The Survivors Book IV: Spring

by V. L. Dreyer

  He glanced at me and smiled weakly. "You did?"

  "Yeah, totally," I replied, smiling back at him. "If I weren't married, then you'd be my first choice." My smile faded and I glanced away. "Unfortunately, some things happened to me, Simon. Nasty things. Really nasty. I'm not as relaxed around men as my sister is. That's not your fault, either. You're a good person, and you deserve to be happy."

  His shoulders sagged and he heaved a deep sigh. "Sometimes I wonder. I did everything I could think of to help, both in the past and now, but maybe it wasn't enough. Maybe I do deserve to be alone for the rest of my life."

  I frowned and squeezed his shoulder. "Aw, hey, don't say that. You've given us more over the years than any of us had a right to ask. Keeping the news going gave us some kind of hope that maybe we could find civilization again. You kept me company when no one else did, even though you didn't know I existed. I guarantee that you won't be alone for long."

  "You think so?" he asked, shooting a shy, uncertain glance at me.

  "I know so." I winked and grinned. "I've caught more than one of the new girls giving you the eye, and I'll bet once the South Islanders get here you'll be fighting the ladies off with a stick. You're a good-looking man, Simon Wentworth – even if you do forget to shave a lot."

  Simon smiled and rubbed a hand across his stubbly chin. "Yeah, I'm pretty forgetful. Scatter-brained. I always have been, to be honest. My producer said I was never going to amount to much. I could never remember my lines."

  "Well, I guess you proved him wrong," I replied. "Because now you're the only celebrity we've got left."

  "I'd disagree with that," he said dryly. "I may be a familiar face from the telly, but the only celebrity these people have – or need, for that matter – is you. You're the rock star here, not me."

  "You're sweet," I said, then I gave him a light punch on the arm. "Now stop flirting with me. You keep that sugar for the single girls, you hear me?"

  "I wasn't flirting, I was just being nice," he protested, though there was a twinkle of humour in his eyes.

  I laughed and threaded my arm through his, then led him back to the rest of the group.

  The others were waiting by the time we reached the elevator, in huddle around a stack of old computers, equipment, and filing cabinets. I released Simon's arm and gave him a pat on the shoulder, then went over to admire the stack of information we needed to lug back with us.

  "This is going to keep you and Doc busy for days, Gav," I commented.

  He glanced at me and heaved a sigh. "More like weeks, maybe even months."

  "Take as much time as you need," I replied. "This project takes priority over everything else except food, water, and shelter, and we've got all of those things covered. We need that vaccine ready by the time Evie starts to wean."

  He nodded and started gathering up equipment. The others pitched in to help him, all except for me and Madelyde. We had something else to discuss.

  I guided Madelyde off to one side so that we weren't in the way, then I knelt down and put my hands on her shoulders. "Clyde, we're going to have to go soon. That means we need to figure out what to do about you and Madeline."

  "I know," she said matter-of-factly. "Maddy and I have been discussing it at length, and we both think it's best if I stick around until the vaccine is ready – you know, in case you need anything."

  I raised an eyebrow and gave her a long look. "And how is that going to work? You can't keep possessing Maddy forever. Aside from the fact that it would be weird and upset her grandfather a lot… well, what would you do when it's time to go to the bathroom?"

  Madelyde gave me the kind of look that told me exactly what Clyde thought of that idea. "Don't be disgusting, I'm not going to stay in her body. This was just a temporary arrangement, and she could have booted me out at any time. Maddy says that the key card you took from my body has been close enough to me for long enough that it should be able to act as a focus, so that she can call me to her when you need to ask me questions. There's just one catch, though: it means you can't kill my body yet, and if my body falls apart on its own… well, we don't know exactly what will happen."

  I shuddered at the thought, but nodded. "Whatever you two think is best. This is your show. But are you sure you want to linger here for that long? It can't be fun."

  "It's not that bad," Madelyde replied with a faint smile. "I mean, it's not like I'm sitting around getting poked by a little devil with a pitchfork or something. There are still a lot of things to see and do. The Patupaiarehe are starting to come back now that most of the people are gone, and they sometimes roam down into these parts when there are no humans around. They don't like people, but they're friendly enough to rogue spirits."

  "The Patuparawhats?" I repeated, confused. Madelyde just laughed and shook her head.

  "Don't worry, you'll never see them," she said. "Not unless they want you to. Maddy might, but she’ll tell you if they’re going to be a problem. Anyway, I'd best let Maddy have her body back. As a matter of fact, she needs to go to the loo pretty badly right now. Lavatories are at the top of the elevator, two doors down on the right."

  "Oh, well… goodbye, then," I said, shooting a glance at the others nearby.

  Maddy blinked a few times, then shook her head as if to wake herself up. "Oh, he's gone. That was weird."

  "Maddy?" I asked, touching the girl's cheek. "How do you feel, honey? Are you okay?"

  "I'm fine, Miss Sandy," she replied, then she gave me a smile that was very much her own. "But… I really need to pee."

  I laughed and nodded, easing myself back up to my feet. "Me too. Come on, let's go home."

  ***

  It didn't take long to find the lavatories, then we loaded the Hilux up and we were back on the road. It was nearly sundown by the time we reached the outskirts of Tumanako. Just as we were nearing the front gate, someone shouted and waved frantically; it took a second before I realised it was Ryan. I glanced at the others, then put my heels to Boudicca's sides and urged her forward at a trot.

  "What's wrong?" I demanded as soon as I was close enough to do so without shouting.

  "We had an… arrival while you were out," he said, hurrying to open the gate for me. "I've been ordered to take you straight up as soon as you get here."

  I raised an eyebrow, then dismounted and handed my reins to Michael without a word. I didn't need to say anything; Ryan's demeanour told us all that something was wrong. Very, very wrong.

  Ryan led me in and waited with me for the elevator, but as soon as we were inside he pushed the button to close the doors and held it down so that they wouldn’t open again until he was ready.

  "Whatever happens in the next few minutes, I want you to know that I'm on your side," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

  My heart leapt into my throat. "Ry? What is it?"

  "You'll understand soon," he said cryptically. He took his finger off the button, and we rode the elevator up to the second floor in silence.

  As soon as the doors slid open, I could hear the commotion coming from the dining room. People were shouting at one another, though I couldn't make out what they were saying. I glanced at Ryan again, suddenly afraid. The voices sounded angry. Were they angry at me?

  Ryan took my arm and led me down the hall, into the dining room. As soon as the doors opened, people turned to look at me, their familiar faces so twisted by anger that I barely recognised them. I couldn't tell whether the anger was directed at me or not. I'd never seen so much rage in one place and I didn't know how to react to it, so I just froze.

  Skylar appeared out of the crowd, shouting at those around her to calm down. She took one look at my face, then grabbed me and hugged me tight.

  I clung to her, bewildered and confused. "What's going on? Why is everyone yelling at me?"

  "You remember Bobby Wright, I presume?" she said. "Isabelle's son? Well, he showed up at the gates right after you left this morning, demanding that you be held accountable for the death of his
stepfather. I've been trying to tell them that it was self-defence, but they're demanding a trial. It's the only way people will trust you again."

  "Well, then," I said, struggling to keep myself rational despite the wave of animal panic that sought to overwhelm me. "Let's give the people what they want."

  Chapter Seventeen

  As soon as the crowd heard that I'd agreed to a trial it began to calm down, with the exception of a handful of unfamiliar people that seemed to be Bobby's friends. While Skye was busy trying to negotiate with them, I was bundled out of the room and confined to my apartment with guards outside the door.

  Still in shock, I sat down on the couch and just waited. Michael would be back soon enough, and then I'd have someone to talk to – or a shoulder to cry on, if I needed it. With my current hormone levels, tears were pretty much inevitable.

  Sure enough, within a few minutes there was a fuss outside the door. I cringed at the sound of raised voices, but it took a second before I realised that the person shouting wasn’t Michael, it was a young female. The door was flung open and Melody stormed in, followed closely by Priyanka and the twins. Priya rushed over and flung her arms around me, her eyes full of tears.

  "You'll be all right, Mama," she told me. "We'll stand up for you. All of us. I'll be a—what's the word?"

  "A witness," Melody supplied.

  "Yes," she agreed, hugging me tight. "I'll be a witness. I saw what happened. You saved my life, and Baba's!"

  "I know, honey," I whispered, hugging her back. "We did what we had to do. And now we're doing what we have to do again, for Bobby's sake."

  "That stupid brat needs a swift kick in the teeth," Melody snapped, her demeanour tense and angry. "Just give me five minutes alone with him, and I'll show him what's what."

  "As satisfying as that would be, we don't want to stoop to that level," I said. "We need to do this, not just for Bobby's sake but for everyone's. People need to know that everyone will be held accountable for their actions, even me. Don't worry, we'll make it through this – and hopefully we'll give Bobby some closure in the process."

  The conversation stalled when another ruckus started up outside the door, then Michael stormed in looking about as angry as I'd ever seen him. He took in the people gathered around me at a glance, then planted himself beside me and wrapped his arms around both me and Priya.

  "I cannot believe this kid," he said, his voice almost a snarl. "He's down there right now, trying to rile people up. Last I heard was your sister threatening to lock him in a cupboard until he calmed down. It's like he’s trying to cause a riot or something."

  "I think he is," I said softly, snuggling up against his warm bulk for comfort. "Those people he's with, they're gangers. I'm guessing he found them on his way south and convinced them to come here and 'defend' him. I'll bet if we don't keep a really close eye on them, half our supplies will be gone by morning."

  Michael swore under his breath, then shot a plaintive look at the twins. "Girls, can you please run a message for me? I need you to tell Tane and Iorangi to keep a close eye on these new folks, and not to let them anywhere near our supplies." He glanced at me and lowered his voice. "Or the women and children."

  Jasmine and Lily nodded in perfect synchronization and dashed off, almost bumping into Anahera as she was making her way inside. She watched the twins go with raised eyebrows, then looked back at me and smiled.

  "No wonder your guards are looking frustrated," she commented. "It seems that you've got a steady stream of visitors."

  "I think they've given up on even locking the door," I answered dryly. "Not that they really need to. Where would I go? I've invested way too much in Tumanako to just run away."

  "You won't have to, anyway," Anahera said with a smile. "This boy, Bobby – he knows he doesn't stand a chance, but he's making trouble because he can. Sometimes people do that. He and his friends have managed to convince a few of the newer members of our community that you are worthy of suspicion, but once they hear what actually happened, they'll understand."

  "And if they don't," Melody said, her face set in an angry mask, "then they can leave any time they like!"

  I laughed softly and shook my head. "There's your example of people making trouble, in the flesh!"

  Everyone laughed right along with me, except for Melody. She just gave me a dark look, then turned away – but not quite fast enough to hide the smile breaking through her stony expression. It was fine, though. We'd gotten to know one another well enough over the last few months that I knew she wasn't offended by my teasing, even if she pretended to be. Still, I didn't want to risk alienating the people I needed most in the coming days, so I looked back at Anahera and changed the subject.

  "I told Michael," I admitted. "It didn't quite go how I was planning, but the cat's out of the bag."

  "Finally," Anahera said dryly. "At least now I can officially congratulate you both."

  "Wait, what'd I miss?" Melody demanded.

  "Well, as it so happens, Michael and I are expecting a baby," I told her shyly. "She's due around mid-summer."

  "What?" Melody echoed, staring at me blankly. It took a good ten seconds before the news sunk in. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she leapt on us with a squeal of delight. "Oh my God, you're having a baby?! You're so lucky!"

  I yelped in surprise when I suddenly found myself in the middle of a people-sandwich, with Michael on one side, and Priya and Melody on the other.

  "Well, it's not really luck," I gasped when I could finally catch a breath, then I paused and looked at her. "Wait – you guys do know where babies come from, right?"

  "Of course we do," Melody replied, giving me an annoyed look. "The twins are obsessed with romance novels, remember? We figured it out." She heaved a long sigh, and her expression softened. "I really want to have a baby, but… I don't like boys."

  "Well, if you really want to have a baby you could just borrow one for a night,” I replied. “It's not like you have to get married."

  "No, no, not like that." She shook her head vigorously and gave me a frown. "I don't like boys at all. I mean, I like them fine as people, but I don't want to have sex with them. It’s gross. I like girls." Suddenly looking nervous, she shot a glance back and forth between me and Anahera. "Is that weird?"

  Anahera smiled and shook her head. "Not at all, dear. There are many different types of people in the world. I like men and women equally. My soul mate just happened to be in a man's body."

  The revelation of Anahera's bisexuality didn't faze me in the least. I'd suspected it from the moment I met her. She wasn't the sort to let gender boundaries hold her back. I just gave her a smile, then looked back at Melody. "Yeah, what she said. It's totally normal. Jim and Richard prefer men, and I’m pretty sure Iorangi is bi. You are the way nature made you, no big deal. If you want to have a baby, the doctor can help you."

  "He can?" she asked, shooting a look of earnest curiosity at me. "How?"

  "Artificial insemination," I replied. "Basically, you pick a guy you like enough to father the child, and if he agrees then the doctor can inject his sperm into you, without you having to have sex with him. You'll still have to have something going up there, of course, but it might be less uncomfortable for you. If you're serious, ask him. It's your choice."

  Melody made a thoughtful sound and fell silent. Anahera looked at me again and gave me one of her delightfully radiant smiles. "Speaking of Jim and Richard – did you hear that they're engaged?"

  "What?" I gasped. "No! When did that happen?"

  "Last night," she replied. "Richard couldn't wait to tell me this morning. I've never seen him looking so happy.

  "Oh, that's fantastic," I said, pleased beyond all reason by the news. I elbowed Michael and gave him a grin. "Who's a busybody now, huh?"

  "Still you, honey," he replied without missing a beat. "But you mean well, and this time it worked out for the best."

  Anahera looked at me with raised eyebrows, and suddenly I found myself muffli
ng a girlish giggle. "I may have sent them on a few missions together, secretly hoping that they'd hit it off."

  "You sneaky thing," she replied, a slow smile creeping across her face. "Well, they seem very happy and that's the important thing."

  "Then my work here is done," I said brightly, sketching a bow as best I could under the circumstances. "Next project: find Simon a girlfriend."

  "Why Simon?" she asked curiously. "He seems perfectly happy as he is."

  I cleared my throat and shot a glance at Michael. "That's what I thought, until he tried to kiss me today."

  "He did what?!" Melody gasped. Priya gaped at me, and even Anahera looked shocked.

  "Yep," I said, nodding. "He thought that I was flirting with him, and that I was interested in a three-way relationship. I set him straight but now I kind of feel bad for him, you know?"

  Anahera glanced down at her hands, a thoughtful expression crossing her face. "Perhaps I should go talk to him. We dated for a while, before I met my husband. There was a spark between us once. Maybe it's still there."

  This time, it was my turn to look at her in shock. "I thought you weren't going to get involved with anyone after you lost your husband?"

  "So I swore, but…" She let out a long, deep sigh and shrugged. "When I made that vow, I still had a young son to fill my life with laughter and love. Now, he’s grown up and found a woman of his own, and my home is empty. It is the way of nature for little ones to leave the nest, and build nests of their own, but I still find myself feeling lonely."

  "Aw, Ana." I reached for her, and gently touched her hand. "Then talk to him. Your husband would understand. He'd want you to be happy. It's been ten years – that's more than any reasonable person would ask their spouse to mourn for them. Go, talk to him right now. He's going to be feeling really sad tonight, after what happened. I'll be fine."

  She nodded thoughtfully and glanced at the door. "I think I will. I'll be there for the trial, though, no matter what."