Manifest Destiny: Part One: Lost In Limbo

by Kay, Sabra M.

  It suddenly struck her as odd that she was moving toward the danger. That she was considering attacking these men. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but once she made the decision to save Dillon, or at least try, her breath came easier and she moved with purpose. She was probably going to die. But she moved forward anyway.

  A hand closed over her mouth and a muscular arm pinned hers against her body. She half-expected this. She struggled, kicking her legs wildly, but there was only air.

  “Shhhh!”

  A face came into view. Sid! She relaxed her body and was released. Gabe put his finger to his lips and drew a gun. Sid was also armed.

  “I’m going to see if I can’t draw at least two of them away," Gabe whispered. “When that happens, you two go to Dillon and take care of whoever is left.”

  Sid nodded and looked at Selah. “You okay?”

  “Yeah. Let’s do this.”

  Gabe left them, and disappeared into the trees and brush. A few moments later, a loud rustling caught the attention of the men. Just as they had hoped, two of them went to go check out the situation, leaving one man guarding Dillon.

  “C’mon,” Sid whispered.

  They cut to the left. The man was facing the direction that his two partners had headed. Dillon lay on the ground. He wasn’t moving.

  They crept up behind him, trying to avoid discovery for as long as possible. A shot rang out and a man’s voice -- not Gabe’s -- yelped.

  “Let’s go.” Sid charged toward the man, who had started for the trees to investigate. He whipped around, too late. Sid had his gun drawn and trained on the man, who appeared to be unarmed.

  Selah ran to Dillon and assessed his wounds. He was breathing. His eyes were both swollen and blood flowed from his nose and lip. She lifted his shirt. A large area of his midsection was already turning purple. He groaned and strained to open his eyes.

  “Shhh. Hey, it’s me. Gabe and Sid, too.”

  She looked at Sid, who had the man on his knees with his hands behind his head. Now they had to wait to find out if Gabe had been successful.

  He emerged just a few minutes later, alone.

  “Gabe? Everything okay?” Sid looked around.

  “Yeah. I got one. The other guy ran off, I couldn’t find him.”

  Selah helped Dillon into a sitting position. He was in a lot of pain, but he would be okay. Gabe and Sid questioned the man they had captive and kept a watchful eye out for any more.

  They couldn’t stay at the camp. There was no way to tell whether or not anyone would return there, and that made them sitting ducks.

  “You came after us,” Dillon croaked as Selah washed his face, doing her best to clean his wounds.

  Gabe gave a small grin, but Sid bore a grim look. “Yeah. We came to the conclusion that no one was coming back, so we bailed and came looking for you. My brother and his family are dead, I just had to accept it.”

  There was silence for a few moments. Dillon slumped and hung his head.

  “I’m so sorry,” was all she could say.

  Sid sat, jaw clenched, gun pointed at the man who refused to talk. Selah watched him, his chest heaved up and down as though he was out of breath, but he had been sitting for a while.

  The sun was getting lower when they finally packed up and left. They kept the man tied up and put him in one of the tents. “Someone will find him. That other guy will come back once he knows the coast is clear.”

  “What if they come after us?” Selah asked.

  “If they’re smart, they won’t do that. If they’re stupid, then they’ll be dead,” Gabe replied.

  Chapter Nine

  It was slow going with Dillon’s injuries, but they made steady progress, wanting to put as much distance between them and the camp as possible. They continued walking until well after dark. The moon hung low and full and the night was clear. Selah walked in silence alongside Dillon. Gabe and Sid were a few paces ahead, talking quietly about the events of the day. When they finally settled down for the night, sleep came quickly.

  At first light, the group set out for the last leg of their journey to Limbo. As they got closer, Selah found herself fielding questions from Sid and Gabe, who were wary of entering an authorized settlement. Selah wanted to set their mind at ease, but found herself dreading the homecoming, wondering how Garrett and his deputies would take to the strangers, and how Gabe and Sid would feel about turning in their weapons.

  Raids happened infrequently, but they did happen. Guards from Worldcorp would swoop in and go house to house, looking for contraband. Alcohol, drugs and guns were their main targets. According to corporate law, offenders could be shot on sight, but more often the goods were confiscated and the offender got a good beating in front of a crowd.

  “I’m not giving up my gun,” Sid stated. “It’s not gonna happen.”

  Gabe nodded in agreement. “Yeah, you know I am thinking this is a mistake. There are plenty of other camps around here we can go to, maybe we should just keep moving.”

  “No.” Dillon’s voice was sharp. “We need to get to this settlement and then move on to the resistance.”

  “Fine, but I think these settlements are bullshit. All the restrictions of the Skirts without the benefits.” He laughed bitterly. “I just want to know what we’re in for.”

  Selah sighed and looked at Dillon, grateful for his support. He managed a weak smile.

  “Limbo is no walk in the park. The guy who runs things here is a bastard. His name is Garrett. He and his merry band of assholes do everything they can to make everyone’s life miserable. They hoard rations, harass people and they break some rules and enforce others.”

  She thought for a moment about the rules he enforced. Marriage. Babies. There was not supposed to be drinking or drugs, but according to Garrett, drinking and drugs were more conducive to marriage and babies. Besides, the bar was a busy place, usually filled with a combination of locals and out-of-towners who had stuff to sell. Garrett pretty much ran the place, taking his cut in order to keep the place from being shut down.

  “What about the guard? They got a post there?”

  “Yes, but it's empty. I haven’t seen a guard there in months. They come through and do an occasional sweep, but I think Garrett worked something out with them so they leave us alone.”

  “What about food, water?” He looked over at Dillon. “What about a doctor?”

  Selah snorted. “There should be plenty of both, but we are on strict rations. Tried growing food a couple times in our yard, but someone stole it. There’s a community garden, supposed to be for everyone. I have never seen anything from it. As for a doctor, no. There’s a couple of people in town who have some training, but there’s no supplies. I haven’t seen a medical van in a long time.”

  They fell quiet. An old sign on the side of the road was spray painted over with the words Limbo 5 Miles.

  Getting close. Selah felt the butterflies in her stomach. How long had she been gone? A week? Or was it more? She couldn’t really remember, but she guessed it had been about that long. What had happened since she left? Was Kent still there? Or had the recruiters already come by? How was Nat? What did they think happened to her? She thought of Nieve and the baby. She wished there was a way to get her out of there.

  They drew closer to town. Any minute now, the welcoming committee would be on hand to investigate the new arrivals. She knew the drill. The occasional building came and went. A burnt out gas station. A crumbling strip mall. Caved in warehouses. The remains of a church. Then she saw them. Squinting, she couldn’t tell if Garrett was with the group of men approaching. Somehow she doubted it.

  Sid and Gabe fell in alongside Selah and Dillon. They were thirsty and hungry and tired. Nothing had been said about Alan, but Sid was clearly grieving and angry. His jaw was set and his shoulders thrown back. Selah worried about a fight.

  “Hey, hey there. Who do we have here?”

  Selah recognized the man as Sal Redding. He was a few years older t
han Garrett and wanted his job. Flanking him were David and Tommy. Bringing up the rear were a couple other goons and a couple of kids that looked about fifteen.

  “Selah, that you?” Tommy asked.

  “Hey, Tommy.” She didn’t bother feigning cheerfulness or happiness to see him. She was tired, and she didn’t want to play games.

  “Holy shit, we thought sure you were either dead or run off to the Skirts.” Tommy sounded happy to see her, which alternately disgusted her and touched her at the same time.

  “Yeah, and you brought visitors.” There was an edge to David’s voice. In some ways, Selah thought that David and Sal were far worse than Garrett.

  “Yeah. So this is Dillon, Gabe and Sid. They saved me when my bus got hit by bandits.”

  “Saved you, huh?” Sal spat and hitched up his jeans. “So, what, you brought them home?”

  Dillon stepped forward. He reached a hand out to shake but Sal just narrowed his eyes and kept talking to Selah.

  “You know we have rules about outsiders, don’t you?”

  “I have never heard any rules about outsiders. New people come here all the time. Look, their town got bombed by the Voraks. There’s nothing left.”

  “That so?” Sal’s eyes widened at that. There hadn’t been talk of any attacks in a while, and most often they were just rumours. No one had actually survived and seen it happen.

  “Yeah. We’re the only ones who made it out. Then we got attacked on the road.” Sid gestured at Dillon.

  “You armed?” Tommy asked.

  Sid and Gabe exchanged glances and looked back at Dillon. He nodded and Sid reluctantly responded.

  “Yeah. I guess you follow the 'no gun' rule around here.”

  “Have to. Don’t like it myself, but it is what it is.” Sal looked at Gabe and Sid less suspiciously, but still bore a sneer on his face.

  "Hand 'em over. You'll get your guns back on your way out, which won't be long I'm guessing." Sal motioned Tommy and David to take their guns. Gabe, Dillon and finally Sid backed up a bit, still hesitant.

  Selah was getting tired of the back and forth. “Hey, guys. I want to go home. Can we dispense with all these…pleasantries so I can find my brother and let him know I am alive?”

  Tommy and Sal looked at each other and shrugged. David wasn’t as easily swayed.

  “Now, wait a second. We don’t know jack about either of these guys, plus Garrett’s in charge here.” He looked in Selah’s direction. “She can go on home if she wants, but these three need to stay right here until Garrett gets here and okays them.”

  “This is bullshit.” Sid stepped up to Sal, squaring his shoulders, jaw set and eyes narrowed.

  Sal smiled. The prospect of a confrontation seemed to please him. David stepped forward too, eager for blood.

  Selah felt a helpless rage flow through her. She didn’t want trouble, but trouble seemed hell bent on finding her. Something snapped inside her. She was done with this shit. “Enough!”

  All eyes on her, she continued. “I don’t give even one fuck whether or not you guys are okay with any of this. I am going home. These are my guests, and I trust them and I say they are okay. If Garrett doesn’t like it, you tell him to come find me.”

  “You guys!” she motioned to Sid and Gabe “You turn in your guns, and we will get them back when we leave.”

  Sal opened his mouth to speak, but David whispered something to him. He backed down. Selah was surprised at this, but figured she would probably pay for it later. She didn’t care. She just wanted to see Kent and Nat, and sleep in her own bed.

  Sal and his crew let them pass.

  The walk to Selah’s home was uneventful. A few curious townspeople gawked at her and her entourage. Whispers followed them. Selah wondered if anyone had told Kent or Nat of her arrival. Her question was answered when Zack ran from across the center of town to greet her.

  “Selah!” He stopped just short of knocking her down. “Holy shit, we thought you weren’t ever coming back,” he panted. “Kent’s been going back and forth between cursing you for moving to the Skirts and crying because he thinks you’re dead.”

  “I’m on my way home right now, is he there?”

  “He’s been out shooting arrows all day, just outside town. I can go find him for you?”

  “Yeah, would you?”

  Zack nodded and ran off, just barely seeming to notice Dillon standing at her side. They walked the rest of the way in silence. Sid brooded over the loss of his guns, Gabe watching the townspeople, sizing them up, and Dillon still struggling from exhaustion and his injuries.

  They walked past the school with its broken windows, graffiti and overgrown baseball field. Several children roamed around the play structure, chasing each other, kicking a half-inflated ball and jostling each other. Ella Sherman sat on a lone swing in the middle of the chaos, staring into space. Selah glanced her way, wondering what she must be thinking.

  They passed the bar. She sucked her breath in, peering in the darkened doorway, looking for any sign of trouble. Amy and John, who tended during the day, stood in the doorway and watched her pass, eying the boys with interest. Out-of-towners did come by frequently, but most weren’t strangers anymore, and if they were, they were passing through hoping to unload some meat, trinkets or weed in exchange for luxuries like batteries, first aid kits and medicine, which used to be plentiful but now was in short supply. It’s like the corporation is forgetting about us, she thought.

  Finally, they turned the corner and made their way down her street. The kids whose parents didn’t bother sending them to the makeshift school were playing a game of tag in the street. Barefoot, dirty and foul-mouthed, they scooted off to the side of the road when they saw Selah and the strangers. She never realized how small the town was, how set in their ways the people were. So cut off. No communication with the big wide world. Even her short jaunt out to the Skirts, Dillon’s town and the road back reminded her that there was a bigger picture. Here in Limbo, they were truly stuck, waiting on a future that may never come.

  The little house came into view and Selah thought she might actually cry. She glanced over at Dillon and saw that he was looking at her with a smile. She smiled and quickly turned away.

  Home. She took the porch steps in one jump and immediately regretted it. She almost went down but Gabe grabbed her arm and hoisted her back upright. She snorted and the guys laughed for the first time since they had met up with them. It sounded good, it felt even better. Selah realized she had come to care for her ragtag little group, and was eager to open her home to them, eager to introduce them to Nat. I have friends. Holy shit.

  The door opened just as she was reaching for the handle. Nat squealed and held her arms out, simultaneously hugging her and pulling her through the doorway. Selah fell into her and felt warm tears of happiness and relief slide down her face.

  Nat pulled away and cupped Selah’s face with her hands.

  “Let me see you. My, my, you have had an adventure, haven’t you?” She looked past Selah, at Dillon and then at Sid and Gabe standing in the door.

  Selah turned to them and then back to Nat. “These are my friends. This is Sid, Gabe…and Dillon.” She felt heat rise to her face when she said his name. She wondered if anyone noticed how she said his name differently from the way she said the others.

  “Nice to meet you boys.” She laughed and held out a sweeping arm. “Welcome to Limbo!”

  That night they ate stewed rabbit, drank homemade wine and played cards. They laughed and joked around the table. Kent had come home earlier and silently hugged his sister for a long time. He shook hands with Sid, Gabe and Dillon. Selah relayed the story of the bandits' attack on the Worldcorp bus and how Dillon and his friends rescued her.

  Gabe and Sid were quiet as Dillon spoke of the bombing, of going from house to house searching for survivors, of the soldiers moving in and the shots fired. He described the electricity in the air as the mysterious ship came from out of nowhere and how all tha
t were left behind were a few charred remains.

  As they finished off another jar of wine, the topic of the resistance came up.

  “Dillon’s brother is up at the North camp,” Selah said. “Has there been any word? Anyone come around looking for recruits?”

  Showing up in Limbo or any other authorized settlement to recruit was risky, since the resistance was against Worldcorp, but after Garrett arrived and started running things, the guards had gone and there had been little corporation interference -- or assistance.

  Kent shook his head. “There has been nothing. A couple months ago there were rumors that they were out and about, pulling recruits, but there’s been nothing. Not a word.”

  “Why are they so quiet?” Sid asked.

  “Afraid, most likely,” Gabe replied.

  Dillon took a small sip of his still-full glass and shook his head. “Afraid? No. There’s got to be another explanation.”

  “Maybe they’re planning something?” Kent said.

  “Could be. They could have something big coming up, or another reason to lay low.”

  “Yeah, like Worldcorp,” Selah said.

  “Worldcorp. What do they have to do with anything? The Corp may not love the resistance, but they aren’t really a threat,” said Gabe.

  “Why else would the resistance just go MIA? They are always looking for people.” Selah reached for Dillon’s glass and gulped half of it down.

  He seemed amused by this, his lips curled into the first genuine smile she had seen since before the attack. He leaned in a bit, now serious. “Well, whatever the situation is, if they aren’t going to come here, we need to go to them. I know the camp is north of here. I don’t know exactly where, but I feel confident that I can find it.”

  He looked around the table. Kent nodded. Sid and Gabe both shrugged.