The Collapse Trilogy (Book 3): Through the Ruins

by Rod Carstens

  “There’s one problem. The best pilots are kids.”

  Vin thought for a minute then said, “That’s fine. The sooner we get them involved in the community and give them some responsibilities, the better off we’ll be. Where are you keeping the prisoners?”

  “Over here in a shed.”

  “What’s their story?”

  “The three men who owned this place were tilt-rotor private pilots. Resource Control higher-ups who asked them to fly to off-the-grid houses were hiring them. They had so many requests they started to ask around and found out about the pandemic. The administration was still keeping it quiet. The three of them owned this place jointly, so they just loaded up their girlfriends and wives and came out here. But they didn’t think too far ahead, and they ran out of food after a few weeks and realized they had no way to get more. Then we showed up, and you know the rest. All three of the pilots were on the tilt-rotor that crashed. All that’s left are that guy you talked to some kind of executive, a couple of buddies and the wives or girlfriends.”

  As they approached the shed, the door opened, and Chris came out. When she saw Tanner, she veered away.

  “What’s that about?” Tanner asked.

  “Don’t know. She’s been by a couple of times just since yesterday.”

  “You monitor her conversations?”

  “No, why?”

  “I don’t know, but I don’t like her going to see them. Something is fishy about her. I just can’t put my finger on it yet.”

  Vin and Mike opened the door, and Vin got his first close look at the group. They still had the smooth good looks that all the City people he had seen on his rescue mission had despite being prisoners, they had retained their air of superiority. The grooming that they appeared to pride themselves on was beginning to fade, however as they didn’t have access to the house and all the amenities they needed to keep their looks.

  “Who are you? When are you going to let us go?” one of the men demanded.

  “My name’s Tanner. I’m in charge here.”

  “Where have you been? These people have been keeping us here against our will. I demand to be released and for you to leave our property immediately.”

  In spite of his hands being tied behind his back, he tried to stand, but Tanner just shoved him to the ground with his boot.

  “If you don’t know why you’re here, then you aren’t as smart as you think you are. You attacked our convoy, killed one of my people, and tried to hold us up with a roadblock. You’re lucky to be alive.”

  Tanner knelt down in front of them and spoke in a low, threatening voice. “There is no law out here, so we decide how people are punished for their actions. We don’t go around attacking peaceful settlements. We only do this when someone attacks us. We could have been your best friends. Instead, you tried to take what was ours. We do not allow people to take what is ours, because out here it is not simple theft. It is a matter of life and death. Everything we have is vital to our continued survival, so we defend what is ours with all the violence we can muster. We clear?”

  “What’s going to happen to us now?” the beautiful woman he had seen on the interstate the one who had looked like

  Christine said.

  “I haven’t decided yet. What did the girl want?”

  They all looked at one another as if to decide what to say.

  “The way you act is going to go a long way in deciding what we do to you. Now, why was the girl in here?”

  Finally, the woman said, “She told us she was from the City like we are. She wants to help us.”

  “Janice, shut up. You’ve said too much,” one of the other prisoners said.

  Tanner turned and left with Mike, slamming the door as he did. “What in the fuck is her game?” he said.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Tanner could not figure out this girl. She had only been there for a few hours, and she was already siding with people who were prisoners. Not only that but she was lying about what had happened. Why would someone do that? He looked over at Mike and said, “Don’t let her into the shed. It’s now off-limits to her. I need to find out what this is all about.”

  “Got it, boss.”

  “I’m going to the command bus and see what’s been happening since I’ve been gone.”

  Tanner walked over to the bus and found Dr. Rule, Julia, and Morgan, each on a laptop.

  “Where did you get those?”

  They all turned at the sound of his voice, and Julia smiled when she saw him. “Finally get up, sleepyhead?”

  “I hadn’t slept in close to thirty-six hours. Give me a break.” Tanner walked over to where she was sitting and gave her a one-armed hug.

  “Yeah, our friends out there had these laptops lying around. We’ve been monitoring the news from the City with them while Morgan pokes around in the government’s computers.”

  Tanner walked over to Morgan and put his hand on her shoulder. “How are you holding up?”

  Morgan and Johnny had become quite the young couple. The adults had enjoyed watching them go through their first love together, and now he was gone. She had to be devastated. Morgan looked up, and there was real sadness in her usually bright eyes.

  “I’m doing okay,” she said in a small voice.

  “She’s doing great work,” Brandon said.

  “It takes my mind off Johnn…things,” Morgan said.

  “What’s the story? Any more news?”

  “Yeah. Since you left they’re beginning to quarantine parts of the City. They’re shutting down public transportation and advising everyone to stay in their homes. All businesses and schools have been closed, and all public gatherings have been canceled. It looks like it’s taken off.”

  “What does Danielle think?”

  “I believe that it’s spreading even faster than I expected.”

  Tanner turned around to find Danielle standing behind him; she had just entered the bus.

  “Okay, this break from the road has certainly helped us. Peter would love a couple more days, and Nikki’s food is making a difference physically and mentally for everyone. Should we pull up stakes or do we have time to wait a couple more days?” Tanner asked.

  “Unless Peter needs that time, I would feel better about getting back on the road as soon as possible. There will be more people leaving the City in droves now, and we can no longer consider them clean. We must treat anyone from the City as infected from now on. The reports are getting more desperate almost by the hour,” Danielle said.

  “Anybody else want to chime in?”

  Tanner looked from face to face. No one said anything. Finally, Brandon spoke up. “As much as I’ve enjoyed it here, I think we should defer to Danielle. She’s our medical expert.”

  “Yeah, I feel the same way,” Tanner said. “Okay, we’ll leave in the morning. Spread the word to start packing up.”

  Tanner turned to Danielle and said, “Will you walk with me?”

  They stepped out of the bus and walked far enough away that he could speak to her privately.

  “Danielle, have you examined Chris and gone through your usual explanation of what we’re about?”

  “Yeah, why do you ask?”

  “Well, Nikki said she complained about the food, and I found her talking to the prisoners. She told them she wanted to help them. What’s her story? The last thing we need is a bad seed in our midst.”

  “Well, she is a bit of a mystery in some ways. When I asked her how she ended up on the bridge, she gave me this story of how they had taken her prisoner at her family’s cabin.”

  “That doesn’t add up. Those people on the bridge were satisfied with where they were and what they had going. They wouldn’t go after someone. Not from what I could tell. I can talk to Blondie to make sure. Why would she lie?”

  Danielle thought for a moment before she said, “She’s a spoiled girl used to living in the City. I imagine she’s one of those people who always lies to get what they want. Between her looks
and lying to please everyone, it’s her way of making it through life.”

  “Should we take her with us?”

  Danielle was again quiet for a long moment. “Leaving her behind is almost certainly a death sentence with those prisoners. I don’t want to do it, but that is really our only option.”

  Tanner looked around at the men and women working on various projects to keep the community up and running. It was hard to picture Chris working like the rest of the people. This was the first time he had been faced with this kind of decision. In the Mall, it had been easy to allow someone in then see if they were willing to become part of the community. Only a few didn’t pass muster, and they moved on without having to be told. To have a disruptive girl in their midst while they were on the road was a whole different story.

  “Vin, what are you going to do?” Danielle asked.

  “I don’t know yet. I’m going to talk to Blondie. Maybe she can shed some light.”

  “Good idea. If we’re going to move in the morning, I have things to do.”

  One of the young runners came by. It was their job to keep track of as many people as possible in case they were needed.

  “Freddy,” Tanner said.

  The boy stopped and said, “Yes, sir.”

  “Where’s Blondie?”

  “She’s over at the security shack, sir.”

  “Good. Thanks.”

  Sure enough, Blondie was standing in the shack with Mike. They were going over the roster for guard duty. Tanner stuck his head in and said, “Blondie, you got a minute?”

  “Sure, boss.”

  Tanner and Blondie walked a few yards away. “What’s up?” Blondie said.

  “First, I haven’t had a chance to thank you for what you did back at the bridge. I also need to apologize for how I handled it. I should’ve done it differently.”

  “Look, Vin, you saved my life and gave me a new one. It was my choice, and I never intended to stay there. None of those folks were dangerous people, and I figured I’d be out of there soon. To me, it wasn’t a big chance.”

  “But…”

  “We had a plan. You left the ATV. I was on my way out when you showed up. It all worked out. Now please, forget it. That did not make up for what you’ve given me and how everyone in this little tribe of ours has taken me in.”

  Tanner could see she meant every word. Her transformation since he had brought her into the settlement was remarkable. She was thriving and one of his best fighters. She had been a good decision. Now he had to make one about Chris, and he didn’t know what it was going to be.

  “Okay, enough said then. I need to know what you think about Chris. Since she’s been here, she’s complained about the food to Nikki.”

  Blondie shook her head in disbelief. “And she’s still alive?”

  “Yeah, and she’s been to see the prisoners several times and told them she wanted to help them. Danielle doesn’t think she gave her a straight story about how she ended up on the bridge. She is obviously from the City and is spoiled rotten. We don’t need anybody in our community who doesn’t want to be here or is disruptive.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I don’t know at this point. We either take her or leave her here. I need your opinion. Did she help you escape?”

  “No, I told her that if she showed up, I would take her with me. She didn’t turn me in.”

  “Did she help you in any way?”

  “No, not really. They kept me tied up, so they sent her to feed me. That’s about it.”

  “Why did you risk taking her with you when you escaped?”

  Blondie hesitated and looked a little shamefaced. “I guess I didn’t think it through. I knew the situation she was in. Jo had chosen her as her companion and I figured she was like me, being held against her will. But now I’m beginning to wonder if that was really what was going on.”

  “Why?”

  “She hit on me yesterday. She said she knew I liked her and she needed someone to protect her. When I turned her down, she went to Matos. He turned her down, and he came and told me. I have to admit she is a piece of work.”

  “So she could have been working Jo and not been there under duress.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t be sure. I didn’t know about the other things.”

  “Okay. I’m going to have to make a decision before tomorrow morning. If she comes with us, she’ll have to fit in like everybody else,” Tanner said. “I need you to go talk to her and come to me with something that might help me make the decision. You’re the closest thing to a friend she’s got here.”

  Blondie didn’t look pleased, but she said, “I brought her in here. So I need to help you solve this problem. I’ll talk to her.”

  Blondie found Chris arguing with the prisoners’ guard, trying to get in and talk to them.

  “I told you no. Tanner says you can’t talk to them. Now get.”

  “Goddamnit, he can’t do that!” Chris barked.

  “Yes, he can. Now get your ass over here,” Blondie said from behind her.

  Chris spun around, an angry look on her face. Then, seeing it was Blondie, she softened it and smiled. “Oh, it’s you. Maybe you can convince this idiot to let me in so I can talk to my people…I mean the people like me.”

  Blondie grabbed her by the arm to pull her away so they could have a private talk. When she grabbed her, Chris jerked her arm away and said, “Keep your hands off of me, you fucking dyke.”

  Then she swung at Blondie, trying to slap her across the face. Blondie caught Chris’s arm in midswing and stopped it. Then she slapped Chris across the face. The guard behind them just laughed.

  “Now you listen to me,” Blondie snapped. “It’s time you stopped playing coy. You’re a lot older than you look so act your age.”

  Blondie paused and Chris seemed to age in front of them, the expression on her face changed and her posture straightened. She was a hell of an actresss. She had been good at hiding her age, it was obvious she was a young woman and not the teenage girl she had been pretending to be. She was good, Blondie had to admit. She had fooled her even close up.

  “I brought you here, and these people mean everything to me. You are not going to fuck that up. In case you didn’t know it, we got a damn good thing going here. Now, why did you keep talking to those people?”

  Chris hesitated, her eyes searching Blondie’s face. Then she said, “They’re from the City like me, and they had tilt-rotors. If I help them maybe they’ll take me back to the City with them.”

  Blondie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “Did they tell you why they’re up here?”

  “No, I didn’t ask. I just told them I would help them escape. If I did, I know they would take me back to the City.”

  “You stupid little bitch. First, their tilt-rotors are all out of gas, and the only one that could fly is that wreckage on the side of the hill. Did you ever think why to ask why, if they had tilt-rotors, they stayed out here so long? They ran out of food. Did it dawn on you that if they ran short of food all they had to do was fly back and get more?”

  “No, I didn’t think…”

  “You didn’t think, and that is your whole problem. You’re in deep shit out here, and the only way to stay alive is to think. They didn’t go back for food because they can’t. There is a pandemic in the City, and everyone is either sick or dying. It’s going to kill close to eighty percent of the people in there.”

  Chris’s face went white. “But…that…uh…can’t be...”

  “It’s happening alright. Why do you think we’re moving our whole settlement? To get as far away from the cities as we can so we can survive this pandemic.”

  “I don’t believe you. You’re lying,” Chris said, her eyes frightened.

  Blondie grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her over to the prisoners’ hut. She nodded to the guard, and he opened the door. Blondie threw Chris into the shed.

  “Now, boys and girls, little Chris here do
esn’t think there’s a pandemic in the City. Would you kindly explain why you’re all here?”

  They all stared up in silence, so Blondie kicked the nearest woman in the ass as hard as she could. It threw her three feet across the room.

  “Ah!” the woman screamed. “Okay, she’s right. There is an epidemic in the City, and we left before any of us got sick.”

  “No, no! That can’t be true! We have so many doctors and nurses and hospitals! Surely they could stop it.”

  “They’ve tried, but by the time we left, the medical personnel were dying in droves because they’d caught it from their patients. It wouldn’t have been long before we would’ve caught it too.”

  Blondie grabbed Chris and dragged her outside.

  “Now you know. There is no City to go back to. Out here is it. You have two choices: come with us who know how to survive out here, or stay with them while they try and figure it out. We don’t care who or what you were before. We only care who and what you are now. Right now, Vin is leaning toward leaving you here with your City people, and I don’t blame him. We don’t tolerate lying or not pulling your weight.

  “Now you’ve got all the facts. I saved your ass and brought you in here, so you are a reflection on me. Right now I don’t give a shit what happens to you. It’s up to Vin. If you want to come with us, you’d better think of a way to convince him. I’m not going to tell him to keep you or leave you. I’ll just tell him you’re a dumb, spoiled little bitch, so stupid she’s going to get herself killed.”

  Blondie turned and strode away without saying another word.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  Hours later Tanner finally ran into Blondie. He had been working with the various leaders getting ready for the move in the morning. It was going to be a long night. He doubted he would get more than an hour or two’s sleep before they left.

  Blondie walked up to him as he left the command post. “I talked to her,” she said.

  “And?”

  “And I jerked a knot in her tail. She’s not the innocent teenager she pretended to be I got her to knock off the act. She didn’t know about the pandemic, so I told her. She didn’t believe me, but when I made the prisoners tell her, it rocked her world.”