Paradise (Aftershock Series Book 1)

by Michael R. Watson

  He ignored the question. “I’m ready to go. Get in,” he instructed brusquely.

  I decided not to push it right then. “By the way, this is my wife, Sarah, and our children, Cindy and Christopher. And this you already know is Taylor.”

  “Ma’am,” he said with a nod, giving Taylor a disapproving look.

  “And family, this is Levi,” I said.

  “A pleasure,” said Sarah, smiling.

  After he had stashed what appeared to be a special bag into the side box, Levi climbed up into the buckboard and grabbed the reins. We climbed into the back seeing that Levi had evidently made more than one trip to meet his source. Several boxes of supplies were already stacked in back.

  “Dad, can I ride up front with Levi?” asked Christopher.

  “You’ll have to ask him,” I replied.

  Levi had overheard, looking back and waving him up.

  As Christopher stood to leave us, I whispered in his ear,” He’s not much of a talker.”

  “That’s okay,” he said. He didn’t mind, he was doing something he’d never done before. It would be an adventure.

  We pulled out immediately, heading south at a casual pace. One siren and then another began to wail loudly. The alarm had been sounded.

  “You might want to pick up the pace a little,” I advised Levi, but he had already decided that for himself, coaxing the horse to pick up the pace.

  * * *

  Governor Davis was sitting at his oversized mahogany desk when he heard the sirens go off. He stood and moved to the large window overlooking Tent City. Counselor Damon, who occupied the adjacent office, quickly entered the room after knocking at the door, stopping at the governor’s side.

  “What’s all the commotion about?” asked the governor.

  “It would seem we have had a family of workers leave our town without authorization, sir. It was the Thomas ...”

  “I don’t care anything about names. How many?” asked Davis.

  “Three, sir. And we believe they were helped by one of the condemned. The family’s father.”

  “And how did that happen?”

  “I don’t know, sir.”

  “How is it going to affect production?”

  “Insignificant.”

  He thought for a moment.

  “It doesn’t matter. We can’t have the workers walking off whenever they feel like it. I want them returned so we can make an example of them. Send the Guard to bring them back. Let me know as soon as you have them.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Damon, turning and leaving the office.

  “And stop those annoying sirens! They’re giving me a headache!” ordered the governor.

  * * *

  Damon went directly to Gant, the Master of the Guard. He was already aware of the events that had taken place, receiving reports from the two guards who had been injured.

  “I’d like you to send a squad of men to find these people and bring them back unharmed. They’ll still need to be healthy enough to return to the fields. But once you find them, hold back and watch them. I’d like you to find out where they’re going and then report back. They may lead us to others. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Counselor.”

  “Now, I’d like to see the two men who allowed their escape.”

  “That won’t be possible, sir.”

  “Why not?”

  “They can’t be located, sir. I believe they may have also left, right after reporting to Gant.”

  Damon’s face was turning red uncharacteristically. He normally remained in control of his emotions. He took a few moments before he spoke. “When your men bring back the workers, I want you to bring those two guards back too. Understand?”

  “Perfectly, sir.”

  Gant knew what the guard’s punishment would be. Incompetence wasn’t tolerated. If caught, they would pay the ultimate price in the central courtyard for all the other guards to see. And there wouldn’t be anything Gant would be able to do to stop it, not without his family suffering the consequences. The men were young, single, and he knew them well, having trained them from the beginning. That was why he had given each of them a horse and a chance.

  * * *

  We had been traveling almost two hours since leaving the outskirts of town, each of us keeping a watchful eye. So far, there had been no sign of the guard.

  “I haven’t seen anyone yet,” I informed Levi. He grunted without saying a word.

  “Maybe we lost them,” speculated Christopher.

  “I don’t see how,” I commented. “Anyone should be able to follow these wagon tracks, and that’s what has me worried. We should have seen someone by now or at least some evidence like a dust cloud from pursuers on horseback.”

  “Daddy, I see smoke,” said Cindy, pointing behind us, off a little bit to the east.

  I concentrated on the area where she was pointing. There was something off in the distance, barely visible on the horizon. Cindy had better eyes than I did. I would never have seen it if she hadn’t pointed it out.

  “Good eyes, Cindy. But it’s not smoke. It’s dust. We do have someone behind us.”

  Taylor perked up, looking for himself. “I don’t see anything. Maybe it’s just a dust devil or the heat waves playing a trick on our eyes.”

  “I don’t think so. It’d be too much of a coincidence. And it’s right where we came from. No, there’s definitely someone back there,” I said.

  “What are we going to do now?” asked Sarah.

  Levi was listening. “We’re just going to keep on just as we have been. As long as we can stay a step ahead of them, you’ll be safe.”

  “But we can’t let them stay behind us the entire way. That would lead them to Paradise,” I pointed out to Levi. Then something occurred to me, “What if they aren’t trying to catch up with us? What if they want to know where we’re going? Maybe they already know about the valley.”

  Levi gave me a suspicious glance.

  “But how could they know about it?” asked Sarah.

  “There’s only one way I know of,” I said, turning to face Taylor.

  “You can’t be serious. You’re accusing me? I’m the one who saved you this morning,” Taylor attempted to reason.

  “Pretty convenient, wasn’t it?” I said, accusingly. “Maybe the reward was too good to pass up.”

  Levi looked back at Taylor, sizing him up.

  “John!” said Sarah. “You’re overreacting. We don’t even know for certain there’s someone back there.”

  “They’re back there alright and there’s an easy way to find out, by stopping right here. If they stop too, then we can be fairly confident they’re keeping their distance for a reason, possibly to identify our destination. Did you hear that, Levi?”

  I guess he was curious too, because we came to a stop. “It’s a good time to water the horse anyway,” he said.

  Within a few minutes, the dust cloud had disappeared completely.

  “It appears they have stopped,” I said.

  “That doesn’t prove I told them anything. What do you have against me anyway?” Taylor asked, changing the subject.

  “If the dust cloud reappears when we start moving again, that’ll be proof enough for me,” I said.

  This time Sarah didn’t say anything. She may have finally begun to question his motives as I did.

  After a short rest we started moving again. Everyone in the wagon was intently watching the trail behind, especially Taylor, focusing on the horizon. After an hour, there had been no reappearance of the dust cloud. We relaxed slightly. I glanced over at Taylor. He had a cocky look on his face.

  “Well?”

  “Well what?” I asked.

  “I think you owe me an apology,” he prodded.

  “To use your own words, it doesn’t prove anything. Maybe they’re just being more cautious now, keeping a little further distance between us.”

  “What’s it going to take for you to trust me? I didn’t have time to tell
anyone. I went directly to my tent, collected some of my belongings, and then came right back to your tent.”

  “So you say,” I said, not convinced.

  “I give up. Think what you want to. I don’t know what else I can say to convince you. But you’ll find out soon enough whether I’m telling the truth.”

  “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

  * * *

  We stopped as the sun was setting. It was too dangerous to travel at night with the possibility of falling off into a water-worn ravine or a quake-created fissure. Besides, we all needed a rest from riding in the wagon all day and we were hungry, having nibbled only on dried fruit and bread.

  Levi took on the role of cook as he made a fire and prepared a pot of beans, handing out more of the dry, crusty bread to go with them. He then volunteered to keep watch while we tried to get some sleep.

  “I’ll take the second watch,” said Taylor.

  I didn’t like the idea and started to say something, but seeing the look Sarah gave me, I decided not to. I would keep an eye on him anyway.

  I had a hard time sleeping even though I was dog tired. I didn’t trust Taylor and I was awake when Levi woke him for his turn at taking watch.

  “If you hear or see anything out of the ordinary, come and get me,” Levi told Taylor.

  “Aye, aye, captain,” Taylor whispered back, saluting with mock respect.

  Levi didn’t find him amusing in the least. He just turned his back to him and walked off to a spot away from the rest of us and laid out his bedroll. I watched in silence. Levi apparently wasn’t sure about any of us, preferring to keep his distance as he slept. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to get much sleep either.

  Uneasy with Taylor supposedly watching over us, I drifted in and out of sleep, waking what seemed like every hour. The last time I woke, I looked around and didn’t find Taylor where he had been only moments earlier. Sarah, Cindy, and Christopher were sound asleep near the fire. I stood and began to look for him. I saw his bedding was still laid out where he had left it.

  I went over to where Levi had laid out his bedroll. He wasn’t there either. “Levi!” I called out in a loud whisper. There was no reply. I tried again, a little louder, “Levi!”

  I jumped, startled when a hand rested on my shoulder. I turned quickly to see Levi beside me.

  “I want to show you something,” he said, motioning for me to follow.

  He climbed up onto the wagon and motioned me up.

  Standing beside him he said, “Look.”

  My eyes followed to where he was pointing. Faintly, in the distance, was a glow, a fire. There was someone still directly behind us to the north. I looked at him and nodded.

  “And there,” he pointed to the east, “and there,” as he pointed to the west.

  “We’re surrounded, “I said, stating the obvious. “I guess they want to make sure we don’t get away.”

  “If it’s the Guard,” said Levi.

  “Good point.”

  Then I remembered, “Have you seen Taylor?”

  “No.”

  “He’s not in camp. What do you think he’s up to?” I asked, looking for agreement.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Well, we can’t keep leading them in this direction or they’re sure to find the valley.”

  “I know. I think we’re going to have to leave the wagon. It’s too slow and too easy to follow. I know another way where we can lose them. We should probably leave right now. Take only what you can carry. Keep it simple, we need to be able to travel fast.”

  “What about the supplies for Paradise?” I asked.

  “We’ll take what the horse can carry and leave the rest. It’s more important to keep your family safe and Paradise’s location a secret.”

  “Won’t it be dangerous traveling in the dark?” I asked.

  “Stay with me and you’ll be fine,” said Levi.

  Out here, Levi showed a confidence I hadn’t seen back in the valley. As we climbed down from the wagon, Taylor came strolling back into camp, fastening his belt. He seemed surprised to see both of us up.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “Where have you been?” I asked. “Weren’t you supposed to be on watch?”

  “I was taking care of some personal business, if you must know,” he replied, sounding offended. “I wasn’t gone but a couple of minutes. …Why? Did something happen?”

  “We’re leaving right now,” I told him. “Take only what you can carry. We’re leaving the wagon behind.”

  “We’re leaving in the middle of the night?” he asked.

  “Yeah. It seems we’re surrounded by your friends,” I accused, matter-of-factly.

  “I said ... ,” he started to say something, but I had already turned my back on him, walking away.

  Levi was gathering food and water and a few other items to take, including the special bag, loading as much as he thought the horse could carry.

  I walked over to Sarah and gently shook her shoulder.

  “What’s going on?” asked Sarah groggily, rising onto one elbow.

  I knelt down beside her. “We have to go. The Guard seems to have us surrounded on three sides. Wake the kids. Take only what you can carry. We’re leaving the wagon.”

  Still half asleep, Sarah and the kids gathered a few things and rolled them in their bedrolls. The rest they threw into the back of the wagon.

  Taylor walked up to me. “Someday, you’re going to apologize to me,” he said, poking me in my chest with his finger.

  I brushed his finger aside. “I’ll be glad to, if I’m wrong.”

  * * *

  We traveled all the next day on foot with only brief breaks, primarily for the horse and the children. This trail covered a much rougher terrain, making it harder on everyone. Levi had been right, it would be hard for anyone to follow us on this route, and the wagon never would have made it.

  Frequently, either Levi or myself would fall back to look and listen for those following us. Neither of us trusted the task to Taylor, who acted frustrated at being excluded. Whether it was just an act for our benefit, or if he was being sincere, I didn’t know and didn’t care. Since leaving the main trail, there had been no indication our pursuers were still back there.

  We entered an area that was too treacherous in the dark, even for Levi. He found us an out of the way spot where a campfire wouldn’t be seen. We were grateful for a place where we could get a desperately needed good night’s sleep before starting out again early the next morning. Levi had pushed us pretty hard all day, making sure we stayed well out in front of the Guard. He built a small fire in a shielded area and prepared another meal of beans. After eating and extinguishing the fire, Levi and I split the perimeter watch, letting Taylor watch over the camp. It was obvious from his expression he wasn’t happy about it. He pleaded for us to let him do his part, but we continued to have doubts about him, even though the kids apparently didn’t. I could tell Sarah was beginning to have her doubts too by the way she seemed to be speaking to him less.

  The sky was beginning to lighten when we all heard a noise just north of our camp. Levi motioned for us to be still and quiet.

  “You there, in the camp!” came a man’s voice. He was very close. Levi and I moved past the edge of the camp toward the voice. Lying on our bellies, we crawled up to the crest of a small rock outcrop where we attempted to see from behind a scraggly mesquite bush. Three men were on horseback, one out in front. From their dress, it was obvious these were not members of the Guard.

  “Raiders,” whispered Levi, shaking his head. “That’s all we need.”

  I had heard warnings and stories about them. They were mostly men and some women who had either left the confines of Tent City to survive and live on their own terms, unwilling to let the governor dictate their future, or were those who had never gone to Sector 4, confident they could survive without anyone’s help. In some ways I admired them for having the fortitude to do it, but the hardship
to survive had changed many of them. Some were said to have become thieves and worse. We had received numerous warnings from the governor to avoid venturing too far from Tent City with there being too great a risk of being attacked by the criminals. I personally hadn’t heard a single account of them attacking Tent City citizens, but there were plenty of stories about them attacking the Guard during collections, taking anything and everything that would help them survive.

  The governor had reasoned that when the Raiders stole from his men, they were stealing from us. I didn’t quite buy into his explanation since we only received token assistance from him on rare occasions anyway.

  Taylor crawled in-between Levi and myself with my grandfather’s rifle, pointing it in the direction of the riders.

  “No!” whispered Levi forcefully, catching Taylor by surprise. “No shooting!” as he placed his hand on the rifle. He didn’t remove his hand until Taylor nodded he would do as told.

  Taylor looked at me in shock. I was as surprised as he was. If it took deadly force to protect my family, I would do it, whether I had Levi’s permission or not.

  “Shouldn’t we at least let them know we’re armed?” I asked. “It might make them think twice before trying something.”

  “No,” answered Levi. “There’s no way of knowing how many there actually are. What we need to do first is find out what they want.”

  He had a point. I nodded, but for reassurance I felt the .45 in my belt to make sure it was handy.

  Levi shouted to the man, “What do you want?”

  “We need to talk. Can I come in?”

  “Come alone!” shouted Levi.

  As the man approached, I ran back to camp.

  “What’s wrong?” asked Sarah, seeing concern on my face as I ran toward her.

  “Sarah, you, Cindy and Christopher need to get out of sight. Come with me.”

  I led them behind some brush in the shadows beyond the light of the campfire, not wanting the Raider to know about them. I told them to remain still and quiet and not to come out until I gave them the okay. I was sitting by the fire when Levi and Taylor escorted the man into the camp. He was younger than I had expected, perhaps mid-twenties and he didn’t look like an immediate threat. He was about six foot, two-hundred pounds, give or take, appeared to be physically fit, had long dark hair, and a neatly trimmed beard. I suppose he could have been considered a handsome man. Levi asked him to join us at the campfire. Something was going on between the man and Levi. I must have missed something when I came back to camp. The man continued to stare at him, smiling, while Levi refused to make eye contact.