by Tyler Lahey
Adira suddenly realized she was holding her breath, and she exhaled. She didn’t know what to say; she was stunned.
Billy held up his hand. “Look miss, don’t say nothing. Lets just go inside, and you go back to him now, for starters. How bout that.”
She shook her head and smiled. “Ok. We’ll do that.”
They took a few steps together, listening to the crunch of snow under their feet.
He stopped her a few yards away from the officer, who was now growing visibly impatient.
He leaned closer. “Miss, you trusted me. Will you trust me again? Don’t give up all the weapons to Lieutenant Agis.” He whispered harshly, staring at her intently. “Listen to me. Do not give up all your weapons to him.” His voice was raw, and it was pleading.
Chapter Thirteen
It wasn’t a very pretty gun. The stock was loose and shook, the pump needed to be greased, and the black paint on the handle was fading. But it had been his for the last four months. He had found it stashed in a closet, hidden among old sheets that reeked of mothballs.
Liam set it down once more, sighing in frustration. He had no problem turning in the weapon; Agis’s idea made sense. His problem was with his brothers, who had now become the banner carriers for all the holdouts who refused to surrender their arms.
They were a motley crew of perhaps twenty, a mix of rednecks that had been duck hunting since they could walk, and men and women who had lost lovers and friends to the infection, or to other humans. Their reasons differed, yet they shared a unique zeal and rallied around Jaxton. He among them was willing and able to stand for their cause. Jaxton, though, had changed in recent months- he was more cautious, with a measured approach, and perhaps even…. anxious.
Liam looked to the cot beside him, lit by streaks of white moonlight that trickled in the windows. He shivered, alone and cold.
He thought it might be December already. Groups of people had already begun abandoning the outer classrooms, which faced windows, for the relative warmth of the inner rooms, with no windows. Even that policy wouldn’t keep them warm for long. The hallways of the school were likely to get almost as cold as outside, on the open ground. The survivors would have to sleep together, in groups, to generate enough heat to keep the rooms warm. There was even talk of people spreading out, occupying the rickety old houses with their plush, musty furniture and wrap-around porches. At least those would have chimneys.
He looked at the weapon again. Such was the success they had had at driving the infection out. The valley acted as a natural stronghold, and few stumbled over the ridges or through the ravines. Was there a real need to keep his gun? Agis’s war parties had swept through all the little winding roads of the central town, and much of the woodland suburbs.
But his friends expected his support. What would Harley expect of him? She had given up her own rifle, though Liam knew she served as a lookout and received another for that duty. He touched the empty space beside him, cool to the touch. He saw her less and less, these days. It wasn’t over though. He wasn’t afraid to defy his friends.
Liam snatched the rifle and tugged his furry construction jacket tight. Agis might still be awake.
He trudged through the empty halls, heading north to the library, where Agis lived in a little annex. A female guard at the lobby doors nodded to him in a stiff greeting. He saw movement across the way in the darkness, a woman with long black hair. Then she was gone.
Liam ascended and emerged into a vast high-ceilinged space on the second story, filled with stale, towering bookshelves. He had been here several times, trying to learn what he could from various tomes on medicine, survival skills, and the like. There, in the back, there was a little trough of yellow light escaping from a door, slightly ajar.
Liam grinned. He would hand over his rifle, and gain Agis’s respect. Then he would apply for one of his units, and make a name for himself. Harley would find her way back to him.
As he neared the door, he heard more than one voice. Drawing close, he knew it was a woman. He tiptoed closer and peered in the door, through a crack.
Under a fiery glow, he recognized that auburn hair. It was being pulled from behind, as Agis sweated and grunted, moving his hips.
Liam didn’t move for several seconds, enraptured by the affront to his senses. His feet were stuck, as were his eyes, which fixated upon her face, upon which was etched a mask of greedy ecstasy. The spell was snapped, and he felt himself trembling.
The gun felt good in his hands. He thought there were at least two shells in it.
No, no. Liam turned on his heel and stalked out between the towers of moldy paper.
He would keep the gun.
…
Adira prodded her ribs with her fingers, and winced.
“Still hurts then.”
She nodded. “Still.”
Jaxton’s brow furrowed deeply, and Adira knew his mind was churning through the anxiety he felt for her well-being.
The corners of her lips turned up at the sign of this shaggy, bearded man fretting away. She would be ok. She kissed him. “I’m going to be fine, Jax.”
He scowled slightly, which she found even more charming.
“I’ll get us lunch, how about that?” She asked softly.
He nodded absent-mindedly and muttered. “Sure, lunch.”
Adira rose carefully and snuggled up in her sweatshirt. She could see her breath, even inside.
Two armed men she had never met passed her in the hall and smiled broadly. Adira shivered, stone faced and disgusted. Don’t look at me, she wanted to whisper. And suddenly she wasn’t feeling very good any more. As she entered the cafeteria, she prayed no one spoke to her. The gods were not kind.
“Adira!”
She kept walking, hoping whoever it was would give up. But he didn’t.
Bennett touched her lightly on the arm and she jumped. “Don’t touch me.”
He held up his hands in surprise. “Whoa. Sorry I didn’t think you heard me.”
She shook her heard. “It’s fine. What’s up Bennett.” Her voice was flat.
“Well, how are you?” He was in some kind of second hand uniform. A bulletproof vest and kneepads made his form more threatening, as did the M4 carbine slung across his back. Spare magazines were strapped to his chest.
“What are you wearing?”
He looked down at himself, slightly embarrassed and slightly pleased. “I’m getting my own unit. Lieutenant’s orders.”
“Doing what?”
He frowned in confusion. “You haven’t heard? We’re sweeping the valley. Making it safe to live again. I’m guna have five guys with me.”
She nodded curtly. “Good for you,” she said, and turned to go.
“I found something for you.”
She suppressed a grimace. “Bennett-“
“No no, its ok. You said you used to read Charlotte’s Web every year as a kid right?” He extended his hand, in which now rested a worn and well-read copy of the very same book. “I found it in some little girl’s old room.”
Adira felt queasy. “Bennett, there’s a copy of that in the school’s library.”
He smirked anxiously. “Well, ok. I mean, that’s good. But I brought you this one.”
She snatched the book. “Thank you, Bennett.”
“No gift for me?” Jaxton emerged at her side.
She handed the book to Jaxton, and he regarded it with interest. “Thoughtful of you, buddy.”
Bennett suddenly looked rather uneasy. His hands kneaded each other. “Jax, I wanted to speak to you as well.”
Adira saw Jaxton’s eyes flick up with a confident grin. “That so?” There he was.
Bennett looked ruefully at the floor. “About the guns. I heard you’re not handing yours in.”
Jaxton nodded. “That’s right.”
“Neither am I.” Adira said.
Bennett looked to them both, desperation in his eyes. “It’s not a smart move. I also heard Elvis, and Liam
, Wilder and Duke…they’re all holding onto theirs as well, following your lead.”
Adira felt anger replacing the anxiety that rolled around in her gut. “They’re not following. Jaxton didn’t convince them to do anything. Everyone has their own reasons for keeping their weapons. I expected you to understand that.”
Bennett’s pupils were getting larger. “Everyone has to make sacrifices for the good of the community. That’s how we get better. I don’t understand how you don’t see what we’re trying to build here.”
“Are we speaking to Lieutenant Agis right now, or my friend from before middle school?”
“Your friend, obviously.”
Jaxton snatched the book and threw it on the ground, stepping closer. “Is…that…so.” He spat.
Bennett’s features contorted rapidly. “Do not, speak to me, as if I have done anything wrong.” He wagged a finger in Jax’s red face. “You fucked me over. Don’t think I’ve forgotten.”
Jaxton chuckled arrogantly. “So what happened to water under the bridge?”
Bennett guffawed, and noticed the dozen or so that were now watching the conversation. He drew up. “Hand over your guns.”
Adira regarded him with narrowed eyes. “No.” She pushed past him and entered the kitchens, which stunk of raw meat and flesh.
Ignoring the beefy officer who stood guard, she spoke directly to the cook. “One, please.”
The officer stepped beside her. “I cannot give you rations unless you turn in your weapons.”
Jaxton was there, as was Bennett. She ignored them all. “Agis had us turn in all the food we had stockpiled, for the good of the community. Where is all our food now? We have just as much a right to it as any other!” She screamed.
Jaxton prodded Bennett. “At least food for her. Jesus. She’s still recovering.”
The officer turned to Bennett, waiting to see what side he would take. Bennett stared ahead. “Hand over the guns.”
Adira saw Jaxton’s fists balling up, and she felt dizzy. She would be sick if she heard any more bones crunching, or felt the sticky, hot, wet feeling of blood. Grabbing his arm, she lurched out and back into the hallway.
He rounded on her, but then shrank in concern. “Are you alright?”
“Yes. I need fresh air. Come on.”
…
“What is the fucking plan?”
Liam rubbed his eyes, exhausted and starving.
Adira stayed seated. “How long will our personal stashes last?”
“We guess one or two days, if we ration. No one has much of anything.”
The room was silent, despite the presence of more than twenty people.
Adira ventured out again, “Can we get other people to bring us food?”
Wilder rapped on the desk. “I could find a handful that were willing, but no on wants to displease Agis.”
A 20-something with a camouflage baseball cap leaned forward. “Why don’t we just take the food?”
Adira held up her hand. “Absolutely not. We’re outnumbered, and they have better gear.”
She surveyed the small crowd seated all around her in the classroom. Such a large gathering made her uncomfortable, but she would not deny her instincts. She had to make sure they didn’t get themselves hurt, and cause violence that could not be taken back.
A girl cleared her throat. She had lost her husband a few weeks prior, and was never seen anywhere without two pistols, one on each hip. “Agis is making individual appeals. He spoke to me yesterday, offering all kinds of things…double rations for a month, a pack of batteries…”
“Wait they still have batteries?” Someone asked.
The girl shrugged in response. “The point is, they want these guns really bad. And sooner or later, we’re probably going to have to give it to them. I’m not doing a hunger strike.”
There were murmurs of agreement. Wilder stood with his oily hair slicked back and a smudge of oil on his youthful face. “Let’s not plan to bow inevitably. There has to be some way around this. We can’t be defenseless in a place like this, at a time like this.”
The girl spoke again, “we could leave.” The room digested this in silence.
Jaxton stood. “For my part, I have no intention of leaving this place. In addition to being my home, it is strategically solid. I also don’t think I’m prepared to compete with Agis’s extermination and hunting squads just yet.”
Adira alone spoke while remaining seated. “So no sudden moves. Nobody does anything, or says anything…stupid. No one gets hurt.”
Jaxton nodded. “Aye. Let’s keep brainstorming, keep thinking. We’ll reconvene tomorrow.”
As the group filtered into the hallway, Wilder pulled Duke aside. His breath stank, but there was nothing to be done. The toothpaste had run out two weeks prior. “These bastards have no salt. This whole thing’s going to fall apart before it starts.”
Duke leaned in closer, his voice a hoarse whisper. “I don’t see any way out of this. We need food. Agis knows we don’t have long. Without any food we don’t have any time to bargain, he can just wait us out.”
Wilder scratched his forehead, leaving another smudge of oil. “Food. Where can we get more food?”
Duke shrugged. “Just enough to give us some time.”
Wilder’s eyes lit up momentarily, but then he set his jaw and his gaze became pained. “I have one idea.”
…
“Which one?”
“That one looks fat. Could be good.”
“That isn’t fat, that’s its fucking rib cage.”
“Ok, ok. Should we take a male or a female?”
“I- I don’t know. Does that matter?”
“I don’ know, this was your idea.”
“Fucking Christ. The one on the left.”
Duke strode forward into the foam paddock, carefully stepping around piles of horse excrement. The deep brown horse had a series of white marks on his face. It regarded him keenly. “I don’t want to do this.”
Wilder snatched a rope and attached it to the horse’s bit. “Neither do I. But we don’t have any food.” He looked back to Duke. “Come on.”
“I’m not going to do it.”
“I will. If we waited to pose the question to the others, they would reject it, even if they know it’s necessary. By doing this ourselves, we take it out of their hands. We’re doing them a favor.”
The horse clopped along, oblivious as ever, down the darkened hallways. “Help me move all this.” The two men worked feverishly to un-mount the bars and barricades from the doors.
The horse began to whiney as it sensed the prospect of the open ground, of fresh air in its mane. It leaned down to fit through the doors and they emerged onto a silent patch of asphalt, ringed with old basketball hoops.
Duke stepped away. “Do you remember how we found these horses?”
Wilder drew his pistol. “Of course I do.”
Duke paused, and took the plunge. “What would Tessa have thought?”
Wilder raised the shaking pistol. “I’ll ask her when I see her, soon.”
The sound snapped and rolled on that darkest of nights.
…
His limber frame was stripped to the waist in the freezing air. As he brought the bloody axe down for the hundredth time, a shimmer of sweat glistened on his lean muscles. It was no use. The leg was frozen. He threw the axe across the asphalt, where it skidded to a stop.
“He’s still trying?” Adira emerged from the doors to stand beside Jaxton. He folded his arms, frowning. “He knows everyone is watching. But it froze overnight.”
She shaded her eyes. The morning sun was bright, but infuriatingly chill. Jaxton tucked her scarf into her winter jacket. “This is all fucked,” he whispered.
Adira said nothing. All around her, the survivors stood in silence, watching. Wilder sat on the frozen horse dejectedly, a steam rising from his heaving body. Agis stood on a grass knoll overlooking the basketball court, his arms folded in a gesture of calm
superiority.
Adira walked alone through the crowd. Wilder did not look up when she approached.
“If he let us have some gasoline, we could drag this thing inside with one of the ATVs,” Wilder muttered, looking at the bloodstains on his blistering hands.
Duke stood next to them, depressed into silence.
She looked at both of them as Jaxton strode up with the others in their group. “Yes but he’s already told you that’s not going to happen.”
“Wilder. This is just bad luck. I’m sorry man. The frost came out of no where,” Jaxton said as he kneeled, placing a hand on his friend’s slumping shoulder.
Wilder met his gaze with fire. “The frost has to clear. Once it does, we’ll hack it up and cook it.”
Jaxton shook his head. “We don’t have that much time. We’ll need food tomorrow. This fight is over.”
There were a dozen of them surrounding the fallen animal, all armed. They mumbled and groaned their disapproval and anger.
Wilder rose with his face etched in anger, sensing they did not agree with Jax. “What do you mean? No big speech for us? What about protecting what’s ours?”
The others hollered. Their blood was up, and they wanted their guns.
Jaxton shared a look with Adira. “Things have changed.”
Wilder stood, his face shaking in shameful desperation. A hundred pairs of eyes were on him in that frosty chill, some near, and some distant. “You of all people should know the need to protect yourself, and whom you love.”
Though some of them were too far to make out the words being said, they could see Jaxton stiffen. All of Jaxton’s men drew back; Wilder had gone too far.
Duke held out his arm, as if to apologize for his friend’s brashness. Jaxton took a step forward past it, so his breath with mingled with Wilder’s own. The words came out slowly from his flushed face. “Another word and I’ll drop you where you stand, friend.”