by Kip Nelson
“Because Peter won't like it that I betrayed him. He wants loyalty from his subjects, and I'm sure he's flown into a rage by now. He'll want to make an example of me, because if one can leave, then so can others. He made sure that whoever came to us didn't mess with us because he didn't want the parents looking for their children. He's smarter than people think. He's not just a kid...not to us anyway. But he knows that eventually we'll have to expand. He talked to us about it, the older ones anyway. He said that in time we'll have to leave and try taking the city, otherwise we will be helpless, but he wanted to prove to everyone that he could do it and make us a force, and we all believed him.”
Mack heard guilt in Tristan’s voice and sought to reassure him. “It's natural to believe promises that we want to hear. From what I could tell, Peter was a very persuasive person with a strong personality, and it's a testament to him that he was able to rally so many people. How was it you came to be with the Lost Children in the first place?”
Tristan glanced over at his mother. “I'll have to go back to when it first began for that to make sense,” he said uneasily.
“All the best stories start at the beginning,” Mack said.
“My dad and I were in town when it happened. Everything started going crazy. The cash registers went down, so did the televisions in the windows, everyone's phone stopped working, and the cars all stopped. People started looking at each other. I didn't know what was happening at the time, but Dad knew something was wrong and grabbed my hand. Everyone talked to each other and tried to see if their phones were working, but nobody's was.
“Then we saw a plane in the distance going down. Then there was a crash. A window shattered. People just started taking things. Dad pulled me away and we started running home, but we didn't get very far. The cops started coming out. I think Dad was trying to get to Mom because we went in the direction of the police station. People started fighting and throwing things at each other. It all happened so quickly.
“I just couldn't believe people could turn into animals that quickly. No, that's wrong, they were worse than animals. At one point, we were lost in a crowd and I lost my dad's hand. I stood still. I was almost trampled. He found me again and carried me away to safety. We went to one of his friend's places. We stayed there for a few days and waited for everything to calm down.
“Sometimes my dad or his friend would leave and come back with some food. At night, we would hear horrible noises and I couldn't sleep. After a few days, people started coming around and taking things. They wouldn't even look at us, they just smashed things in. I heard women screaming. I heard a lot of things that I wish I could forget. We came out when we thought it was safe, but it was never safe.
“We were trying to make it somewhere my dad could take care of us, but we never made it. He died. These people, they came up to us and just started attacking Dad for no reason, just because it made them laugh. They made me watch as they killed him and then told me to run. I ran as fast as I could. I didn't even know where I was going. This city was my home, but it seemed so different to me. Then Peter found me. He was with some of the other children. A lot of them had similar stories. He told me everyone was going to be okay and we were going to look after ourselves from now on. He saved me when nobody else could. I know he's not a good person, but I'll always owe him for that,” he said, his voice cracking as he was on the verge of tears. Beside him, Mack could feel the soft tremors of Maggie's body as she cried for her son, and Mack, too, felt great sorrow because of everything the boy had endured. It was more than anyone should endure.
“We wandered around the city for a little while, and kept to the shadows. Sometimes people would come up to us and think we were easy to intimidate, but they underestimated us. We took care of them. At one point, we came across some bodies. They were the same people who had murdered my father, and I remember thinking that they got what they deserved. I wasn't even sorry that they died.
“We gathered guns and food and found more children like us, children who were lost, and we became a family for each other. There were so many of us that we knew we couldn't just walk through the city, so we found our place and there we stayed. Sometimes we would leave because Peter wanted us to find other children to bring into the fold, so we did that. We did anything he said because when we needed someone to show us the way, he was there. When we needed someone to be strong, he was there, and he's not going to rest until he marches his army through the city and takes as much as he can.”
Mack listened carefully and knew that although Peter was young he was going to be a formidable adversary. He also was chastened by Tristan's stories as it was clear many of the other Lost Children had had experiences similar to his, and what they needed was to be cared for by adults rather than being let loose on a world that had no way to control them. It further convinced him that they had to make every effort to help the children. So, the following day he would push Maggie and Tristan to make it back to the settlement as quickly as possible. But for now, he would rest and try forgetting about the things that weighed on his soul, because a man like Mack carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and there was only so much he could take.
CHAPTER SEVEN
AS SOON AS BOB, Luis, and Will entered the other faction's camp they stopped and hugged the edge of the barrier. There was not much space between the barrier and the main building, which was a huge edifice towering above them. They were in awe. It seemed like a fortress, and the ominous orange glow, coupled with the angry smoke that rose into the night, offered a foreboding sight. Luis and Will felt an uneasy disquiet creep through their souls, and in that moment, they wished they had turned back to the safety of the settlement, but Bob was different.
Bob reveled in this atmosphere. He wore a wide grin on his face and licked his lips in anticipation of the fight that was inevitable. He was a man bred for war, but in his time the world had sought to quash violence and seek peaceful means, and he, in turn, had to fight his own nature and turn his own aggressive tendencies against those who would break the law. Yet now, the chains were off and he was unfettered. He could bow to his own will and unleash the hell that had been brewing in his heart since the day he was born.
The fire was high atop the building, and did not provide much in the way of illumination down on the ground. A few lanterns hung on the walls, but only a small portion of them were lit. It didn't seem as though the people in this camp were planning to leave on this night, which was a good sign for the community. There was nobody around in the nearby area, so the trio of men could walk through without fear of being spotted. There were old bonfires and rudimentary tents set up, as well as places were spit roasts had taken place. The ground was charred where the fires had been located, although the trio only could see this once they drew closer to them. Everything else was cast in darkness, and they could not make out any more detail.
They moved slowly and carefully, knowing one wrong move would cause their demise. Despite Bob's thirst for battle, he was not foolish, and was not about to run headstrong into the enemy’s willing arms. They all knew that stealth was needed, to gather intelligence quickly and from the shadows, and then return to the darkness before their presence could be known. Luis swallowed hard as they drew closer to the building, hoping Grace would forgive him if he died. His heart thrummed inside his chest with every step, for every second they spent in this place increased the chances of them being discovered. Given how these people had swept through the settlement with such blistering anger, Luis didn't believe he would be granted a quick, painless death upon capture.
Soon enough, they were standing at the foot of the building. Now that they were closer they could see it was a mall. The main body of the building rose up like a skyscraper, with a huge glass wall at the top, acting as a giant window from which the orange flame glowed. On either side of that were smaller windows, and these were open to let the smoke out. The top of the mall seemed to be open to the air as well because it acted like a chimney, sen
ding the smoke out into the night sky. On either side of the building’s center, the walls tapered off into two squat areas that rose a few floors and contained more stores. They realized now that, underneath all the fires and debris, lay the parking lot, and the barrier that had been erected cut the parking lot in half. The main doors lay before them. From the top of the building they could hear the sounds of the party, and it seemed as though every member of this faction was in attendance, which was fortunate for Luis, Will, and Bob.
Without waiting for approval from the other two, Bob moved forward and opened the double glass doors. Will and Luis hurried after him and scolded him for making such a rash move. Bob rolled his eyes.
“There's nobody around,” he said. Luis and Will widened their eyes for Bob didn't even bother to whisper. Will pulled him aside.
“If we're going to do this, then you have to get one thing through that thick skull of yours,” he began in a low whisper. “You might have come here ready to die, but Luis and I didn't. So, we're going to do everything we can to get out of here alive. Don't do anything to mess that up.”
Bob nodded and raised his hands in apology. “Let's make some havoc,” he said with a hunger in his eyes that could only be quenched by something other than food.
They were standing in the main entrance of the mall. Before them stood two escalators that were still. Underneath those was a small seating area. To the right and left the paths led to various stores, and there were stores beyond the escalators as well. They kept their eyes and ears peeled in case their presence was detected, but from the noise, that was now cacophonous given that they were actually in the building, they were doubly sure everyone had ascended to the top of the mall to partake in whatever kind of barbaric rapture they amused themselves with. For the time being at least, they were alone. It was strange to be in a mall that was not bustling with people, and looked so empty and dead.
They stuck together as they stayed on the ground floor and walked up and down, investigating the various stores that all had been ransacked and were in disarray. The clothing stores were filled with tattered and torn rags, ripped apart in an orgy of destruction, a protest against the heights of fashion that had so controlled people's lives. From what the trio had seen of these people, they wore only what they needed and did not care about appearance, and the same was true as they reached a perfume store. They only stood in the doorway, however, because the floor was littered with broken glass, and the faint aroma of all the perfume that had been spilled still lingered in the air. It was a foreign smell to them now, as they all had become used to the stale body odor from which there was no escape.
“Kinda makes you think, doesn't it? How many people struggled all their lives to afford what was in these stores, and now it doesn't matter one bit? Right now, one of those shirts we saw in that store wouldn't be worth a damn. You wouldn't even be able to get a cup of water for it,” Bob said gravely. Luis and Will nodded.
The world certainly had changed, that was for sure, and that was made even more evident as they moved farther into the mall, going along the other wing, where they saw a cellphone and electronics store that had been ravaged. Bob snorted at the people’s stupidity, for they still had been in the old mindset that these things had value, when they didn't work. So savage, and so stupid, it was a wonder as many humans made it through the initial dark days as they did.
“The smart ones were the ones who had known it all along, the ones who had stocked up on cans of food and prepared for something like this. Everyone else thought they were stupid and paranoid, but they were the ones who knew the real truth,” Bob said.
“It's a wonder we haven't seen more of them,” Will said.
“They're too clever to have stayed in the city. They would have found themselves a nice home in the country somewhere, far away from everyone else, so they wouldn't get disturbed. I can't blame them either. I think I spent too much of my time trying to make things right with people, trying to be a leader. I either should have gotten out of Dodge and lived by myself, or I should have done something like this a long time ago. Come on, we're not going to find anything on this level,” he said, and led them up the escalators.
Their feet made a tinny sound as they walked up the escalators to the next level. There were more stores with smashed windows and darkened interiors. The only light that reached this deep into the mall was a little starlight and some of the glow from the fire that blazed above them, although they were not yet near enough to feel the full effects of the heat. They continued exploring the mall, with the initial hope of stealing supplies, just as supplies had been stolen from the settlement. Although the more they looked in the stores the more they realized either everything already had been stolen, or there was simply nothing worth taking. The sporting stores all had been gutted, especially of their weapons, as had the liquor stores, and any stores that had food. The pharmacies had been cleaned out as well, but there were more things left in those stores than any of the others, and Luis noted the condoms had not been taken.
“We should take some of this stuff, it might come in handy,” he said.
Apparently, this group of people was not so concerned with maintaining a good standard of health as they were with getting drunk. From the sounds that fell from up high they still had a good supply of alcohol and were working through it with great vigor. The trio rose to yet another level, and another, gradually getting closer to the more dangerous areas where the enemy was located. At one point, they passed an elevator that was only halfway down the opening, and something caught Luis' eye. He paused and peered in through the doors that had been slightly pried open, and gasped when he saw a woman's body slumped against the floor, her legs at unnatural angles. It was clear she must have been in the elevator when the EMP hit and had become stuck there. In all the panic, nobody must have been able to hear her cries for help. Either that, or they were unwilling to help, which was a chilling thought.
Instead of taking the escalators up to the main level, the trio decided to go up the stairs, hoping to avoid the main gathering of people. They walked forward slowly and drew their knives, for they didn't want to draw any attention with a gunshot. Bob slowly opened the door and, one by one, they crept out. The noise from the party was deafening, and they instantly knew they were in danger. From their vantage point they could see people swinging their weapons about wildly, while others were breaking off from the main group to go away on their own, most likely to fornicate.
“They must have some things to steal on this level,” Bob said, assuming they had chosen this level to make their base.
It was the highest point, and gave them the most advantage, but evidently their strength had made them arrogant and they were not prepared for a few daring souls to invade their commune. Bob licked his lips once more, eager to carry the fight to them and see fear in their eyes, to gain retribution for all the people who had been terrorized by them, to show them that in this world there were still ways for good people to punish bad ones.
It was quickly apparent the stores on this level had been adapted for other uses and not merely left in disarray like the lower levels. They all had been converted to sleeping quarters, with many blankets draped across the floor. It looked as though privacy was not something these people found a necessity as they did not care about sharing sleeping quarters. The trio quickly moved away as they did not want to be caught by any tired person coming back and falling to the floor in a drunken slumber.
Although Bob's instincts wanted to confront these people, they decided to stay away from the main gathering and found themselves skulking against the wall until they found another store. They went in and their hearts fell as they saw a vast array of weaponry. There were all kinds of guns, grenades, and other weapons, all of them promising death and doom. Seeing this collection made all three of them realize what a dangerous proposition it was to challenge this faction. With this amount of firepower, the settlement could be devastated, left as nothing but rubble. They knew t
hey had to leave.
“We have to take some of this with us now,” Bob said.
“There's no time. We must get back and tell the others about this. This is...this is bad,” Luis said.
Bob was about to argue with him when they heard voices approaching and knew that if they were not going to leave then they never would. They left the armory and ran into an abandoned store until the voices passed, then made their way quickly back down the stairs and out of the mall. Their footsteps were swift and their hearts were beating with fear.
The morning sun had broken out and lit up the world, making them hurry even more so they would not be seen. They didn't look back, but as they made their way to the barrier they saw two soldiers hung up on pikes, their uniforms bloodied and their heads lolling down. Luis raised his hand to his mouth as he knew they must have been the very same soldiers sent from the bunker that he, Mack, and Grace had encountered early on in their adventure. It filled them all with dread, knowing that the same fate, or worse, could be waiting for them and everyone else in the settlement.
“Still don't think it's time for a plan?” Will asked. Bob merely grunted in reply as they made haste to the horses, wanting to get back to the settlement as quickly as possible.
CHAPTER EIGHT
GRACE WAS SITTING at the table, back straight, palms placed flat against the surface of the table. She stared at the prisoner, who still was huddled on the bed. Grace was a picture of serenity while the girl, who was of a similar age to Grace, was not. The girl had a scar on her face and bedraggled, stained clothes that didn't fit quite right. Her hair was matted together and her eyes darted about uncertainly. For all the swaggering confidence that had been present when the girl had threatened Grace, she looked vulnerable now.
Their eyes met and Grace gestured to the chair that was opposite her. It took a few moments, but eventually the girl reluctantly joined Grace at the table. She dragged her feet across the floor, pulled out the chair, and then flung herself in, turning her body away from Grace. Grace had to stifle a smile as she recognized much of herself in this girl. She had acted in much the same manner when she had been handcuffed to Mack and escorted to the plane.