know that the descendants of those early refugees continue to do much the same work.”

  Logan looked back at Lena and saw that she was deeply disturbed by what Ravenwood had said. But it also seemed Ravenwood’s words confirmed something she already suspected. In school and in the media, developments were described as places where people worked hard but were happy and well cared for. The Guardians and other leaders often publicly praised the development workers for growing the food and building the things society needed to continue its advance. But Logan knew that most people at least suspected that the developments were nothing more than labor camps.

  His thoughts were interrupted when Cap said, “Not to condone their methods, but you have to admit the Tyrants’ plan to concentrate resources made a certain amount of sense at the time.”

  “One can see the appeal of their logic. Gathering scarce resources to prevent hording, promote fair distribution, and so on,” admitted Ravenwood. “But by the time the order was put into effect, some communities had already made great strides in adapting to the new circumstances. But all of that stopped with the collection.”

  “Tell us what happened at Blue Mountain,” said Lena. “You said this was one of the collection areas.”

  Ravenwood was silent for a moment, then he said, “Food, fuel, and anything else of value was seized by troops and brought there. But many people resisted the collection and followed the convoy of supply trucks to Blue Mountain. They gathered outside the base’s fence and protested the government’s actions. But they had nothing to eat and no shelter. As time passed, they grew increasingly desperate. Finally, they rushed the fence in a crudely coordinated attack. Four or five groups attacked simultaneously at different places, hoping to break down the barrier. Leaders in each group flew a blue flag on a long pole to inspire and guide those behind them, hence the name Blue Mountain.”

  “Did they succeed? Did they break down the barrier?” asked Logan.

  “No,” replied Ravenwood. “The guards responded with tear gas and water cannons at first, but soon they resorted to live ammunition.”

  They walked on in silence, each person considering the troubling implications of what Ravenwood had said, until shortly before dawn when they reached an old barn surrounded by trees. The building’s gray stone walls still stood strong, but the wooden roof had collapsed long ago. Ravenwood led them to a spot in the woods a few meters away, where they could secretly observe anyone approaching the barn. They placed their packs on the ground and sat down to rest their feet.

  “You made good time, Ravenwood,” said a voice from the shadows.

  Kane stepped out from behind a cluster of trees and approached the group, his silhouette barely visible in the faint morning light.

  “As did you,” said Ravenwood with a smile. He stood and embraced Kane.

  Kane looked at the three friends and said, “Get your packs. There’s good cover this way.”

  They walked about ten minutes until they came to the bottom of a rocky cliff wall. It was surrounded by tall pine trees that blocked out the sky. “We should be safe here,” said Kane as he put down his pack. He winced slightly when he did so. Logan noticed his coat was torn near the right shoulder.

  Ravenwood noticed too and said, “You’re injured.”

  Kane shook his head and said, “It’s not serious.”

  “How’d you get it?” asked Lena.

  “I dodged left when I should have dodged right,” he said.

  “I mean, what happened?” she asked, irritated.

  Kane paused and looked at her. Then he said, “I went back toward Williamsport and found a number of Red Legs and SPD officers were following your trail to Deep Pool. With the help of a dozen Travelers, we were able to lead them away. In fact, one of the Travelers said she knew the three of you.”

  The image of Claire’s kindly face flashed across Logan’s mind.

  “I’m glad you got away,” said Logan.

  “Yes. I got away, but unfortunately Red Legs captured one Traveler. Shot him in the head and threw the body in the river.”

  “Did you know his name?” asked Logan, stunned and saddened by what Kane had told them.

 
; “No,” answered Kane.

  “Savages,” said Lena as she punched her fist into her open palm. “They’re not soldiers. They’re nothing more than murderers. I’d like to run a blade through all of them, every damn one.”

  Ravenwood put his hand on her shoulder and said, “We can’t do anything to stop the Red Legs from terrorizing the Traveler community. Our task is to defeat Guardian Harken’s invasion plan so other people won’t come under his power. That is why we have to get the Apollo Stone across the river.”

  “I am concerned with taking the Cumberland Gap,” said Kane. “We could swing south. It will take longer, but the people are friendlier, more predictable.”

  “Normally I would agree,” said Ravenwood. “But we don’t have time. The Guardians will soon launch their offensive and we are needed across the river. What about the High View Road?”

  “Snow will still be blocking it. Using that route would take even longer than going south.”

  Ravenwood took a deep breath. “Well that settles it. We will take the most direct route through the Gap and hope the queen is in a generous mood.” Ravenwood walked off and found a good spot under a pine tree. He laid out his blanket and prepared to sleep.

  Logan looked at Kane. “What do you think will happen? Will this Queen Tamara person help us?”

  “Hard to say,” he said as he removed his coat, revealing a bloody bandage on his upper right arm.

  Lena saw the wound and said, “Let’s change that bandage.” She opened her pack and pulled out a roll of cloth.

  “Don’t concern yourself,” said Kane. “It’ll be all right.”

  Lena tore a strip of cloth and said, “It’s important to keep the wound clean.” She looked at Cap and said, “Go and fill this canteen with fresh water from the stream down the hill.”

  While Cap jogged off to get water, Lena crouched next to Kane and carefully tugged at the bloody bandage. “So you don’t trust Queen Tamara.”

  Kane shook his head, “I don’t know what she’ll do. She’s a calculating old crow. She’s held the Greenspurs together for over thirty years by playing one group off another, making and breaking alliances, even killing when necessary.”

  “Sounds like a Guardian,” said Lena as she examined the wound. “You’ll need a few stitches.” She reached into her pack and pulled out a small kit of first-aid materials. “We should thank whoever packed this bag. They did a good job.”

  Kane smiled, “You’re welcome.”

  Cap returned with the water and gave it to Lena, who washed the wound and applied an antiseptic solution from the first-aid kit.

  Holding a needle in her right hand, she looked at Kane and said, “Here we go.”

  She pushed the curved needle through his skin above the wound and pulled it out below it. She pulled the thin line tight. Kane clenched his teeth but said nothing.

  When she was finished, Kane examined the wound and the six sutures Lena had sewn. “Good job,” he said. “I appoint you team surgeon.”

  Lena smiled. “Hopefully we won’t need my services in the future,” she said as she repacked the first-aid materials.

  Chapter 35

  They rested during the day under their reflective camo sheets, but once again Logan could not sleep more than a few minutes at a time. Twice he heard helicopters flying nearby, but neither time did they appear to notice the little company. When evening came, they put on their packs and marched up a trail that soon became quite steep. Although it seemed to Logan that Ravenwood and Kane could have marched all night without a stop, Kane called for short breaks every forty-five minutes or so in order to rest. A little before midnight, they approached a place on the trail that narrowed into a thin crevice between high rock walls.

  Kane pointed ahead at two tall rocks on each side of the trail and whispered, “That is the Cumberland East Gate. It’s the beginning of Greenspur territory.”

  They had walked for a few more minutes when they heard a voice from the rocks above their heads.

  “Hold it right there,” said the voice.

  “State your purpose.”

  Ravenwood stopped and looked up into the darkness. “We need to pass through the Cumberland Gap.”

  “The Gap is closed. We’re locked down. Nobody goes through without special permission,” said the voice. “And you ain’t got permission. Now drop yer valuables, turn around and head back the way you come.”

  “We can’t do that,” said Ravenwood. “Let us talk to Queen Tamara. Tell her Ravenwood is at the East Gate.”

  “I don’t need to tell Tamara spit,” said the voice. “Now do as I said.”

  “I am an old friend of hers,” said Ravenwood. “When she learns that you failed to inform her of my presence, she’ll cut your whiskey ration in half for a month.”

  There was no response to this and everything was perfectly silent for several heartbeats. Then they heard the soft chirping sound of a two-way radio as the guard relayed the message. After a few moments the voice said, “Well, you must be someone special. Step forward and drop yer weapons.”

  They walked forward and soon the trail opened up again. Kane unslung his bow and rifle from his shoulder and put his sword on the ground. He also placed his pack on the ground. The others followed his example. Several men and a few women emerged from the darkness, guns leveled at them.

  The voice said, “Get their swords and guns. If they’ve got swords, they probably have guards and shields. Check ‘em good for anything hidden.”

  They removed their bracers and handed them to the Greenspur guards. A tall man with a thin scraggly beard emerged from the darkness. He held a short-barreled shotgun in his hands. “Make sure they ain’t got nothin’ hidden in their pockets.”

  One of the guards removed a knife from Kane’s belt and one from his boot. Ravenwood also handed over his knife. One of the guards found Logan’s medallion and the sphere.

  “Well, that is pretty,” said scraggly beard as he slipped the medallion into his vest pocket. “And I don’t quite know what to make of this,” he said, holding the sphere level with his eye. “But we’ll take it along.”

  He walked up to the five of them and assessed each one. “Yer a strange crew, that’s for certain,” he said. “All right, let’s go see the queen.”

  He turned and spoke to two of the guards. “You two tie their hands and come with me. The rest of you, get back up in them rocks and keep a look out. Remember, we’re in lockdown.”

  When they finished tying their hands, scraggly beard started up the trail. One of the guards gave Kane a shove in the back to send him along. The others fell in behind Kane and the two guards took up the rear.

  After about twenty minutes, scraggly beard started whistling a lively tune as he walked. Logan had never heard the style of music before, but it reminded him of some of the old blues music Cap was fond of. The man stopped whistling after a few minutes and sang a verse.

  So pick away on the old banjo.

  Keep that guitar strummin’.

  Put some more water in the soup.

  There’s better times a-comin’!”

  “Don’t ‘spose you all know that tune,” said the man. “Maybe you can sing us a song ‘bout what yer up to?” When no one responded, he said, “Nothin’? Well, you’d best be ready to sing for Tamara. Sing her a song ‘bout what yer doin’ sneakin’ ‘round our gate in the middle of the night.”

  “Make ‘em sing, Evret,” said one of the guards in the back.

  “Shut up, Ned,” said the man named Evret.

  Evret continued to whistle and occasionally sing as they continued along the trail until they saw firelight in the distance. After another fifteen minutes of walking, they came to the bottom of a stone cliff about ten meters high. Evret stepped aside and indicated for them to go up a staircase cut into the rock. First Kane and then Ravenwood started up. As Logan approached the steps, he saw each one was only about one-meter wide, and frequently uneven.

  “Don’t be scared, lowlan
der,” said Evret when he saw the look of concern on Logan’s face. He grinned and indicated with a nod of his head for Logan to continue. “If you slip, the rocks below will kill you quick. You won’t suffer much.”

  “Not much, not much,” snickered Ned.

  “Shut up, Ned,” said Evret.

  Logan ascended several steps. He was followed by Lena, then Cap. He carefully placed his foot onto each rough-hewn step as he climbed. He ran his bound hands along the wall and leaned toward it as much as possible.

  Logan reached the little landing cut into the rock where the stairs switched back and continued up in the opposite direction. He stopped and looked up to see Kane and Ravenwood were nearly at the top. He was about to follow them when he heard Lena suddenly gasp.

  He turned and saw the toe of her right boot had caught on the edge of a step, causing her to stumble. Lena’s left foot searched for a step but found only open air. She fell forward, landing awkwardly on her chest. Her right elbow was on a step but the other was over the edge, and because her hands were tied, she couldn’t grab hold of anything. Her left leg swung off the side of the stairs, causing her to slowly roll off the ledge. Her eyes locked onto Logan’s and he could see terror seize her as she realized she was going to fall to the rocks below.

  Just then, Cap lunged forward and fell on top of Lena, preventing her from falling off the ledge. The two of them lay on the steps, barely able to maintain their balance. Logan got down on his knees and reached his bound hands toward his friends. He grabbed a handful of clothing from each of them and pulled with all his strength. Soon all three were lying on the little switchback landing gasping for air, hearts pounding.