Remnant

by Michael Clements

  Adam couldn't deny her assessment or her fears. “We don't want to make a mess. It's this gang's leader we want. We're not going to kill him, just take him. If there's going to be any kind of war, it will be on our turf, not your neighborhood.”

  “I'm not interested. Please leave.” She cringed, forcing her legs to straighten as she tried to stand. Adam helped her. “No! Don't! Just leave.” She limped her way back to the front door.

  Adam pondered a moment, observing how she walked. He winced when he ascertained what was wrong with her. “Joann...” he said, keeping calm. “They're not just stealing from you...?” It was bold, but he had to speak his mind. “They're hurting you, aren't they? You let them so they won't hurt your kids...”

  The woman stopped before opening the door, though her hand remained on the knob. Her pause confirmed Adam's fear. Adam's heart sank. “Wait here,” he said, wasting no time to take action. “I'm going to find you some help. We can stop this.”

  “No!” Joann waved her hands, but lost her balance and fell onto him. “I can't.” She flailed as she tried to find the right footing. “If they find out...”

  He straightened her balance but kept his hands on her shoulders. “We'll catch them before that happens. That's why I'm here. This needs to stop. This gang is victimizing the whole neighborhood. I'll do what I can to stop it. I promise.” He helped her to the wall for her to lean against, then hastily left through the front door.

  It had taken nearly a half hour before he was able to meet up with the others. Ethan was not with them, but they said he would be back soon. They were gathered outside a house, smoking fresh salvaged cigarettes on the front porch. The others had met up with each other after failing to find anything, even leads. By that point they assumed the report wasn't entirely true – an exaggerated story from a paranoid woman.

  “So, you think you found our guy?” one of them asked.

  Adam had to feign certainty, but he couldn't have been more unsure of himself. His right hand found its way to the lowest button on his shirt. “Either him, or people under him.” He looked down the street, noticing the daylight was almost completely gone. It was nearly time to use flashlights. “Why isn't Ethan with you?”

  “He insists the report was tangible, so he's still out there somewhere looking for our guy. He should know better. This wouldn't be our first false report. Oh well, fuck it. At least it didn't come from our own guy this time.” The man puffed and as he exhaled the smoke, he complained, “There's nothing in this damn neighborhood.”

  Adam kept his eyes on the street. “There's plenty of people alive here. Everyone's just hiding in their basements and attics. I think the report was true.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. And once night falls, this neighborhood will become a lot more active. We'll definitely find our guy then.”

  Right before he finished speaking, Adam noticed Ethan approach, empty-handed and completely intact. The man's posture and ease of step almost caused Adam to think Ethan had gone for a stroll. When Ethan came up the steps to the porch, he told them, “I found her.” Adam was surprised. A good tracker too? I see why Scarlet likes him.

  But Adam remembered Joann. “I found someone too,” he interjected. “She could lead us to -”

  “No,” said Ethan, looking away.

  “She has kids. She's attacked every night. If we just wait at her house...”

  “No! We have a reliable lead.”

  “You don't understand. Please, I-” Ethan kneed him in the stomach then threw him down the steps. His breathing became labored, but he refrained from crying out.

  “Let's go,” said Ethan. The others tossed their half-smoked cigarettes away and followed.

  Adam forced himself to stand. He frisked his pants for his gun then limped toward the others. A revelation came to him. Ethan isn't even human. How could I have ever wanted to be like him? Respect, admiration... It had all vanished. Ethan was nothing Adam wanted to be. The reality of his situation came at him full-force. There was nothing worth having in such a group. It was no family. I should just stick with being Scarlet's bitch, nothing else. No... I shouldn't stay at all.

  The group stealthily advanced on the target house. It was smaller than the others surrounding it, and still in somewhat fine condition. Ethan had Adam and the other five positioned at the side yards, where they would wait for the right moment to enter. What kind of plan is this? thought Adam. We're waiting for this woman to be assaulted first? He nearly chose to confront Ethan, who was crouched directly ahead of him, hand firmly gripping his sheathed knife. Adam slowly came to his senses the more time went by. If these are the men hurting Joann, at least she'll be safe after tonight. I can only hope... “I'm sorry I never came back, Joann. I hope this helps you.”

  The voices of more than one man sounded. Adam counted two, but was unsure. They were entering the house, conversing and bantering as if they were about to compete in a sport. Adam could feel his blood boiling. Within moments he had grown to disdain his comrades, but right then he thought, At least I can help put these rapists away.

  Ethan advanced when they could hear the woman inside struggling, signaling the others to do the same. Ethan acted first, and he was swift, jumping through a window already broken, while Adam and the others worked together to kick down the door. When they got inside, Adam ran ahead of the others toward the source of the noises – the basement. He was determined, as if the woman were calling for him. Once he and the others made below, Ethan had forced the two assailants off the woman, leaving them writhing in pain on the floor. What did he do to them... and in such a short time? For only a moment, Adam was reminded of why he had always respected Ethan.

  The group pinned the rapists to the floor as Ethan proceeded to ask them one question: “Who are you?” His voice lacked emotion. Neither of them answered, so he repeated his question. Again, no response.

  Ethan's men beat the assailants, with their fists and the butts of their guns, until one snapped. “Wesley! My name's Wesley!”

  “All right then,” said Ethan, kneeling down to his victim's level to speak face-to-face. “Who calls the shots on this turf, Wesley?”

  “He does! Aaaaah!” A foot was pressing his face into the floor. The man seemed to mean his colleague.

  “What's his name?” asked Ethan, looking at the other.

  “Karl. It's Karl!”

  Karl became livid. “Fuck you!” he screamed at Wesley. “I'll fucking kill you!”

  Ethan sighed. He gestured his men to take both hostages away. Karl continued to struggle though Wesley had wisely surrendered. Adam felt more useless than ever, standing there, failing to help much. It seemed everyone forgot the woman, who was curled up in a corner, quivering.

  Karl nearly broke free of his suppressors, but Ethan drove his fist into Karl's abdomen, projecting saliva and mucus from his mouth, crippling him with pain. The men carried their hostages up from the basement.

  Adam stepped toward the frightened woman slowly, wanting to provide comforting words, but he heard Ethan shout, “ADAM!” Even then, he was reluctant, but ultimately forced himself to leave her. He hoped she had family or friends to fall back on when they left.

  The group walked through the neighborhood cautiously. Others had emerged from their houses, watching them. Adam made sure he kept close to his group, in case those watching them decided to strike.

  Ethan walked ahead of them, his eyes forward. Adam saw that Karl was directly behind Ethan, likely imagining getting the jump on him. Halfway across the field, the ground and roof guards shined their lights on Ethan, then lowered their weapons. As they reentered the school, Ethan led his men to where the clan kept prisoners – a room devoid of anything but walls and air. With no prisoners currently occupying it, Ethan said the room would be used for questioning. He turned to Adam. “Inform Scarlet.”

  Adam understood, and obeyed. When he reached the boss' office, he felt better inside somehow. It seemed to have been due to leaving Ethan's p
resence. He informed Scarlet of their hostage, and though she was hardly in the mood, in time she waddled to the first floor. Aside from Karl, Ethan was the sole occupant of the room, who established a small table at the center with two chairs. Ethan put Karl in one chair, and Scarlet sat in the opposite. Adam assumed he should leave, but Ethan said, “Stay. Stand between them.” Ethan walked to the far end of the room as Adam slowly brought himself to stand at the table, strongly resisting the urge to touch his shirt.

  “Who do you belong to?” Scarlet asked the prisoner.

  “I belong to Karl Garret. No one else.” His tone made it clear that he either didn't know who he was among, or was too stupid to care.

  “Who belongs to you, then?”

  “Would you like a list? We might be here a while.”

  Adam glanced at Karl. “Answer her,” he said, but his voice was pathetically soft. He was only trying to be of use.

  Why does Ethan even want me in here? lingered in his mind.

  “I reckon I control Prescott and Mason, from Grand Avenue to Ninth, and all the people in between. More on the way.”

  Eight blocks, Adam figured.

  “What's that come down to?” Scarlet asked Ethan. “Eight blocks? Nine? It doesn't matter, because that's nine too many. You're in my back yard, Karl. I'm uncomfortable with that.”

  “Taking me wasn't a good idea … ma'am. My men will come for me, and they won't hesitate. They'll do whatever it takes to get me back.”

  Scarlet stood, smiling confidently. “You have neither the numbers, the supplies, nor the experience to fight me.”

  “Don't you see, woman? The world needs people like me now; and people like you. We keep the troops off everyone's back. We keep the people free from oppression. Are you going to kill me because I … what, didn't pick a better place to settle? The troops won't risk overrunning anyone's turf, because it would reignite the war. Admit it: you need me. I'll be an ally, not one of your … underlings. Besides, you don't know what I've got.”

  “I don't need to. And with you here, it seems your men lack a leader. I have you, now I have them.” She took one step closer to Karl, glaring into his eyes.

  “Your men,” he began, “will be lacking a leader too!” Karl sprung up, pulling a knife that had been concealed under his shirt. Adam threw his body at Karl, knocking him off balance, the only way he knew to inhibit him. Ethan reacted more swiftly in the split second Adam provided, drawing his knife, coming from the opposite side of the table, and pinning Karl's hand to it with the weapon. Karl screamed. His hand could not move at all despite his efforts, which only caused more blood to drain.

  Scarlet looked surprised, but not shaken. “Guards!” Her voice could have carried across the city. She waited for the door to open. Two of her men entered the room. “My guest needs a lesson in etiquette.” They freed Karl's hand, then carried him out.

  “How dare you gamble on my life!” the boss shrieked at Ethan. “You thought he could protect me?” Adam's muscles tensed and he began to sweat profusely. His fingers, having found their way back to the buttons, locked in place.

  “No, I wanted to see if he could. Karl had no chance.”

  Adam wanted to step back, but kept his ground, shaking in terror.

  “You won't do it again.”

  “You think I can't protect you from idiots, now?”

  “Out! Both of you. I'll deal with you later, Adam.” They obeyed.

  Adam, drenched in nervous sweat, was relieved to be excused from Scarlet's presence, though he was likely far from safe. What is the punishment for failure? He knew the answer, but he hoped for something less severe.

  “One more thing, Ethan,” the boss called out. “Your friend. Bring him to me.”

  Ethan has friends? thought Adam. Oh, him...

  “Shane?”

  “Yes, Ethan. Shane!”

  “He's doing his job, out scavenging to feed your fat ass.”

  “Don't fucking disrespect me, Ethan! I don't care if you're Phoebe's kid.” She calmed enough to explain, “Shane has been neglecting his duties. Find him and bring him to me.”

  If there was any more to the conversation, Adam did not hear it. He was long gone, walking through the halls to the second floor, retreating to the room he shared with other low-class members of the clan. There, where he slept at night, he was still the lowest one of the bunch, and he still needed to watch his back, but at least it was somewhere to be a little safer. He found himself in the most dangerous position of his life.

  How do I get out of here?

  MERCY

  Mercy reached for Haley's hand. She gripped it firmly as she stepped up the stairs. She checked once, then twice to be sure Haley's eyes were tightly shut.

  Every time they had come upstairs, even during the cover of dark, Mercy saw the bodies, though in actuality she had already removed them. They were all still there in her mind, but felt too real to discern the difference. Haley had seen them too, for a short time. She hadn't helped in removing them, but she did see them the day their family died. Mercy prayed she could keep herself together enough to make it out of the house still mentally stable.

  The girls had played games to pass time, often games that involved blindfolding. At that moment, it was absolutely vital that Haley not peek, and Mercy hoped her niece understood that. Mercy prepared herself to cover Haley's eyes if she opened them in the slightest. If she did, she wouldn't see the end of Mercy's anger.

  Upon reaching the top step, Mercy saw the first body. Initially, for only the first second or two, it was easy to remind herself nothing was there, but the memory was too powerful to resist flashbacks. It would have been wiser to rush through the house to avoid bearing the sights, but she couldn't somehow. She recognized the pale, decaying face before her as her brother Carlos. Then, just past the kitchen, was the body of her father.

  There had been more bodies than just their family. The men of their family had killed a few of the soldiers that came after them, who ultimately joined them on the floor. Civilians they never knew were among the bodies as well, which, by comparison, Mercy felt nothing for.

  She checked Haley's eyes every other second. “I don't want you to see what happened here,” she explained to her niece.

  “I thought you took them out to the back yard.”

  Even Mercy forgot that fact already. The bodies may as well have never been moved. “I know, but...” Words escaped her; there wasn't really a justification for having Haley keep her eyes closed. She could have handled seeing the blood stains and bullet holes if the bodies were now absent...

  They had to watch their feet, stepping around the debris that made the floor nearly invisible. Mercy had to step over the bodies she saw. Reality blurred with flashbacks more each passing second. Despite her slow steps, she eventually led them to the front door. At the front door, Mercy saw her mother and … Celia!

  She swiftly pulled her niece close to her, lifting Haley into her arms, burying the little face into her chest. Haley ached, “Ow!” Mercy freed one arm to reach forward, flinging the open door the rest of the way, and charged out of the house. When her feet found the end of the driveway, they tripped over something. Real bodies. Mercy never carried out the ones in front of the house. Haley had opened her eyes when they fell, and at that instant, she screamed at the top of her lungs. Mercy swiftly muffled her mouth, then carried her a little further away, onto the desolate road.

  Emotions consumed her as she collapsed onto her knees, burying her face into her hands.

  “Aunt Mercy?” asked Haley, putting a hand on her shoulder.

  “Sniff. Don't worry, about me. Just, sniff sniff, give me a minute.” She felt Haley's hand slip away and heard footsteps wander off. When Mercy lifted her head, she saw her niece walking back toward the house. “Don't look in there!” she screamed as she ran to her and carried her away. This time, she crossed the street, releasing Haley on the sidewalk so angrily she nearly dropped her on her head.

  “Jeez! I'm
sorry.”

  Mercy was far from the end of her pain. She drooled and cringed, feeling like her head was melting as more tears forced themselves from her eyes. Her hands squeezed her head as if to crush it. She lost touch with her conscious mind and senses, existing in a different world; a world of nothing but pain.

  Eventually, when her cognizance returned, she saw Haley was fine, sitting directly before her, affectionately watching her with sad eyes. Mercy's eyes were red, and all the skin around them. Her face was soaked down to her neck. When she looked at Haley, from that moment on, she understood in full that her beloved niece was all that mattered anymore. The last family she had left, and she'd end the world again if it meant saving Haley from becoming another cold shell.

  “Sorry,” she said to the little one, her voice frail.

  “...It's okay.” Haley leaned forward and embraced Mercy. The weight pressing on her felt as if it was sinking into her own body. It was another reminder of how close she needed to keep the little one. She'd never let go, were it possible. “We have to leave,” she said. The two let go of each other and stood.

  Mercy had to force herself to be strong henceforth. She had to proceed with the task, forgetting her desire to remain there holding Haley forever.

  Mercy finally noticed her surroundings, consciously observing. All around them, it was the same. How could I not see this? she wondered. Over a dozen corpses plastered the roads and yards, most coming from their own house. Then she recalled the event that led to it – the battle that forced them into seclusion in the basement. Everything was filthy, trash was scattered everywhere, and the bodies didn't help. Scavengers, from birds to rodents to insects, feasted on the greatest meal of their lives. Nature had been swiftly reclaiming the area for months. The roads and sidewalks were barely distinguishable. Haley said nothing, and Mercy could only wonder what impact the sight had on her. She looked at the young girl, who stared back. “This is our world now,” she had to admit.