by Angela White
Once Billy struck up a conversation with the thief, it didn’t take long to find out that Alexa had indeed hired the man to do something, though the thief wouldn’t say what it was.
“Can I help in some way?” Billy offered. If Alexa needed it, she would have it.
The thief shrugged. “Maybe. Can ya let me loose?”
“I could,” Billy led.
The thief grinned, flashing neat teeth and a deep intelligence. “Don’t go worrin’, none. I got a date in Lincoln. I ain’t runnin’ off anywhere.”
Billy waited for them to be unobserved before using his knife to cut the man’s bonds. “I’ll hunt you if you run.”
The thief smiled bitterly. “Spent my life bein’ hunted. Soon, it’ll be the other way around.”
Billy disliked the man. “Anything else?”
“Could use a distraction, but I reckon the killin’ fields will provide that.”
Billy snorted. “Yeah, I’d guess so.”
The two men continued to chat lightly as the wide boat sailed the slowly moving river like no one had been here before them.
It was easy to forget that wasn’t true. The trees along the riverbank, no longer being trimmed, were now an intricately entwined canopy that protected them like a wicker roof. Birds in that canopy saw them pass in outraged shock, many flying off in protest and anger. A few of them dropped loads onto the boats, and made their upset clear by diving at the standing men. A quick peck and then a swoop put them out of range of the soldier’s unthinkingly drawn guns, and the noise was avoided.
Billy noticed that the debris continued to thicken as they sailed through the center of the wide channel, but his mind was on Grand Island. Things got narrow there in places, or so he’d heard from the few stragglers who’d made it west. What did Alexa have in mind for them?
He kept on the problem, hoping to be an asset at that moment, and missed the shadow at his side until the boots entered his vision.
Billy stifled his reaction and looked up coldly. The gunfighter had his piece out, aimed at Billy’s head. The remaining gunfighter’s red eyes and shaky hands said grief was driving his emotions, not logic.
“Get away from him.”
Billy sighed. “Don’t make me do this. I don’t want to.”
It was a clear warning but the gunfighter, slowly breaking down from the loss of his brothers, shoved the gun into Billy’s face. “Now!”
Billy brought his hands up. “Sure. Step back, I’ll move. We’re all good then.”
The gunfighter retreated a step, and Billy rose up in a quick lunge. He wrapped his big hands around the gunfighter’s legs and hefted him over his shoulder.
The toss from the boat drew only a light splash, but the screams of pain and horror woke everyone on their boat.
Alexa’s blood-shot eyes focused on Billy’s face and he shrugged without regret. “Just dumping a bit of our load. Nothing we needed.”
Alexa nodded and went right back to sleep.
Jim, now a mapmaker without any protection, didn’t say a word. He understood his predicament.
So did the thief because he stood up and walked around the boat, trying to stretch his muscles. He’d been in that cage for a long time.
Jim glowered at Billy but again, didn’t argue. Billy could see that the mapmaker wanted to go for one of his many weapons and was glad when the man didn’t. Billy felt sorry for all the dandy-dressed scribe had gone through, but that was no excuse for stupidity.
“Why do you get to take him to Roscoe?” Billy asked the mapmaker, wanting to be clear on what the man had done.
“It was my wife he raped!” Jim snarled, eyes nearly filling with tears in his anger. “He’s lucky he’s not dead!”
Billy felt there was a lie in there somewhere, but wasn’t sure which part bothered him. It was another horror story from this new world, one that wouldn’t be investigated, filed, and tried by any court other than the one right here. Billy already doubted Alexa would allow the thief to be handed over to Roscoe. If she’d hired him for a job, he was hers now. That’s how it worked with Alexa. If you pleased her once, you did it repeatedly.
“Why didn’t you kill him?” Billy inquired curiously.
“Roscoe’s orders,” Jim spat furiously. “Anyone who knowingly kills this piece of shit will earn Roscoe’s wrath. He wants to do it himself.”
“Interesting.”
“It’s what’s right,” Jim muttered, fighting for control of the rage-filled tears. “We have to try to repair this world. He’ll stand trial. Roscoe promised.”
The conversation was being followed by several people, but not Paul. He was already drowsing again despite the recent commotion, and Edward’s chortle shook him awake. He looked over, not caring that the horseman was being snotty to someone other than him for a change. How he’d come to hate that man! The other fighters had moments where they were civil and showed signs of accepting him, but not the Edward. He didn’t want Paul along and would do anything he could to stop the scientist from being allowed to stay.
I’ll have to do something about that, Paul thought, furious that he was being left in Lincoln. Alexa had said he would have a month to prove himself.
“Not fair,” he muttered. “Not fair at all.”
7
The slow, quiet ride lasted for a while. The river, benefitting from the cleaning it was getting by the wide boats coming through, chose not to dispel its uninvited riders yet.
Wildlife swam alongside and behind the boats, devouring each other. It didn’t draw attention from the travelers and if it had, they would have only been glad that it wasn’t them being torn to bits.
Beneath the boats was another world littered with relics of the past. If the travelers had gone under (and survived) they would have recognized dishes and phones and hulks of boats from those who’d already tried to come this way and failed. They would have witnessed the bones and the piles of debris that had been washed down over the years like banks of sand. It was a foreign landscape holding keys to the past, but no links to that old future.
The travelers weren’t immune to the effects of such relics being under them while they slept, however. It haunted their dreams with memories of pre-war days and the political ways that had destroyed them all.
Mark shoved Paul against the rail, tiring of his moans and mutters as they tried to sleep. “Shut up!”
The convict pushed himself away from the cringing, sleepy scientist. “And you still stink!”
Still refusing to clean himself daily, the scientist was now giving off a permeable stench.
Mark got up to look for coffee, leaving Paul to glare in embarrassment and fresh hatred.
“All of you will go!” Paul swore lowly. “I’ll be the last one here.”
Paul curled into a ball, wishing this nightmare were over.
Mark joined Billy on the watch, aware that a few things had changed. He’d woken for the splash, but when Alexa hadn’t moved, neither had he.
“Current has picked up,” Billy told him, stretching. The sun setting had flared the sky into orange and purple lines that were creeping him out. Billy was glad Mark had joined him.
“Should we wake her?”
Billy wasn’t sure and that was reason enough for Mark. “I’ll do it.”
Both men paused as they caught shadows moving on the bank and they gaped at the sight of five black women fishing. The boats passed within five feet of the stunned females and Mark automatically tipped his cover to them. “Ladies.”
The women stared at the boats until they were out of sight and when no alarm came, the sentries understood there was no one awake on Merrik’s barge.
“Figures,” Mark muttered, concerned for the wagon drivers. “I’ll let her know that too.”
8
Mark put a gentle hand on Alexa’s arm and her eyes opened slowly, unlike the normal way they sprang into alertness.
When her head lolled, Mark heard his voice go from light worry to dread. “Alexa?�
�
It took her a few minutes to come fully alert and the open sign of her illness was heavy in the silence.
Alexa sighed wearily, drawing on her determination as exhaustion threatened. “Get me up.”
Mark put an arm around her waist and used his big body to support her to the edge of the boat. She trembled under his hands and Mark didn’t censor his words.
“Tell me what to do for you and tell me right now.”
Alexa didn’t have the energy to scold him. She looked over the edge, fingers weak against his big arms. “Current will continue to increase. Should be a problem around dawn.”
“Alexa.” Marls tone was ugly and Alexa gave him what he thought he wanted, too tired to keep resisting. “It steals my blood, thins it, and I crave meat. I’m fighting the change but in another week or two, I’ll become like them.”
“The vampires,” Mark confirmed.
Alexa’s lids shut and then fluttered open. “Doctor in Lincoln. Paul now.”
Mark helped Alexa to where Paul was dreaming again and he smirked when the Rabbit woke up screaming.
In the corner, Billy watched in concern. He hadn’t realized that Alexa was ill. Could he help her somehow?
9
The predawn hour came with only a light sentry shift awake to guide their boats. These men used the mud-stiffened poles to keep them moving when either boat drifted too close to the sides. They only needed to do it a couple times, but it was tough work that made them appreciate the power of the water.
“She needs to eat,” Edward commented, coming to take his shift on security. In the boat ahead of them, tired guards grumbled at the shorter shifts Alexa had her men on. Merrik’s remaining soldiers were on the edge of mutiny, but he wasn’t smart enough to realize it.
“Sleeps good too,” Mark answered, observing Alexa’s rough breathing. He wasn’t sure if they should wake her until she finished with the current dream. It wasn’t good to wake people from a nightmare. Answers never came until the end.
“Yeah. David’s got dinner. You need anything?”
Mark shook his head, now staring at the dark water moving by quicker. “Nope. I’m awake and not on the take.”
Edward snickered at the joke and went to make sure the others knew to let their boss sleep.
Mark saw the messengers slowly get up and start a cold meal in the far corner of the boat. He was sure that the messengers were supposed to return to the government with information on Roscoe. The government wanted to know if he was stockpiling weapons to use against them. The messengers had chosen to ride with the soldiers at the last second and the mule drivers hadn’t had a choice. Everyone else was with Alexa.
Mark spotted the thief, who was now on the boat with the soldiers. How had that happened?
Mark saw the mapmaker and the thief exchange glares. That explains it, Mark thought, also aware that Alexa had wanted something from the thief. Billy had let him go.
Mark put his back to that scene and studied the other waking travelers.
Of those who’d started out with them, less than half were here and nearly everyone blamed Merrik for his lack of knowledge and refusals to listen to Alexa. If he hadn’t gotten so many of his men killed, they would have been better protected. Mark agreed, up to a point. Merrik wasn’t the kind to listen to anyone without something to gain and his employers had to know that. They’d sent him on this mission of escort hoping he wouldn’t survive it. And that meant he was either a liability or deadweight. Mark was betting on the latter. He doubted Merrik had enough intelligence to be special in any way. He’d probably discovered something he shouldn’t have.
Simple, Mark thought, listening to the water grow the smallest bit louder. It felt as if they were going faster now and Mark picked up a stiff pole to be ready in case steering was needed.
It was, though not in a bad way, and he threw himself into his duty. The water was not something he would underestimate. Even those who could swim were at an extreme disadvantage.
Mark dipped the pole and shoved away a large log rolling by, then did the same for the biggest pieces of debris coming toward them. He hadn’t heard anything from the boat to imply it was water-weakened, but that didn’t mean they should encourage hits like these.
Mark was pleased when all of those on duty followed his lead and began clearing the debris around them. It got a bit exciting between the men, trying to shove logs and wood and thick, spongy piles of leaves far enough to keep them from being dragged back against the boat, and their small calls and moans woke the rest of the sleeping travelers.
The jokes and laughter was a very nice change from the screaming they were all used to and the old woman and her kids were the first to come from their box-looking shelter near the slavers and the map maker. Jim, clearly angry that the thief had been let loose, was ignoring everyone except that small family. As the children looked through his books, he worked on a pot of tea to go with his hard bread. The slavers, slipping into depression, sat on their blankets with rolled smokes and a vaguely bitter faces.
The other camps ate and performed morning rituals behind clumsily held sheets and Alexa allowed herself to stay still for a moment before rising. She felt better, stronger, and there was a lot to do now that she understood what it was that she needed to recover. Paul’s blood would hold it back and the doctor’s magic might even cure it, but it was mostly her own heart eating away at her. Each time she delved into the past, it became harder to leave. If she wanted to heal, she had to remember what was at stake, what she already had here. Stepping backwards would never get her to her father’s side and that was unacceptable. It was fine to dream but the time for it was before or after a quest, certainly not during. That was how she would get them all killed.
Alexa felt the boat shift into a faster speed and got up, handled her morning routines without a care for the way that her men surveyed her in happy surprise. She knew they’d been worried, but she would be fine as long as everyone did their duty.
10
Alexa’s recovery was quick and impressive, leading to Mark ending his glares of jealousy. When Alexa had asked for Paul, he’d felt like killing the man. Knowing how badly she’d needed his blood eased it enough to allow Mark to kick a food pouch toward Paul after watching the scientist hungrily wolf down his last one.
“Keep eating. She needs you strong.”
Paul went red, but for once, kept his mouth shut. He felt like he was starving.
It was almost dawn and the location Alexa had given them was fast approaching-literally. The current had them flying along at a speed that even Daniel felt concerned by.
“Is there a brake on this thing?” David asked suddenly, surveying the narrowing river and the overgrown banks. At some point, they were going to need to stop.
Alexa waved a hand at a weathered structure coming up on their right. “Aim for the bumper.”
Those who heard her words felt their stomachs drop. They hadn’t thought about getting off, only getting going.
“How long until we get to our stop?” Billy asked, packing their night gear up.
“Half hour, maybe less,” Alexa told them. “Secure the animals.”
Unsure exactly how to do that, her men used David’s blacksmithing knowledge to rearrange their animals and supplies. Alexa was on the pole duty and busy shoving the larger piles of debris away from the boat. Every now and then, she checked on their progress and scanned the rushing water. Estimating, she was also keeping track of the soldiers. She didn’t like the way they were whispering in a small group. She couldn’t see what they were doing either. Merrik had switched their boxes and wagons to the rear during the night, unbalancing them and blocking everyone’s view. It screamed of trouble and Alexa gave a noise of scorn. If Merrik thought she hadn’t been expecting this, he had underestimated her yet again. This time, he wouldn’t survive it.
The water continued to pick up speed and the debris piles in the churning mass thickened as well. It wasn’t long before every me
mber of the wagon train was awake, packed up, and worrying over where they would land at. The banks on either side of them were lined in thick corn, with nothing else visible as they rushed closer.
As the speed of the water became strong enough to jerk the boat through and even start to spin it, those fears switched to stopping and the land was forgotten about, except as in how hard they might hit it.
Chapter Eleven
A Grand Island
1
“Get her up there!”
The narrow curve drew Alexa to the stern of her boat instead of answering Merrik’s order.
“Brace for a bump or two. We’ll be spun into the current and continue on our way as long as the bank doesn’t stick us too deep.”
Edward frowned, estimating. “Less than a minute.”
“We’ll hit their boat!” Paul guessed in terror. “Tell them to turn!”
Daniel jerked a hand at the rushing water. “How? You can’t steer in this with poles, rabbit!”
The travelers watched in nervous fear as the boat ahead of their slammed into the bank, violently jarring those aboard.
Wagons tilted toward the shoreline, digging the soldiers further in, and the boat came to a halt, groaning.
“Hang on!” Alexa shouted.
They hit Merrik’s boat hard and knocked it loose. Their own vessel shuddered at the impact, nearly coming to a stop. Screaming people and gear scattered across the deck.
Tugged by the current, the two boats bobbed and bumped nauseatingly until they were dragged into the center of the river and the travelers quickly grabbed for items and animals that had shifted towards the edges.