by Kip Nelson
Mack felt he should have seen this coming, should have thought of a way to prevent it, but he had been so preoccupied with guarding against human threats he had forgotten about the natural world. Perhaps he also had been caught in the mode of thinking as he had in the old world, where he never had to worry about rats getting into their kitchen. Life was all too easy, and it hadn't prepared them enough for this situation. However, as he looked at all the dead rats that still were being carried away, he knew there was not much that separated them. They all just were trying to survive in the harshest of environments.
“What do you need from me?” Mack asked.
“I don't think there's anything right now. We're going to salvage what we can. I think we'll have enough to see us through the next week or two, if we can tighten our belts a little,” Hank said.
“But that's just a rough estimate. We'll do everything we can to make it last as long as possible. When are the next patrols due back?”
“There should be some in a few days. Hopefully, they'll have some better news.”
Mack didn't want to think about how the mood in New Haven would be if the other patrols came back empty-handed, but he didn't want to pin all their hopes on the patrols as well. Sadly, the weather was changing and there wasn't anything they could do about that. He left the food supplies, not knowing where to go next. He didn't want to be in his office, though, of that much he was certain. He wanted to be on the ground with the other people of New Haven, to show them he still was with them and they still were united against whatever came their way. He was stopped by one of the Lost Children, a name that was lost in the back of his mind for the moment. The child was about twelve and looked tired, and his voice trembled with nerves.
“Excuse me,” he stammered, “Saul wanted to see you.”
Mack followed the boy to where Saul was standing. They didn't exchange words on the journey for Mack didn't feel much like talking.
“What's up?” Mack asked.
Saul tilted his head to the side and took Mack to the barrier. The kids he was teaching stayed off to the side and looked at Mack with awe, and a little bit of fear. They remembered Mack from when he had been held prisoner by the Lost Children and still were expecting the older man at some point to punish them for what they had done to him. Yet, that punishment was not forthcoming.
“Look at that, the rats didn't just get at the food, they've also chewed their way through the barriers,” Saul said, pointing down at small holes that weakened the barrier at its foundation. If they didn't see to it soon, then there was a danger the barrier would collapse and they would have to rebuild the whole thing.
“Get a team gathered up and go around the whole barrier. I want it all examined. I don't want us to miss anything and risk making New Haven vulnerable. We've already lost a lot of food to these rats, I'm not going to have them responsible for the downfall of this place,” Mack said. Then he stormed off and went to gather some more people to examine the barriers on the other sides of New Haven.
It was almost easy to forget there had been a murder in New Haven, but it was just another thing that was on people's minds. As Mack moved through the settlement he tried reminding himself of Anna's words, but it was difficult for him to summon the strength to be optimistic on such a dreary day when everyone seemed glum. He spoke to a few people who were scared and worried about the food. He tried to tell them it was going to be okay and they had plans in place to make up for everything they had lost. Still, it wasn't enough. He could tell from their sad smiles, and even he knew he was lacking conviction in his voice.
He went to the fire where the rats were being burned. Dark smoke rose into the air, mixing with the layer of mist that lay over the land. The day was cool, not quite cold, but the elements of winter were present and it wouldn't be long before summer was just a distant memory. Oh, how Mack wished he still was strolling through the forest by the river, the sun beating down on his body, alone with his companions. Life was simpler.
He wished he could give one of his inspirational speeches to galvanize the people of New Haven, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. The toil of leading New Haven was taking its toll on him, and even men such as Mack needed to rest and regroup. Elsewhere in the settlement, he knew Maggie and Luis were working hard to catch Peter's killer. He hoped they would make some progress soon that would quell the anxiety rising throughout the population. He ended by going to the gates, peeking into the mist at the outlying city. Out there were his patrols. Would they bring back a bountiful supply of food or would they only bring with them disappointment and sadness?
Chapter Seven
“I'm guessing you heard about the rats?” Luis said as he entered the sheriff's office. Maggie already was there, sitting at the counter, slumped forward.
“How could I not? How bad is it?” she said. Luis sighed heavily, and that was all she needed to know.
“I also heard that Grace had a big part to play,” she added.
“Yeah. She came back in a right mood, and she stank of rat guts. They were all over her. She really loved that top as well, but she's gone off to burn it. She was really pissed. From the sounds of it most of the food has been ruined.”
“That tracks with what I've heard. I always did hear that bad things happened in threes.”
“I didn't think you'd be one for superstition.”
“I don't know what to believe in anymore. Even the law isn't helping me right now. But at least there haven't been any more murders. So, I think we can say for sure that it isn't a serial killer on the loose.”
“At least that's one good thing. Unless the rats were a part of it?”
“What do you mean?”
“What if the whole point was to sabotage New Haven? The murder was done to knock everyone off guard, then somehow whoever is behind this lured the rats here.”
“I admire your creative thinking, but I think you're mistaking coincidence for correlation. Just because the two events happened at the same time doesn't mean they're connected. This would be so much easier if I had all my old equipment.”
“Like what?”
“Like a UV torch so I could look at all the knives in the settlement to see which ones had blood on them. Not that that would help us now, since most of them are covered in rat guts. Makes me wonder how many people through history have gone unpunished simply because there was no way to track their crimes.”
“Probably more than we'd like to think. Is there anyone you're suspicious of?”
Maggie leaned back in her chair and stretched her arms behind her. She moved her head from side to side, and Luis heard a sickening crack.
“I'm almost a hundred percent certain this is an isolated incident, which means somebody killed Peter because they wanted to kill him specifically. Freddie is right in that the parents have the best motive. Both he and Saul have spent time with the children and don't think they are capable. So, I think our next step should be to question some more of the parents. Although I think we're going to get the same attitude as before.”
“You mean where they shout in our faces and say that it's good riddance to him, but that they had nothing to do with it?”
“Precisely. I see you're learning fast,” Maggie said, and Luis raised his eyebrows.
“I did want to say, though,” she added, “that you're doing well. I know you've been thrown in on the deep end with this, but I'm glad to have you by my side. But if you find that it's not what you expected, I don't mind if you want to step down and take on another role here.”
“It's not what I expected at all, but I'm fine where I am. I like working with you. I just hope we can catch whoever did this. What do we have to go on if we have no evidence?”
“We have our guts, we have our determination. The thing with criminals is that most of them make a mistake eventually. They'll do something or say something that gives them away. It's just a matter of time. But the longer this goes on, the more people are going to lose faith in us and they're no
t going to feel protected. So, we must make sure to do our jobs properly, and look out for any unusual behavior. Which means we're not going to get anything done in here,” she said, pushing herself up and moving toward the door, walking out into the misty morning.
They barely could see a few feet in front of their faces as they roamed about New Haven. Most of the conversation had turned from the murder to the rat attack, although as people saw Maggie and Luis they were reminded that a killer was on the loose, and the mood was stark.
The two of them went around and spoke to more of the parents, and as Luis had predicted, they were met with the same attitude as they had been before. Given that the rats had attacked, people were even more on edge and had less patience for them. Maggie and Luis found it difficult to get traction in the case, and it seemed the only people willing to talk with them properly were their friends, the ones they thought were least likely to have committed the murder.
They found Mindy with the food supplies, standing beside Hank, and felt awkward about having to ask him to let them be alone. Maggie smiled apologetically to Hank, but he understood. Mindy looked ragged from helping out at the food supplies, and her eyes were drooping, with dark circles underneath. She offered them a smile, but it was weak.
“I hate to interrupt what you're doing, but we have to try talking to everyone,” Maggie began.
“It's okay. I could use a break anyway.”
“We're just trying to talk to people who we think had the most motive to kill Peter. We know he hit you, and then he put Hank in a box, and we can see that the two you have become close...”
“Yeah, he did,” Mindy said.
Her hand instinctively rose to the side of the face that had been hit, and Maggie hated that she had to make Mindy relive the memory.
“But I don't know what else I can say other than I didn't kill him. I don't believe we have the right to judge people like that. I know that in this world we've had to do things that we're not proud of, and we've had to kill to protect our home, but that's different than taking the law into your own hands and punishing someone. Mack already had decided how to handle the situation and that was good enough for me. I don't know what the killer was thinking but they can't have been in their right mind.”
Maggie and Luis thanked her for her time, then thanked her again for what she was doing for New Haven. They left her to go back to Hank and the food supplies, although from the looks on their faces there wasn't any good news. Maggie and Luis went around the settlement some more to talk to more people, but still didn't get the scent of a suspect. The only thing new was the all-pervading gloom that was cast over the settlement. Eventually, they found their way to Mack, who clearly was suffering from everything that was going on. Usually he would have been in his office, but this time he was out in the open, staring solemnly into nothingness. By now it was mid-afternoon and the mist had cleared somewhat, although it still was difficult to see out to the horizon.
“Please tell me you have some good news,” Mack said.
Maggie and Luis glanced at each other, and shook their heads slightly. Mack placed his hand across his forehead.
“I really wish one thing would go right.”
“We've been talking to a lot of people, but if anyone knows anything they're being quiet. We still have a few people we can talk to, but it's not looking good.”
“Are you telling me you may not find out who did this?”
“I don't want to make that commitment yet, but it may be something we have to think about.”
“Failure is not an option, guys. You've seen what the mood is like out here today. These people need some good news to lift them.”
“We're trying, Mack,” Luis said.
“Well, try harder,” he snapped, then instantly pinched the bridge of his nose and apologized. “I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I know you're trying your best. It's just that things are getting to me.”
“Oh, it's good to see you're finally questioning your friends,” Gary said as he sauntered toward them.
Mack, Maggie, and Luis turned around to face Gary, who was scowling as he always seemed to be. He had a vicious smirk on his face, and he spoke so loudly that he caught the attention of others in the area.
“What do you mean?” Luis asked, turning to face Gary, ready to defend his friends.
“I mean that the rest of us are feeling victimized. We know that you don't really think your friends did anything wrong, you think it's one of us because we're new. You've said that you're bringing us here to be a part of New Haven, but you treat us as though we're criminals. I've seen the way you've looked at us, and I'm not going to stand for it any longer. This is just a token effort to try making us feel better, but I know what's really going on. You're going to pin this on one of us and send us out there into the city, especially now the rats have got at the food and there's less for us. The math doesn't lie. There are so many mouths to feed and only so much food.”
“That's enough, Gary,” Hugo said, trying to stop the younger man, but Gary's blood simmered. He evidently had had these things on his mind for a long time.
“Speaking of that, this place is not the paradise you've promised. We've had a murder, we've had rats, what was the point of coming here? We were promised safety and that the wise leader Mack would see us through the apocalypse, but that isn't true, is it? You're no better than anyone else. I don't know what you did to delude these people into following you, but it hasn't worked with me. I see this place for what it is, just another failed experiment and another example of how one man can't run a settlement. We never should have come here.”
“You're welcome to leave,” Maggie said dryly.
Mack had yet to say anything, but Maggie could feel him tensing up. She only hoped he could maintain his self-control and not do anything stupid, because attacking Gary now would be the worst thing he could do. Gary's friends were arguing with Gary and trying to get him to shut up. Maggie was grateful for this as it showed that not all of them felt the same as Gary, although some of them were less emphatic as others. She wondered if Mack noticed this as well, but he was so focused on Gary that it was likely his powers of observation had deserted him for the moment. Maggie walked over to Gary and held out her palms, trying to calm him down.
“I know you have your frustrations, but this isn't the time or place to air them. Perhaps at the next meeting you can go to Mack, Grace, and Hank to discuss the problems you are having. But you have to see that this really isn't helping anyone.”
“What are you going to do, lock me up?” Gary snarled.
“I don't have to. You're entitled to your opinion. So far, all you've done is share it, but there's a fine line between that and disturbing the peace. We're all trying to do our bit for New Haven, and I'm sure there are more constructive things you can do with your time.”
Gary was about to say something in reply when his friends pulled him back and apologized to Mack and Maggie, then dragged him away. Mack shook his head and pressed his lips together.
“Sorry about that,” Maggie said.
“Without a threat from outside to unite people their natural instinct for conflict is going to arise and drive them apart. We're all going to have to work extra hard to make New Haven the place we want it to be,” he said. “Continue with your investigation.”
Maggie and Luis then went to a place that she had been dreading. She didn't want to talk to Sharon at all, but she perhaps even more than anyone else had a strong motive to get revenge on Peter. The sheriff and deputy were welcomed in. Deborah offered them a place to sit. Sharon glanced at Maggie, but seemed on edge. Maggie didn't know whether to interpret this as guilt or if it was just because Sharon was afraid of her. Perhaps it was a mixture of both.
“I'm sure you're aware, but we're just talking to everyone about the murder to try figuring out who was responsible,” Maggie said.
“Yes, yes, it was a terrible thing,” Deborah replied. Yet, all the time Maggie's eyes were locked on Shar
on. She seemed more shaken about it than her mother.
“Do you have anything to say, Sharon? I know that you and Peter were close.”
“I just want it all to be over.”
“Why is that?” Maggie asked, glancing at Luis.
“Because I hate the way that everyone stares at me as though I'm a traitor. Nobody here likes me. Nobody trusts me.”
“There, there,” Deborah said as she enveloped Sharon in her arms.
“As you can imagine, it's been a tough time for Sharon, for all of us, really.”
“We are sorry to intrude like this, but we must explore every avenue available to us. We'd just like to ask you a few more questions, if that's alright, Sharon? If there's anything more you want to tell us?”
Sharon turned her tear-stained face toward them and sniffed back the sadness. She reached up with one arm and wiped her eyes, then looked at her mother.
“No, no, I don't have anything else to say.”
“I think it's best if you leave now,” Deborah said. Maggie and Luis rose and were shown out. They stepped outside.
“Guess we're still no better off than before then,” Luis said.
“Not necessarily,” Maggie said.
She looked back at the apartment. Her instinct was telling her something, although she wasn't sure exactly what yet. But there was something about Sharon that made Maggie feel as though the young woman wasn't telling her everything she knew. She made a mental note to try speaking to her again. The sheriff and the deputy walked into the fading mist with much on their minds.
Chapter Eight
Mack gathered Grace and Hank for an emergency meeting. In the wake of the attack by the rats he knew he had to do something to try showing the people of New Haven that plans were being put into place to repair the damage that had been done. Gary's comments hadn't helped, and had made Mack question what he was trying to do. The dissenting voice was just one at the moment, but it could be joined by others if they thought Mack wasn't up to the job. It was easier to voice frustration than it was to try changing things for the better. Although most of New Haven still was united, Mack feared it was only a matter of time until more people voiced their displeasure and New Haven began to splinter.