by Kip Nelson
“I see.”
“Then we found those warehouses and stayed there. There was enough food and things to keep us occupied. If anyone came into our territory, we would confront them, but otherwise we kept to ourselves. But that won't always be the case. Peter wants the city. He wants to show everyone else he can be in control, and that the Lost Children are the most powerful force in the world.”
“He sounds like a determined person and I'm not surprised he was able to persuade you to do all those things. I'm sure you all must have been very afraid, and fear can make us do all kinds of strange things. I've been afraid, too, you know, and so has your mother.”
“She has?” Tristan said, wiping his wet nose against his sleeve. Freddie had to stop himself from enjoying a wry smile, for he could imagine Maggie scolding Tristan for using his sleeve in such a manner.
“Oh yes, did she tell you any stories about what happened to us while we were out there?” Tristan shook his head, so Freddie continued.
“Well, there was one particular instance when we all were very frightened. We had been out in the open for a long time and we still were getting to know one another when we came across a prison. We all trusted the people inside when they said they weren't going to hurt us, because we were afraid of being outside. Then we realized they weren't who they said they were. We lost a lot of friends that day, but we managed to escape, just like you did. Sometimes we do make mistakes, and we make the wrong decisions, but the thing you have to realize is it's part of being human.”
“Did you have to leave your friends behind?” Tristan asked. Freddie's voice suddenly became hollow, and a lump appeared in his throat as he thought back to those dark days.
“Actually, most of them were dead by the time we managed to escape, and the ones who weren't were close.” He cleared his throat and reminded himself he was there to help Tristan, not to think back to those he had lost.
“Is there anyone in particular you regret leaving behind?”
“For a time, they were my family and I was close with all of them. It was hard to betray them like that, and to know that now they probably hate me and want to kill me. Especially...are you sure you won't tell my mom any of this?” he said, looking directly at Freddie.
“You have my word,” Freddie said in a solemn tone.
Tristan inhaled deeply. “There is one person I wish I had managed to bring with me, a girl. Her name is Sharon and I... I guess it sounds stupid, but I kinda like her, I guess,” he said with a sheepish grin that told Freddie he definitely liked this girl; he liked her a lot. No wonder he was so reticent about telling Maggie, Freddie thought.
“I wish I could explain to her why I had to leave. I don't know if she would have come with me, but I wanted to try.”
Freddie was about to say something when there was a knock on the door. It opened and Maggie appeared with Bob. “I thought we could have a little reunion,” she said, “if you two are done?”
“I think we've had a good chat. It was nice meeting you, Tristan. We can do this again if you'd like,” Freddie said, holding out his hand. Tristan shook it eagerly and nodded. As Freddie left, he smiled at Maggie and she gave him a quick word of thanks, which he appreciated.
“It's good to see you again, son. You know that when this all went down, I tried looking for you and your father, but I couldn't find you.”
“I'm sorry,” Tristan said, “we were a bit all over the place.”
“Don't I know it,” Bob said, and let out a hearty laugh.
He sat down where Freddie had been sitting. Tristan asked if he could go for a walk and see if he could be any help. Maggie and Bob were surprised at his initiative and pleased to see him wanting to be involved. So he left and the two old friends were alone.
“It's been a long time since we were like this,” Maggie said.
“Hell, yes. He seems to be alright, though, considering,” Bob said, nodding toward the door where Tristan had exited.
“We'll see. I guess that's all any of us can hope for now, to be alright. Listen, I kinda feel a bit awkward. I want to say I’m sorry for what happened while I was gone. I'm sure they didn't mean to be as aggressive as they turned out to be. I've known them a while now, and they're good people. I'm sure they only had the best interests of the settlement at heart.”
Bob blew out his nose and waved her away with his hand. “You don't have to apologize for them. I can't say I'm happy with the way things went down, but the people spoke, and you have to respect a democracy. I deserved it anyway. If I had been on top of my game I would have seen it coming. Anyway, I can do more good now that I'm not in charge.”
“What do you mean by that?” Maggie asked.
Bob remained coy, however, and would not give her a straight answer. Instead, he merely said, “I'm an old man for the old world, and some things aren't meant to carry over.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
PETER STOOD in the middle of the warehouse by his throne, his hands on his hips, and a smug look on his face. Before him stood his army, a group of children who everyone would have written off as weak and helpless. But he had done what nobody else ever would have dared dream to do. He had made an army out of them, and had forged them into steel. If he had left them in the hands of the adults, they would have tried teaching them and training them into submission, convincing them they had to wait to be strong, to wait for everything.
Peter was tired of waiting. He had been tired before all this started, and he was one of the few to have seen this apocalypse as a good thing. When it all happened, he saw the world burn and knew it was his time to shine, his time to be the person he knew he always could be without the teachers or the parents or the social workers telling him that he had to behave, that he had to ignore the natural instincts that were burning as brightly as the sun within him. No, he had found his natural place in the world, and his army had found him. They were a natural fit for each other. They bowed to his will and recognized his superiority, and in each of them he saw a proud warrior ready to claim their destiny and rewrite the rules of the world. It was a new dawn, and the sun was shining on them.
Although he still harbored resentment for Tristan's betrayal, and was determined to get his revenge, he thought about Sharon's words and knew that one bad apple was not going to ruin the feast. The rest of his soldiers were devoted to him. In some ways, Tristan's betrayal was a good thing as it had engendered a spirited reaction in the rest of the Lost Children. They all had sought to denigrate him and call him out as a treasonous coward for turning his back on his family. In a sense, it had brought the rest of them closer together.
Peter now was more sure than ever he would not lose his army, and that they would be with him until the end, whatever that may be. Inside his mind, he swore vengeance on Tristan, Maggie, and Mack. The defiant adults who had taken what belonged to him and the trusted guard who had betrayed him. There had been other adults, and he had made them beg and plead for their lives, made them swear that he was their superior. He vowed to do the same to Mack and whoever else stood in his way. He would curl a fist around the city and squeeze until it bled.
The rabble of children stood before him, a great mass of eager and willing faces, ready to hang on the King Peter's every word. Behind him stood his guards. Beside him stood Sharon. Everything was exactly as Peter had planned. He raised his hands and a blanket of silence fell over the children.
“We have been together for a long time, and you have proven yourselves to me. I know that we can do whatever we set our minds to. The old world has been torn apart and left an empty void that we are going to fill with our war cries! There are new lands to conquer and the world is ours for the taking. Nobody is going to stand in our way, and those who try will find that they are no match for us. All our lives we have been told that we must wait until we're older, that we won't understand things until we're all grown up, that we won't be allowed to have a say in our lives until we're adults. Well, I'm telling you that we don't have to wait f
or anything anymore! This is our time and I am tired of waiting. Are you? ARE YOU?!”
His rousing speech had them all whooping and hollering, and some were even dancing, driven to such unheralded states of ecstasy. Peter smiled, confident in his ability to lead, pumped up by the fact that he had caused such a frenzied reaction in his subjects.
“Make the final preparations, because we are moving out soon.”
After the excitement had subsided a little, Sharon came to Peter's side and looked down upon the subjects as well, admiring the king for his authority and audacity. “Are we going to find Tristan first?”
“Of course,” Peter replied, turning to face her. “I have a score to settle with him. I want him to know the grave mistake he made when he chose his old life over us, when he chose the past over the future.”
“And what plan do you have for Tristan? I'm sure the adults are going to take him to a place they think is safe?”
“I haven't decided yet,” he said.
“I have an idea,” she replied, sidling even closer to him. He arched an eyebrow as she moved like a serpent and the heat of her body pressed against his.
“And what would that be?”
“You must have seen the way he used to look at me. When we find him, I'll be able to get him to do anything I want,” she said, with a smile that dripped with wickedness, running her finger over Peter's chest.
He chuckled darkly as he whipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him, giving her a deep kiss that sent tremors through their bodies. They gasped as they broke away and looked into each other’s eyes. Peter had found his queen, and he was certain that all his plans would come to fruition. Tristan had betrayed him. Well, Peter would make Tristan betray his own mother. He would make Tristan watch as everyone he loved fell, and when Peter took the throne of the city, he finally would put Tristan out of his misery.
Sharon rested her head against his shoulder and Peter closed his eyes. He almost could smell the blood, almost could taste the fire of the sweet victory that awaited him, and from then nobody would be able to stand in his way. Then it would be the Lost Children who would get to tell the adults what to do. And it would be glorious. He kissed Sharon again as adrenalin surged through his body and he thought about the days to come. It had been a long time since he had been this excited about anything, but he was eager to meet destiny head on and give himself over to everything his life had been building toward.
The Lost Children were not going to stay hidden for much longer, and Peter knew the city should quake at their presence.
BUT BACK IN the settlement they had idea what dangers were lurking in the depths of the city, nor could they spare the time to worry about them, for they had another enemy to face. All through the day people had been scurrying about and the place was a hive of activity. Nobody was left to be idle, and no job was too small. There seemed to be a lot of work to be done, but everybody pitched in, and soon there was not one person who was not clad in sweat-stained clothes and looked ready to sleep for a week.
Mack had been marching through the settlement, making his presence known so people could be reminded of what they had to do. He gave all of them encouraging words, and constructive criticism as well. Maggie and Bob had distributed the guns and, hopefully, they would have more to give out soon. Grace and Luis had been busy. They had explored all through the settlement and had made some rudimentary weapons. Mack praised their inventiveness. Although the weapons were not ones he would have chosen to go to war with, they were all they had, and better than bare hands. The mood around the settlement was tense, and yet there was almost a sense of excitement as well. These people had survived a great deal. Although the odds were against them, they knew if they could survive the end of the world, there was nothing they need be afraid of, especially not when they could count on everyone around them.
Mack, Luis, and Will were getting ready to move out. He felt a little bad that he was taking Luis on a dangerous mission again. He knew it worried Grace, but Mack had to put sentiment aside, and he knew Grace understood this. They each strapped on body armor and armed themselves, taking one gun each and a knife, as they did not want to leave the settlement with too few weapons to defend itself. They also were going to take a horse each, and on the ride back would use one of the horses to carry the weapons, while another horse carried two of them. They slung a pack over the horses' backs. In one of them, they stashed the wide cloth bags that were going to hold all the guns. Before they left Mack approached Grace, who just had finished saying goodbye to Luis with a kiss.
“Promise me you won't let him get killed,” she said.
“Cross my heart,” he said, smiling. Then his expression turned serious.
“I know you wanted to turn your back on being the leader of this place, but I'd like you to be my deputy in my absence,” he said, “although I'm afraid I don't have a star to give you.”
“Are you sure?” Grace said, taken by surprise. “What about Bob, or Maggie?”
Mack frowned. “Bob has made no secret of his desire to stay out of the way of being a leader. As for Maggie, well, she's only just reunited with her son, and I'd rather she stay focused on that because they need each other right now. Besides, you have experience and I trust you with this. Even if the two of them were open to being chosen, I still would have come to you first. You can do this, Grace,” he said and placed his hand on her arm, squeezing it slightly. Grace smiled and nodded.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Run through some drills, make sure everyone knows what they have to do. Also try reminding them that they're more than the sum of their parts. Remember that you have a lot of people to rely on, and even if something happens, and we don't make it back, you can be the one to lead these people.”
With that, he smiled at her. She returned the gesture, and said she would do her best to make him proud. Then she moved away. Mack was just about ready to leave when Saul came up to him.
“If you need help I can come with you,” he said.
“I appreciate that, Saul, but I don't think that will be necessary.”
“Okay,” the big man said.
“Something on your mind?” Mack asked when Saul didn't make any movement to leave.
“I know back in the settlement I wasn't much help because of everything I was going through with my brother. I want you to know that the same isn't going to happen now. I'm going to do everything I can to help this place.”
“That's good to know, Saul, and that's why I need you to stay here. If the place gets attacked, they're going to need all the help they can get. They need experienced warriors, and I know they're in good hands with you. You can be their shield,” he said.
Saul nodded with understanding. With a final goodbye, Mack, Luis, and Will swung their legs over their horses and made their way out of the settlement. They looked back at all they were leaving behind, hoping they would see it again soon and that it still would be standing when they returned.
“Do you think we'll be able to pull this off?” Will asked.
“We have to, if the community has any chance of making it through this,” Mack replied.
His mind was heavy with grim thoughts. The three of them were about to travel into the gaping maw of the beast, and it was not certain they would be successful. It was a dangerous mission, and Mack had to hope they could accomplish their goal and bring the weapons back. The community needed them for defense. As they trotted through the entrance, Mack looked back at the settlement he was leaving behind yet again. He hoped he would lay his eyes upon it once more because there still was so much in this life he wanted to do.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
“REMEMBER, we're not here to get into a fight or do anything stupid,” Mack said as they embarked upon their journey and rode through the city. Luis and Will shared a wry smile.
“Yeah, we've heard that before,” Luis said. Mack looked at him and nodded.
Now that they knew exactly where the
y were going, and didn't have to spend time looking for Bob (or Mack and Maggie), the journey was quicker. They timed it so they would arrive at the camp in the middle of the night. Hopefully, the enemies once again would be lost in a drunken revelry and would be too preoccupied to notice the three of them sneaking in. The summer sun was dipping and Mack knew that soon it would be fall, and then winter would follow. There would be more preparation needed to deal with the elements, but that was something to discuss in the future, after this terrible ordeal was over.
They rode at a good pace. The horses seemed like loyal beasts, and weren't skittish. As they rode through the city, they heard a noise and stopped to investigate, afraid it would be another wandering soul ready to challenge them. However, the noises increased, as did the chills that ran down their spines. They each drew their weapon as they saw movement in the shadows, and suddenly a hundred rats poured out of a building and swarmed the ground around them. The rats hissed and squeaked. The horses reared up and whinnied. As their hooves fell back to the ground, some of the rodents were squashed with sickening squelching sound. The riders quickly moved to safety while they calmed their horses and waited for the rats to stream by, scuttling away into some dark crevice of the city.
“I hate rats,” Will said as they moved ahead. On their way they saw the remnants of fires and camps, and the occasional collection of dead bodies.
It saddened Mack that these people couldn't be buried with dignity, but so much focus had to be put on living, the dead often were often forgotten about. Even though death always was on people’s minds. More death would follow, too, of that Mack was sure. He had been used to it in combat situations, but now it seemed so senseless. Nobody was killing anyone else for a greater cause, it was all just a mess. Mack wished people were more willing to meet and talk about things like mature, rational adults. But when bullies like this group would not meet them in that manner, Mack was forced to meet them on their level. He never had liked bullies, and never would. He wasn't about to bow down and let them have the run of the city, not while he still was breathing and still able to fight back.