BESIEGED (HUNGRY Series Book 2)

by Lawrence Herbert Tide

  Red bit her lips, hanging on the words of the old man. What she heard made her hairs raise on her head.

  "Our so bothering, and ever dwindling resources, have forced the Council to make an important decision…”

  "He means that HE has made the decision!" erupted Johnny.

  "Shhh..." shushed Red and Bo, silencing him once and for all. The Administrator continued, bearing a serious expression, "A harsh and difficult decision: a group of volunteers - or at least designated as such, depending on their utility for the Community. They will have to quit us all with a vehicle generously given to them, and they will never be allowed to return back, ..."

  "The Motherfucker;" the young colored man shouted, this time joined by the sighs of his two young friends. Red was aghast, goggling at the screen, their Asian hosts seemingly shocked too. Nobody could guess if it was because of the announcement, or if they were shocked by Johnny's curse.

  Miraculously, the level of noise in the living room lowered enough for everyone to hear what followed,

  “... never be allowed to return, unless they come back with new resources, such as not outdated food stock, and clean water."

  "Oh, my God, it's not a banishment, it's a suicide mission!", Bo yelled, grimacing, and as all the others looked at him, not one of them dared to contradict him.

  "The Council is waiting for the volunteers to contact it via e-mail, designating themselves freely. If an insufficient number of people volunteer, the Council will consider the list of citizens of the Community, and analyze their usefulness, for the benefit of all."

  "Switch off that TV, Red," yelled Mei, the harshness of her voice, normally so soft, surprising everyone at the table, "I don't want to see his goddamn face one second more!"

  The teen girl obeyed and pressed the ON/OFF button of the remoter controller.

  The TV, its screen now black, having become completely silent, she deposited the controller on the table, looking at her adoptive mother, obviously feeling uneasy.

  She had never heard Mei speak up, much less being so rude.

  She's been really shocked by Adam's last idea for managing the Community's resources. And I understand her very well! Looking at her adoptive mother's father, she observed that, like his daughter, he seemed very somber. The dinner ended soon, under heavy silence, the guests clearly demoralized by what they had heard.

  ***

  Condemned

  The next day, Red understood more clearly why her family had been so somber.

  "The Council has actually sentenced you to death, Lin!", Mei exclaimed, clearly horrified.

  "I don't know," answered the old Asian woman, smiling shyly at her. "I don't think that they're letting me starve to death. I trust Adams, I voted for him in the previous election, you know."

  "I know, but it won't help you!" yelled Red's adoptive mother, looking worried at the old, tired lady, who was sitting with them at her little jolting table, as they were drinking some tea.

  "400 kilocalories per day is really insufficient for survival. It remembers me what I read, a few years ago, in a history book. It was about the daily ration, via food ration tickets, that was allowed by the NAZIs for seniors, in France, during the German occupation."

  She stopped speaking, looking at the woman. Seeing no reaction coming from the old woman, who remained demoralized and weak, the young woman continued, "That historical fact, and the minimum of 1500-2000 kilocalories advised by the medical community for people like you, all these things that I've read on CommunityNet, make me repeat what I told you: they, I mean Adams, is condemning you to die from starvation, a slow kill!"

  Lin shrugged, her small shoulders thin and lean, and answered with a sad tone, "They're right, I'm old, I'm useless, I'm..."

  "Don't say that," Mei intervened, taking in her right hand one of the woman's skinny ones. A poor wrinkled hand, covered with age spots. She also had many of these brownish spots on her face, which had been laminated as much by old age, as well as by hardship in her long life. It had been especially hard when she had sought safety in the Community.

  "Everyone has the right to live!" Red's adoptive mother yelled, while she rubbed warmly Lin's hand between hers. Red had rarely seen Mei being so "tactile" with someone, she probably had a lot of affection for this old woman. And the sentence that her adoptive mother had emitted made the teen girl remember something similar. Something that her beloved, late mother often said: "Living dead are sick people to whom we owe quietness..."

  "Until they try to devour us!" added, as always, her father, having a lot of bitterness in his heart.

  She chuckled a second while thinking about his typical dark humor, and then, ceased immediately. Images obscured her mind. Images of her mother shrieking while falling from the table, and of her father, engulfed inside the burning car. These images tortured her so much that she had to close her eyes. She welcomed the darkness behind her closed eyelids, an obscurity encouraged by the low lighting level, inside their host's modest apartment.

  "If I could, if I was sufficiently young, I would've gone, looking for resources for the Community, the tired old woman said, in a confident way. Forgetting for a moment her inner demons, Red opened her eyes wide, while looking at the old woman, who was only skin and bones. This strong affirmation surprised the teen, who began to measure, now, the dedication of the woman in her gaze.

  Seemingly very serious, Lin looked at them in turn before adding, "My little niece will soon bring into the world her third child, and the announcement about the new rationing and shortage literally scares her!"

  Red and Mei looked at her, seeming both empathetic and worried, at the same time.

  ***

  "You just can't go away, just like that!"

  Mei's voice was plaintive, but the tone of her father, when he answered, showed that he was clearly resolved. "I must, you've heard him, and we both personally know many people who suffer, not only our old friend Lin. I'm a burden for the Community, while I stay inside it, consuming its resources!"

  The harshness of the voice startled Red, who was listening in the corridor, hidden behind the door of the living room.

  "The dojo needs its Master, "added her adoptive mother.

  "You can take over the dojo, without any problem. I know it, I saw how you educated the youth, you're a born-educationalist!" answered the old man, with a mix of softness and assertiveness in the tone of his voice.

  "Please, don't quit me," the young woman said, approaching her father from behind, while, having turned around, he was putting many of his belongings in a big bag - and notably, his in its scabbard.

  He turned around and, through a keyhole, Red saw her Sensei put his arms on his daughter's shoulders, pull her kindly toward him, and finally, pressed her against him.

  The teen was surprised; she wasn't used to see Hiroto show himself as being so warm, in an occidental way. But after thinking about it, she concluded that, because of the harshness of the reality, even these two Asians, that she loved so much, had the right to show their emotions.

  "Go, now," Hiroto said, smiling warmly at Mei, "And please, respect my decision by not trying, again, to change my mind. You know very well how much I abhor the fate that physicians have predicted to me." He stopped speaking, seeing that his daughter remained standing in front of him, tears flowing down her cheeks. He sighed and said, with a harsher tone, "Please leave me alone, I need to arrange a few things before my departure."

  Despite her watery eyes, her adoptive mother nodded respectfully, lowering her gaze to avoid his, and turning around, walked back toward the door.

  Behind it, Red leapt swiftly toward an ancient samurai armor, and crouched behind it.

  The door opened and the teen, hiding behind the armor, saw Mei go through the corridor. Red heard her continuing to cry. The young woman disappeared in her bedroom, a few meters farer, after angrily closing its door behind her.

  The ginger teen came out of hiding and, looking again through the keyhole, she watched
Hiroto. He was busy while he was striving to finish packing his bags. Finally he stopped, obviously satisfied.

  He then drew his sword out of its sheath and lifted it, handling it with a firm hand. He suddenly twirled swiftly with it, training as if he was battling against many opponents. While she was contemplating him, Red knew, since the beginnings of her training at the dojo, that such "fights with the shadows" are an excellent way to train.

  Suddenly he stopped, beginning to shudder and shake.

  Then he almost collapsed on the ground, narrowly avoiding falling by pressing with a hand on a nearby table.

  The teen was going to leap toward her adoptive mother's father when she stopped her movement, seeing that he had finally avoided to fall. But she was actually worried, as she saw him stabilize himself by pressing his free hand against a wall, short of breath. And she wasn't at all surprised...

  Despite doing a lot of efforts to hide his health problems, the old man wasn't able to avoid the worried curiosity of his daughter and granddaughter. She had learnt about his Cancer. She knew that, like many of his male ancestors, he wished infinitely being killed while fighting, instead of dying quietly, on his deathbed, while being unable to hold his bowels. She respected his wish...

  But at the same time, feeling an immense fondness for him, she couldn't accept the idea of losing him.

  ***

  Expedition

  "Red, your breakfast is ready," Mei said, using her softest voice, as usual, to help her marmot-like daughter to awaken.

  Not the slightest movement in the bed…

  Her heart racing hard in her chest, the young woman looked with more attention at the bed, from the doorway. In the darkness of the bedroom, which was slightly lightened through the frame of the door by the dim lamps of the corridor, she could see the ginger teen, who was sleeping.

  "Red, thank goodness, you're still in bed!" Mei almost yelled , sighing with relief.

  The girl didn't move, but Mei was used to it, the girl loving to prolong her moments in bed.

  "You must quickly have some breakfast, before going to school. I must go outside for a few minutes, and then, I'll be back. Don't force me to have to awaken you twice this morning, please."

  The young woman walked into the corridor, opened the door of the apartment that she closed behind her.

  Then, after having crossed the hall of the flat, she walked outside, hearing a frenzied crowd. She went past flowered groves and other buildings toward a van, parked in front of the closed, gargantuan doors.

  Her father, Johnny, and Bo were standing near the vehicle, and they were facing a crowd. And facing them too, in front of the people, was Joshua Adams, standing behind his perennial wooden pulpit.

  As Mei approached, she saw that he was smiling at them, the same way as his two bodyguards. One stood on each side of the old politician, standing lower on the grass, like the crowd. And they weren't the only ones smiling; all the people in front of the trio too.

  Not because they love them, Mei told herself. Simply because they're relieved to not have to quit the Community in their place!

  As she arrived between the friendly trio and the old man in white, who was in the middle of a speech, she read on the front of the pulpit a sentence which disgusted her:

  FAREWELL TO OUR HEROES

  "... and your sacrifice will remain in all our memories, with the hope that, one day, not too far away, you will come back to us, with what is needed to save the Community!"

  He stopped speaking and the crowd gathered behind Adams cheered loudly.

  This clearly impressed Bo and Johnny, who looked at them in awe, while Hiroto remained impassive, quietly observing Adams and the people. He had his sabre on the side of his belt, in its scabbard.

  Johnny, observing the attitude of his Sensei, took back control of himself, becoming equally impassive.

  He then walked toward Adams and, raising his chin to look him in his eyes, he whispered, "Don't think you've got rid of us, Adams. One day, all three of us will come back. And when that day arrives, you'll..."

  "Great to hear that, Mister Jackson, you really have the spirit of a warrior," the old man said, slightly mockingly, interrupting him in the process. "But you must be corrected: you won't be three during this journey, but four in fact, as it was the case of very well-known warriors, The Three Musketeers, when d’Artagnan joined them!"

  "Four!" Johnny yelled, astonished.

  "A little personal surprise for you," Adams said, gesturing with a hand to the door of the nearby hospital.

  Its automatic double doors opened and everyone discovered a massive silhouette, standing in the doorway.

  "Dad!" yelled Johnny, opening his eyes wide as, like everyone, he recognized his massive father and, standing near him, Professor Harding, who was smiling.

  Harry Jackson was smiling too.

  His father began to walk toward him, a massive rifle in one of his hands. No error was possible, he was healed, and Johnny walked toward him too.

  Son and father stopped, face-to-face. They both stared at each other, smiling warmly. Johnny was only surprised to see his father wearing a red cap, something quite unusual. Besides that, he recognized very well the gaze of his father. His eyes were no longer reddish, the color of their irises and of their whites having returned to normal.

  "Dad..." Johnny whispered, ecstatic.

  "Son... My Johnny!" answered Harry, and then, his arms open in welcome, he hugged his son, who had come closer.

  The young man closed his eyes with contentment, so much this surprise had been unhoped for.

  While they were huddled together, Harry, his head bowed, had his nose near one of Johnny's ears.

  He smelled a vague odor of earwax.

  And an odor of flesh…

  Of living flesh…

  His mouth now watering, his breath quickened.

  He opened an avid mouth, showing his white teeth. He had his eye on the ear, with its cartilage, more fragile, which was going to literally melt in the mouth...

  "Your reunion is actually moving!"

  Adams' voice had, mercifully, interrupted the odd path that Harry's mind had begun to follow, making him lean back a bit briskly, much to his son's surprise.

  The latter was even more surprised when he saw his father look inside one of his jeans' aft pockets, fidgeting in it with his thick fingers, and then extracting something out of it to scratch the back of his head.

  A few seconds passed by and then Harry seemed suddenly quieter.

  Johnny frowned, having observed his little game.

  "As you can see," the old white man continued, making the young man quit his thoughts, "Professor Harding, our most prominent Scientist, not only has given you back your father, but he will also have given to you a most valuable road partner!"

  Turning around, Johnny scowled at the politician and said, seething, "A road partner? You're making him join us in this suicide mission, when he's just been released from hospital? You bast..."

  A hand placed on one of his shoulders made him shut up and, swiveling his head, Johnny was surprised to see that it was his father's, who, with a small smile on his lips, said, "He didn't order me to go with you. I volunteered!"

  Astonished, Johnny looked his father in the eye, aghast. It was clear that the tall man was serious.

  His son looked at Bo, seeking advice, but the blond guy remained silent.

  Johnny then looked at Hiroto who, smiling timidly, said, "I repeat to you what I told you, and I mean it for your dad. I don't need anyone to go outside, there, with me. You and Boris, you both volunteered to join me, and I feel honored… But you don't need to."

  "You're my Master, my Sensei," answered Johnny, visible admiring him, "I won't let you cope with all of this alone. While we're away, with the few food reserves which were allowed us, we won’t be accused of taking stuff from the Community's resources. That will mean more of these resources for all the people that we love, who remain here."

  Hiroto
sighed, something which seldom happened and, glaring at him, he said, "Many dangers are awaiting us outside, and you should stay. You have your whole life ahead of you, unlike me."

  "Sensei," Johnny answered, reverently, "by joining our forces together, not only do I believe that we will survive this expedition in exile, but I'm sure that we'll come back with many things for the Community. When they see what we bring back to them, they'll welcome us with open arms!"

  The old Asian looked into his eyes, seemingly weighing the pros and cons.

  As had too often been the case, Johnny had the disturbing impression, as it sometimes had arrived, that his Master was analyzing him, and that he read his mind like an open book.

  After many seconds had passed by, the young colored man saw, gleefully, a hearty smile appear on the old man's wrinkled face. The latter nodded affirmatively, leaning over to salute him and, grinning, the young man responded respectfully, by saluting him in the same way.

  The Japanese stopped smiling and, becoming impassive again, turned his attention to Bo and asked, "And you, Boris, are you sure you want to join me?"

  "Where my Pal Johnny goes, I go!" answered the muscular blond who smiled, having taken a glimpse of his colored friend, who had been winking at him.

  The sudden feeling of a weight on one of his shoulders surprised Bo.

  Open-mouthed, his head swiveled and he saw that it was one of Harry's big hands, who was near him now, and was showing a friendly smile as he was looking at him.

  Bo smiled back and continued, "With Johnny's father joining us, I know that we have the world in our hands!"

  The sound of clapping startled them, and they realized that it was Adams who was applauding, soon echoed by the crowd there arose a deafening applause.