“You don’t know it’s great. We’ve only been here for about an hour and the only building you’ve entered is the cafeteria.” Zero pointed out toward the horizon. “What if the rest of the place turns out to be infested with venomous snakes and stinky swamps?”
“I don’t even need to see the inside of any of the buildings. Look out there.” Lefty pointed in every direction. “At school, we were stuck looking at the perimeter wall in every direction. From here we can’t even see the inner city fences, let alone the outer wall. It feels like we’re living out in the old world even though we’re safe in the center of the city. It’s unreal.” Lefty slapped himself again. “I love it.”
“That’s right. Why don’t you slap yourself a few more times? It’ll save me the trouble,” a voice said from behind them. They turned around to see Flea standing with his back against the cafeteria wall, his arms folded, his typical smug look on his face.
“Nobody asked you, Flea. Why don’t you and your little gang go pick on someone who might actually be intimidated by you?” Lefty placed both hands on his cheeks and his jaw dropped open. “Oh. That’s right. I forgot. None of your little cronies got assigned to Quirigua. You’re all alone now. You don’t have a gang anymore, or even a friend in the world.”
“I’d watch my words if I were you.” He unfolded his arms, stomped over to Lefty, and jammed a finger into his chest. “I’ve been assigned to be on the security team, which means I’ll be keeping my eye on you. If you give me any trouble at all I will tell Lucid and he will—”
“No, I will not hold your hand!” Lefty shouted so everyone around could hear him. “I know you’re scared to be in a new place, but it’ll all be okay. You don’t need me to hold your hand.”
“I didn’t say that,” Flea said, his eyes darting around to everyone within earshot.
Zero took a few steps away. He wanted nothing to do with the quarrel developing between Flea and Lefty, but he was still able to enjoy the sound of people laughing at Flea’s expense. Many of those snickering were other members of the security team.
“All right, fine,” Lefty yelled. “Just one hug. But that’s it.” The sound of laughter grew louder as more people became aware of the situation. Lefty leaned in to wrap his arms around Flea, but he was quickly pushed away. He’d known Flea all his life and could predict his reaction to just about anything. He was rarely caught off guard by one of his sucker punches, and he saw this one coming a mile away. He bent at the waist and Flea’s fist whooshed past his ear. Lefty raised his fists and leaned back to dodge another punch, but someone had already wrapped his arms around Lefty’s middle.
Captain lifted Flea off the ground and held him there for a moment before lowering him to the ground. “Flea, is that what they call you?” Captain asked, still pinning his arms to his side.
“Yeah.” Flea grimaced. “But I think I need a new nickname if I’m going to be—”
Captain interrupted him. “Do you know why we drafted you three?”
Flea shook his head.
“It was because when Root and I first saw you—soon after you were kicked out of the testing grounds—you had just taken on a pack of Remnants and you guys came out on top. That tells me you guys have some heart. I like to think that means you have potential to be something great—better than mindless idiots trained to do one simple task for the rest of your lives. Now, do you know why I picked you to be on my security team?”
Flea shook his head again.
“It was because, when we pulled up to you in our truck, you were the one I saw kneeling on top of that Remnant. I had never seen anyone do that before. It made me think you were mentally tough, even though you’re not physically very impressive. But if you’re going to be on my security team, you’re going to have to grow up. Having heart will only get you so far. I expect a lot from my men. Just because you’re wearing the security team colors doesn’t mean you’re above everyone else. Got it?”
Flea grunted. “Lefty was the one—”
Captain squeezed him so tightly that his toes lifted off the ground and his head began to turn red. “I said, got it?”
“Yeah,” Flea squeaked.
“Good. Don’t make me regret my decision.” Captain released his grip, dropping Flea back to the ground. Flea struggled but managed to stay on his feet. Captain then turned his attention to Lefty. “And that goes for you, too. Grow up. I saw you taunting him. Don’t go starting any fights.”
“Yes, sir,” Lefty said.
Just as Captain started to turn away, Zero saw a trace of a smile. It was obvious that Captain wasn’t someone to mess with, but this scene reiterated what Zero had thought before. Captain was reasonable. He definitely wanted to be on the man’s good side. He even seemed like he had a sense of humor—something that few of the professors and other authority figures had had back at the school.
Zero began walking toward the dorm buildings but stopped when Lefty jumped in front of him.
“Where are you going?” Lefty asked. “I thought you were coming with me.”
Zero sighed. “I was hoping all this excitement would make you forget.”
“Forget?” Lefty lowered his voice so nobody else could hear him, especially Flea. “How could I forget that this city is surrounded by jungle cats? That’s even more exciting than living in a new city. It’s even more exciting than the fact that the captain of the security team isn’t going to put up with any of Flea’s crap.”
“But you heard Captain. He said we need to grow up.”
“Nobody grows up in a day.” Lefty smirked and began walking away. “Now come on.”
Zero grabbed the back of his shirt. “Just promise me one thing. Promise me you won’t reach your hand through.”
Lefty pulled his shirt free from Zero’s grasp and they began walking side by side toward a grove of banana trees. “I promise I’ll consider it.” Lefty grinned and held up his right hand. “You’re forgetting that I’m missing two and a half of the fingers on this hand. I’m probably the only person in Quirigua whose hand is small enough to squeeze quickly through a chain link fence. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m not forgetting anything. I was there when that crocodile bit half your hand off, remember? You’re the forgetful one, still thinking you’re fast enough to dodge the jaws of a wild animal.”
“That wasn’t my fault. That crocodile was trying to take the sandwich from my hand. He’d never bitten me before.”
“My point exactly. You think you can predict what a wild animal will do. It’s going to get you eaten someday.”
“You worry so much.” He placed his arm around Zero’s shoulder. “We’re living in paradise now. Nothing could go wrong in Quirigua. Not even with the jungle cats.”
“You scare me.”
Chapter 4
They had no idea what direction would be the quickest route to the perimeter fence, but they knew they didn’t want to head back in the direction of the main city gate. They had traveled to Quirigua on a bus and it was a fifteen minute ride at full speed between the front gate and the center of town. They chose a random direction and waded as quickly as they could through the tall grass, weaving between the banana trees as they went. They were relieved to find that it took less than fifteen minutes to find the fence.
Just like it had been at school, the inner fence was chain link. Unlike the one they were used to, however, this one was about 20 feet tall, not eight. Plus there were no trees—banana trees or jungle trees—growing near the fence on either side.
“It’s because jungle cats climb trees,” Zero said when Lefty mentioned it. “If there were any trees close to the fence, they could climb up and jump over the fence into Quirigua. And that’s not to mention any of the Remnants that would try to do the same thing.”
“Remnants? Get real. No Remnant is ever going to get in here.”
Zero slapped him
on the shoulder with the back of his hand. “Is your memory really that bad? It was only about two and a half hours ago that a Remnant penetrated into the center of Quirigua because he stowed away on the roof of our bus.”
“That was different. He didn’t jump the fence.” Lefty laughed. “Wasn’t that awesome the way Lucid zapped him with that … that zapper thing. What did he call it?”
“A Taser.”
“Yeah. A Taser. That was awesome.”
“I don’t think it’s that funny. If Lucid hadn’t been there, we could all be dead now.”
“You’re such a melodramatic wimp.” Lefty turned his attention back to the other side of the fence. He cupped his hands around his eyes like binoculars. “Besides, you saw the size of the outer perimeter wall. That thing was, like, a hundred feet tall. Solid as a rock. Nothing and nobody is ever getting over that thing.”
“Does it really help to cup your hands around your eyes like that?”
“Yeah. It helps block out the extra sunlight so you can see into the shade of the trees easier.”
Zero cupped his hands around his eyes like Lefty had, but he quickly lost interest and lay on his back in the grass. “Lefty, how long are you going to make me stay out here? It’s going to get dark soon, and there are obviously no cats around here.”
“I’m not making you do anything. You can go back at any time.”
“Come on. Let’s go back. We’ll come back tomorrow after work when the sun is higher in the sky. We can even walk all the way to the front gate where we saw that black panther on our way into the city.”
“Nope. Sorry. I’m staying out here until I see one.”
“Even if it takes all night?”
Lefty exhaled and pressed his face into the fence. “It won’t,” he whispered.
“And how do you even know that?”
Lefty hissed with delight, “Because there’s a jaguar lying in the grass right there.” He pointed a finger at a depression in the grass about thirty feet beyond the fence. “It’s watching us. I can only see the top of its head.”
Zero stood up, cupped his hands around his eyes again, and started backward at the sight of it. The large cat ducked down lower.
Lefty cupped his hands around his eyes again. He was even more excited now. “Look—there are two little ones next to it. They’re babies, I guess.” He dropped his hands and noticed that he was standing alone. He looked around until he saw Zero standing behind one of the banana trees about forty feet away. “What are you doing? Hiding?”
“I’m not hiding. I just don’t need to be right up there next to them. That’s all.”
“You’re such a wimp.” Lefty laughed. “The cats aren’t going to magically appear on our side of the fence. And if they did, do you really think that cowering behind a banana tree is going to do you any good?”
Zero shrugged. “You just do your thing and let me know when you’re ready to walk back.”
Lefty laughed again and turned back toward the jaguars. He linked his fingers into the fence. The larger of the cats continued to watch him. It inched closer, keeping its head below the tops of the tall grass. Once it was about ten feet away, it rose up from its predatory crouch and stood tall on all fours. One of the cubs trotted toward the fence to meet Lefty, but was scooped up in the mouth of the larger cat.
“It doesn’t look that scary to me.” Lefty squeezed his right hand through the fence.
“Lefty, don’t! Get your hand out of there. Pull it back.”
“Relax.” Lefty dropped the tone of his voice to barely more than a murmur. “I can tell by the look in its eyes that it doesn’t want to hurt me.”
The jaguar inched closer again, the cub still in its mouth. It dropped the cub a few feet from the fence and leaned in close enough to take a good sniff of him.
They stared at one another, neither daring to blink. They stayed that way until the cat turned its back to the fence. Lefty had kept his hand perfectly still up until that moment, apparently too nervous about those teeth to make any sudden movements. Now that the hind end was close to him, Lefty reached as far as he could. He snatched at the jaguar’s tail with his fingertips, but the tail remained just out of reach. The tail bounced twice as Lefty pushed even harder to shove his hand as far as it could go. Then, just before he was able to touch it—
“What the—” Lefty shot back away from the fence as if an invisible rope had jerked him away. He fell on his back in the grass.
“Are you okay? Did it bite you?” Zero hid his head around the trunk of the banana tree.
“It didn’t bite me, no.” He spat over and over. He staggered his way into the grove where Zero waited, spitting the whole way and wiping his tongue on his shirt. “I got some of it in my mouth. Argh.”
“I don’t understand. What happened?”
“I didn’t even see it coming. Now I know. If I ever see one start to lift its tail, it’s about to spray me.”
“It sprayed you? With what? Do you think it’s poisonous? I mean, it’s obviously some form of defense. What if it sprays venom, like a snake.”
Lefty’s eyes grew large. “We’d better run back.”
“Who should we ask?”
“I don’t know. Root, maybe? He’s probably in the cafeteria.”
“Why Root? He just runs the cafeteria, doesn’t he? Why would he know anything?”
“I don’t know. He just seems smart. And I don’t think he’s the kind of guy who would tattle on me for playing with the jaguars.”
They ran as fast as they could back to city center. People were flocking to the cafeteria now. Inside, many people were already seated around long tables with their food while others waited in the buffet line. They scanned the room for Root, but he didn’t appear to be there.
“He’s probably back in the kitchen or something,” Lefty said. “Should I go back there? I am one of the staff. I probably could.”
“Don’t you dare,” a voice came from behind them. They turned around to see Captain standing there with his shirt pulled up over his nose. “Got sprayed by a jungle cat, did you? Went a little too close to the fence, did you? That’ll teach you.”
“I’m not going to die, am I?” Lefty’s worry showed clearly in his facial expression. His eyes were huge.
Captain laughed. “No, genius. That’s just urine. It peed on you. It’s not going to kill you, but you’re going to have a time trying to wash that stuff off. Still, none of us want to have to smell you, so go jump in the shower and don’t come back until you’ve scrubbed everything off.”
“Yes, sir.”
Captain shook his head. “You don’t have to call me sir. Just call me Captain. I’m not one of your school professors.”
“Okay, Captain.”
Relieved, they made their way through the cafeteria, receiving unfriendly looks from each person who got a whiff of Lefty.
“Did you notice how much food there was?” Zero said as they were approaching the double doors. “We have three times as much to choose from as we did at school.”
“Want to know something even more fantastic than that?” Lefty asked.
“Yeah. What?”
Lefty jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “Check out the far table. The one in the corner.”
There he sat. Flea. All alone with none of his old goons there to keep him company or make him feel big.
“Quirigua is the best,” Lefty said. “Paradise.”
“It sure seems like it. I’m going to reserve my complete judgment until morning, though. I still don’t know exactly what I’ll be doing for a job, or what this Lemon guy is like. He could be as bad as Flea, for all I know.”
Chapter 5
Zero had set his alarm for six o’clock, but he woke up half an hour early. It was the silence that awakened him. He had always complained about Lefty snoring too loudly,
especially in the mornings, but already he missed the sound. The silence of his own room was disquieting.
He didn’t like being alone. What made it especially difficult was that Lefty was the only friend he’d ever had. They had been roommates since they were little. Now they didn’t even share the same dorm building.
He put his feet on the floor and yawned as he stood up. His room wasn’t much larger than his bed, so his fingertips touched both walls as he stretched.
He walked to the window and parted the curtains. Most of Quirigua was still asleep but there were a few people moving around. He laughed when he thought about Lefty being assigned the cafeteria morning shift. He was definitely not a morning person.
Zero made his bed and then walked down the hall toward the showers. He was relieved to find the entire area vacant. He stripped off his dirty clothes and threw them into the community laundry bin. He grabbed a new bar of soap from a large stack nearby and stepped into one of the shower stalls. He pulled the curtain closed behind him. He twisted the knob, held his hand under the water until it had heated up, and enjoyed the warmth of the water on his skin.
It wasn’t long before he heard others entering the room, but none of their voices sounded familiar. The voice he was specifically listening for was that of Flea. He still didn’t know which dorm building he had been assigned to, and he dreaded the thought of bumping into him every morning when all he wanted to do was relax in a hot shower—especially since his usual bodyguard, Lefty, lived in a different building and wouldn’t be there to help fight him off.
After he had stood in the water long enough for his fingers to raisin, he turned it off and stepped out. He grabbed a clean t-shirt from the stack labeled Size H, and some jeans from the stack labeled 34 Long. He slipped them on and walked over to the mirror. He decided against shaving since he still didn’t grow much facial hair, and he didn’t want to run the risk of being late to his first day on the job.
***
He arrived at work with plenty of time to spare. Nobody else was in sight, so he sat on the edge of the loading dock watching people in the distance hurry from one place to another. Those who worked in the banana orchards were gathering together on one of the corners. Another person was loading fresh bundles of towels, clothing, and linens to deliver around to the dorm buildings. Most people in the streets were making their way toward the cafeteria for breakfast. Zero wondered if he should have eaten before starting a hard day’s work, but he was too anxious to do that.
The Inner Fence: a dystopian post-apocalyptic young adult novella series (Remnants of Zone Four Chronicles Book 2) Page 3