Paradise (Aftershock Series Book 1)

by Michael R. Watson

  “Paul?!” yelled Jill, afraid her eyes were playing tricks on her.

  Paul smiled and waved. “It’s good to see you, old friends.”

  He appeared to be in good health and even better, in good spirits. Then, as we came up close, two men stepped out from the front of the wagon and joined Paul. We came to an abrupt stop approximately fifty feet from them. Both seemed to be friendly with broad smiles on their faces. And we were relieved to see they weren’t in uniform as the disposal team would have been. They were dressed simply with dark pants, white shirts, and wide-brimmed black hats. And they were old, both with full gray beards. I hadn’t seen anyone of their age in four years. The senior residents of Tent City had begun to disappear soon after we’d reached Sector 4. We’d heard rumors that all the older people had been taken to other sectors where they could be cared for more easily. Then the governor had implemented his disposal plan and it didn’t take much of an imagination to figure out what had actually happened.

  “We’ve been waiting for you,” one of them said.

  “I knew something like this was going to happen,” mumbled Dan, as if to say ‘I told you so.’

  “You knew what was going to happen?” I asked, turning on him, tired of his attitude. “Nothing has happened yet.”

  “He’s right, Dan,” said Jill. “We came looking for Paul and we found him. So, what are we waiting for? Maybe they have something to eat.”

  One of the men motioned for us to join them. Still hesitant, Paul called out, “It’s all right. C’mon. They’re friends.”

  “We might as well,” said Gary. “What else are we going to do and I could use something to drink and eat.”

  We moved forward in unison. Jill, the least concerned about any danger, took the lead. We had become fairly well bonded for the short time we had been together. Relying on each other for survival would do that. Jill ran up to Paul and gave him a hug. I could see by the expression on his face that he had been caught completely off guard by her and taken aback a little. Overcoming his initial surprise, he returned the hug, a huge smile appearing. The two men watched, also smiling, recognizing and appreciating the joy of the reunion.

  One of the men extended his hand to me. “Hello. My name is Samuel and this is Eli.”

  It seemed as though a barrier had just come down. We all began to exchange handshakes. Paul continued with the introductions.

  “We saw people behind us when we stopped to water and care for the horses,” explained Eli. “Paul was sure it was you. Until then we didn’t know anyone was behind us. When we found Paul, he was in pretty bad shape. It wasn’t until the next day, after he’d recovered from dehydration, that he mentioned he had been with friends. But by then it was too late to turn back.”

  “I’m sorry, guys,” replied Paul.

  “Care to join our little group?” asked Samuel.

  “Of course,” I said. “Out of curiosity, where are you headed? I didn’t think there was anything out this way.”

  “A place where you are welcomed and where you’ll be safe,” responded Samuel.

  We were given apples to eat and all the water we wanted before climbing into the back of the wagon with Paul. Apples, or fruit of any kind, had been another delicacy reserved for the privileged, a favored group of the governor’s friends and select staff members. None of us had had any kind of fruit since moving into Tent City. We savored every mouth-watering bite.

  As the wagon began to move, Jill anxiously asked, “Paul, why did you take off like that?”

  “I just wanted it to end. I believed it was inevitable anyway, so why prolong it.”

  An uncomfortable silence followed. Each of us had been forced to deal with what was intended to happen, each in our own way.

  Then Paul, smiling from ear to ear, sat up straight, “But, now I’m not worried any more.”

  “How did you end up with these guys?” I asked.

  “I had fallen to my knees, thirsty, tired, and not wanting to take another step, waiting for the end to come, praying it would come swiftly. Then I heard a wagon creak as it came up behind me, and then stopped. I raised my head to see Samuel and Eli standing over me. I thought they were angels coming to take me away and I was ready. I think I must have passed out.” Paul paused, head bowing, tears coming to his eyes. He looked up at the group. “Sorry.” He took a deep breath as he wiped the tears away. “When I came to, I was in the back of this wagon. It took awhile, but they finally convinced me they weren’t angels. Funny, isn’t it? They told me later I had been a little delirious. Samuel assured me they would take care of me and get me somewhere safe, and here we are. They saved my life.”

  “And you saved ours. If you hadn’t left your provisions behind, we might not be here,” said Jill.

  “I wasn’t going to need them,” said Paul. “And I knew you could.”

  “That was very dumb of you, Paul, but thank you,” said Jill, placing a comforting hand on his.

  Dan opened his mouth and started to say something, but I gave him a look that let him know to keep it to himself. This was no time for grumbling or some smart-ass remark. It was a time of thanksgiving. Our deaths had been postponed for at least another day thanks to Eli and Samuel.

  We traveled two more days. On the second day at mid-afternoon the wagon came to a stop. Our group assumed it was to care for the horses since it was about the same time we had stopped each day. We exited the wagon to stretch our legs.

  “Come and see,” said Eli, motioning for us to join him. He had a look on his face and a twinkle in his eyes we had not seen before. It appeared to be pure happiness. Whatever it was he wanted us to see had to be something special.

  When we reached his and Samuel’s sides we understood why. The dry and desolate desert dropped away to a valley nothing less than a green paradise. In the valley we could see a small settlement with a lake, surrounded by farm plots and trees.

  “Welcome to Paradise,” said Samuel, with a sweeping motion of his arm, “your new home.”

  * * *

  Chapter 4

  We could see across the expanse of the valley to the other side, perhaps half a mile, to where the landscape returned to the same desolate type of land as where we were standing. Below was an unexpected oasis in this barren wasteland, easily overlooked by anyone passing by. We stood awestruck and in a daze for I’m not sure how long, attempting to take it all in, not knowing a place like this still existed.

  Samuel interrupted our trance-like state, “How about a closer look?” It was a redundant question. He knew our answer by just looking at our expressions of wonder, beaming with excitement and anxious to see everything up close.

  We climbed back into the wagon and within minutes we were descending into the valley along a series of switchbacks. We couldn’t believe our good fortune, first of all, knowing we probably would have been dead by now if it hadn’t been for Samuel and Eli, and secondly, to be brought to a place like this. Once we reached the bottom and proceeded toward the town, we could see, through the back opening of the wagon, men and women of all ages coming toward us, many who were well past their fortieth birthday. And best of all, there were children of all ages. Newborns had been a rare observance at Tent City. None had wanted to give birth and raise a child in that environment.

  The growing crowd shouted greetings to Samuel and Eli, thankful for their safe return. They followed the wagon as it continued to roll on. All appeared to be very glad to see us as well, smiling and waving with repeated shouts of “Welcome!”

  From the greeting we were receiving, it must have been a rare occurrence for the community to see outsiders. There was excitement and celebration in the streets. But, no matter how perfect this place appeared, it occurred to me how separated and isolated they were from the rest of the world, such as it was. Though the valley was an obvious paradise and sanctuary at first glance, I couldn’t help thinking how some might see it as confinement. Once here, where could one go. I hoped I wasn’t becoming a pessimist lik
e Dan.

  The valley was amazing and beautiful with huge mature trees providing a shady canopy over a central lane, with green grass, a couple dozen small houses, and a small lake. A picture-perfect postcard community, reminding me of the home I’d known years ago before the earthquakes had destroyed it all. The big difference was that this postcard appeared to have been taken in the 1850’s.

  There was no sign of overhead utilities with no electric or telephone lines cluttering up the skies, and no motorized vehicles, only horse-drawn carts and wagons. But, on closer examination, small wind turbines could be seen on many of the rooftops, evidence that the community did have electricity, an extremely useful commodity.

  We came to a stop and the crowd was quick to gather at the back of the wagon, joined by Samuel and Eli.

  “Okay, give them room,” said Samuel, motioning for us to climb down. “C’mon out folks. This is it.”

  As we came into the sunlight and stood at the back of the wagon, Samuel introduced us to those gathered nearby, explaining how they’d obviously been successful on their journey. He encouraged other members of the group to introduce themselves in the days to come. Then he asked us to follow him. As we did, members of the crowd patted us on the back and told us how glad they were we had been found and were safe. At Samuel’s request, the crowd began to disperse to go about their own business. Samuel and Eli led us up to a rustic two-story building in the center of town with the words ‘Town Hall’ carved into a wooden plaque. I paused a second outside the door, looking and listening all around. The town was surprisingly quiet and peaceful, with only the sound of a breeze through the rustling leaves of the trees and the sounds of children playing. Inside was a long wooden plank table in the center of the large room, surrounded by hand-crafted wooden chairs. Two globe lanterns were burning on each end of the table. There were no windows.

  “Sorry, we haven’t added electricity to our new Town Hall yet,” said Samuel. “Please, have a seat.”

  A short plump woman entered the room. She was dressed like many of the women we’d seen earlier with a dark colored dress and a white head covering. Like everyone else we’d met, she smiled warmly toward us, as though she was genuinely glad we were there. She remained silent as Samuel introduced her as Emma, his wife, and she curtsied, making me smile.

  “Emma, could you bring our new friends something to eat and drink?” asked Samuel. “I’m sure they’re famished from their journey.” She nodded and left the room.

  “First of all, let me say welcome to our little community and you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. However, there are certain conditions you need to be made aware of.”

  We all exchanged looks of concern. Dan was nodding slightly, mumbling repeatedly, “Here it comes, here it comes.”

  “Dan!” I whispered loudly, shaking my head once I had gotten his attention.

  “Everyone is expected to contribute by helping out in some way, whether it’s with the crops, providing some service, or applying your time to a beneficial craft. We are firm believers that idle hands are indeed the devil’s workshop. Can we agree?” asked Samuel.

  Jill raised her hand, which amused Samuel and Eli. “There’s no need for that. What would you like to know?” asked Samuel.

  “Did you ...”

  “What if we don’t want to stay?” asked Dan, cutting Jill off.

  “You’re free to leave whenever you like,” answered Eli, “but I think you’ll find that there’s no reason to do so and besides, there’s nowhere else to go, not within walking distance anyway.”

  Dan fell silent, appearing to be thinking it over.

  “Like I was about to ask,” continued Jill, “did you know we would be out there?”

  “Not you specifically, but yes, we knew someone would be dropped off.”

  “How?” I asked.

  “From my son, Ryder,” said Samuel.

  “And how did your son find out?” I asked.

  “He was a member of the Guard when the governor’s plan was announced.”

  “Your son is in the Guard?” I asked with surprise. How could anyone leave a place like this for that cesspool?

  “Was in the Guard,” Samuel clarified. “Let me start from the beginning. Ryder left the valley about five years ago, restless and anxious to see what he was missing in the outside world, ending up at the governor’s compound, enticed into joining his Guard. I guess it sounded exciting at the time. While there, he discovered he had access to the stockpiles of supplies hoarded in the lower level of the prison, and never distributed. So, he began to remove small amounts of the things we needed the most, like medical supplies, and smuggled them to us. I objected to the risk he was taking, but he wouldn’t take no for an answer. Ryder had rationalized that the stored items were for the people and he was just helping to distribute them, without the governor’s knowledge of course. After having success the first time, we started making a trip there every six months.”

  “It was during one of the first supply runs four years ago Ryder told us about the governor’s forty-year death sentence and that the people would be dropped off to die every three months at or near where we found Paul.”

  Eli began to shake his head. It was obvious he still couldn’t believe it. Samuel continued, “At first, we didn’t know whether it could be true or not. It sounded too crazy. Who would believe people were intentionally being taken out in the middle of nowhere and left to die of thirst and starvation at any age, much less at forty, in the prime of life? ”

  “It was decided then,” said Samuel, “to try to save as many of those people as we could, so we began to make our supply run every six months to coincide as best we could with the one of the disposal team. The first time out we failed, but we have continued to try. This was only the second time for us to be successful. That’s one reason why everyone was so glad to see you. It’s a miracle that we found you.”

  “Thank you for continuing to look for survivors. We owe you our lives,” said Jill.

  “I must give credit where credit is due,” said Samuel. “We had help. Since we never know exactly when or where it’ll take place, there was a lot of faith and prayer involved in finding you. All we know is it happens every three months around the first of the month, in the same general area. It would seem this time our prayers were answered.”

  “Then your son is no longer with the Guard?” Jill asked.

  “That’s right. After the enchantment had worn off and Ryder had had his fill of the injustices being carried out by the governor, he decided to leave, to live in the wasteland. But before he left the Guard, he made sure someone he could trust was in place to continue with what he had started, by helping us. Ryder now lives in the wasteland with quite a following. He’s found his purpose and accomplished some great things.”

  I could see the pride in his eyes.

  “So, are there other people here from Sector 4?” I asked.

  Samuel smiled warmly. “There are a few people living here who were once in your same predicament, brought out to the wasteland to die. Those were the first ones we picked up. As I said before, sometimes our prayers are answered as we’d like, sometimes they aren’t.”

  “And you’ve been doing this every six months for four years?” Jill asked.

  “That’s right, ever since we were informed by Ryder,” answered Eli, looking to and receiving a nod of confirmation from Samuel.

  It occurred to me, if they made a supply run every six months and the disposal team went out every three months, there were two trips every year when the people had no chance of rescue, forced to survive on their own or die. “Have you considered going out there the other two times of the year?”

  “Of course we have. But, it takes time, manpower, and supplies to take on one of those searches. And those are resources we don’t always have.” He paused. “I know it sounds callous, but we’re trying to survive with a growing community the best way we can with the resources we have.”

  I nodded that
I understood. I didn’t want to sound critical. After all, he had just saved our lives and we were extremely grateful.

  Dan wasn’t through. “In the last four years, has anyone ever left?”

  “Yes, there’ve been a few,” answered Samuel, without elaborating.

  “And?” pressured Dan.

  “We don’t know. We never saw them again,” answered Samuel.

  “So, then, as far as you know, they safely made it out of here,” continued Dan.

  Dan was beginning to get on my nerves, again. “Even if you decided to leave,” I confronted, “where would you go? If you, by some miracle, made it back to Sector 4, don’t you think they’d just send you out here again or shoot you on the spot? Can’t you get it through your thick skull, they don’t want us anymore?”

  “I just like to know what my options are,” said Dan, trying to justify himself. “I don’t want to feel trapped, which is exactly how I’m beginning to feel now.”

  Jill felt he was being rude to their hosts. “Dan, what you should be doing is thanking these people for saving us. Without them, we could very well be lying dead or dying out there right now.”

  “She’s right,” added Paul. “As for myself, I couldn’t be happier. It’s quite a realization to have given up and know you’re about to die and then be rescued by two guardian angels.” He smiled at Samuel and Eli and they nodded in return. “I’ve been given a second chance and I’m better off now than I was at Sector 4. I’m not afraid here. As long as they’ll have me, I’m staying.”

  Feeling as though he was being ganged up on, Dan blurted out, “Who the hell do you people think you are to tell me what to think or what to do?”