Hunting The Snark: An Alice in Deadland Adventure (Alice, No. 4)

by Dhar, Mainak

  Just then Heather called out excitedly.

  ‘Guys, we’ve got some intel on where this Bellman is.’

  ***

  SIX

  Alice took one look at the high walls of the camp, ringed with watch towers and automated gun turrets, and knew that short of a full-scale frontal attack with heavy weapons and many more troops, they would have no hope of breaching the camp. Of course, even then they would likely destroy much of the camp, which was not the point of their mission at all.

  She put down her binoculars and spoke into her headset.

  ‘Beaver, any ideas?’

  ‘None at all. I’ve seen several FEMA camps, but this one is more heavily defended than the usual. With our numbers and weapons, we have no hope of getting in.’

  Alice slammed the binoculars down on the ground in frustration. They had come so far, only to run up against an impassable barrier. Bellman was supposed to have taken refuge in this camp, located just a few kilometers east of what had once been the city of Omaha, and this Bellman supposedly held the key to getting to the Snark.

  They retreated back into the forests and regrouped, trying to think of what else they could do, but they drew a blank. Bunny Ears looked at her, as if asking whether he should get the other Biters, but Alice told him to wait. The Biters, whose numbers had now swelled to many hundreds, had been left behind a few kilometers away.

  Alexis and Kayla had accompanied Alice and her companions to the camp, and Kayla sat down next to Alice.

  ‘What’s so important about this Bellman anyway?’

  ‘It’s not Bellman, but the fact that he or she can lead us to the Snark.’

  Alice told them about the short-lived freedom the people of Shanghai had enjoyed, the nuclear attack, and the threat to the people of Deadland.

  ‘So you came all the way over here? Why don’t you just move someplace else?’

  ‘Because that is our home. We have all bled and lost loved ones to gain the freedom we enjoy, and we cannot just give it up.’

  Kayla said that they were also free, but they were not tied to any town or city.

  ‘Kayla, true freedom lies not just in not having to obey someone but in knowing that you can create a world for your children where they can grow up in safety and freedom long after you’re gone. That is what my father taught me, and what he was trying to create in our settlement. I will never have children of my own, but you may one day, and perhaps you should think of what you will leave behind.’

  As Alice got up to talk to Vince and Satish, Kayla thought about what Alice had said. After a few minutes, she got up and approached her.

  ‘Look, I can perhaps help you get in, but once you’re in, you’ll be on your own.’

  An hour later, two men came up to meet them. Alice was instantly on guard. These men were wearing tattered clothes, smelt as if they had not bathed in days and were carrying a mishmash of weapons—axes hanging from belts, shotguns and large hunting knives. All in all, they looked more like bandits than members of the resistance. One of them, a lean man with a long cut down the side of his face that had been patched up with crude stitches came forward.

  ‘Bonjour. I am Max Zaoui, though you may call me the Frenchman. This is my associate, Mauricio Vindell, you can just call him El Muto.’ He laughed, though Alice could not see what was so funny. That was till his friend opened his mouth to reveal the fact that he had no tongue, just a black stump. ‘Zeus bastards caught him on a gun run and tortured him. Look, we’ll get you in the camp but I need some rockets. Can you get me some?’

  Vince intervened. ‘Max, I can get you four rocket launchers with ten spare rockets. Just get us into the damn camp!’

  Alice pulled Vince and Kayla aside. Satish joined them and Alice could see that he had much the same doubts she had.

  ‘Can we trust them? They look like bandits themselves?’

  Kayla looked Alice straight in the eye. ‘You of all people should know better than to judge people by their appearances.’

  Alice was about to retort when Vince stepped in.

  ‘Max and Mauricio are smugglers. They obey nobody and live wild, but they are a critical lifeline for the resistance. They get us weapons and they also supply other resistance cells who don’t work for General Konrath. Also, they know the guards at most of the FEMA camps since they smuggle in things like bootleg liquor. They may not look like much, but I’d trust them with my life. In fact, I already do. If they wanted to sell us out to Zeus, we’d all be dead already.’

  Alice realized that she had no real choice so she asked Vince what the plan was. Vince pointed towards Max.

  ‘Yo, Frenchman. What do you want to do?’

  Max walked up to them and looked at Alice. ‘A lot of people are putting themselves in danger for you. I just hope it’s all going to be worth it.’

  ‘Do you think it’s worth it?’

  Max laughed, though it was a bitter sound, with no humor behind it.

  ‘I was a young English teacher in France. I had a girlfriend I wanted to marry. I had dreams of traveling around the world. I was in New Jersey on holiday with Marie when The Rising happened. I saw what Zeus and its masters did to the world, and I was in a FEMA camp for two years before I escaped. I’m willing to take my chances on anything that helps get rid of them. I used to think stories of what you did in the Deadland were fiction, the Exec Committee used to say that you’re nothing more than a small-time warlord, but now you’re here, and you’ve got all those Biters lined up. So, there’s some truth in all the legend. Just do one thing for me, will you?’

  He leaned closer, hissing out the rest of his sentence.

  ‘Kill all the bastards!’

  ***

  Alice was unable to see what was going on outside but the voices made it very clear how Max and Mauricio were able to get such access into the FEMA camps. They passed at least two checkpoints, paying off the guards with alcohol and in one case, something called DVDs.

  Alice was packed inside crates filled with contraband for the officers running the camp. Every month, Max would pass on stocks of liquor, clothes, cigarettes, canned food and anything else that the Zeus officers were willing to take in return for letting Max and Mauricio have free rein over their routes. What they did not know was that the smugglers also used these opportunities to pick up intelligence that they passed onto the resistance.

  ‘I can’t take much more of this.’

  Larry had been complaining off and on, and being the biggest of them all meant that he was also the most uncomfortable stashed inside the crates. Cynthia asked him to shut up and then Josh told them both to cut it out.

  Vince had chosen them to accompany Alice as they were the best in close combat. Satish had pleaded to go along, but he had been overruled as he would easily be caught out as an outsider. As for Alice, her hood was pulled around her face, and while if she were seen their game would well and truly be up, her being there was critical if they were to break out of the camp with Bellman. The local resistance just didn’t have the numbers or firepower to mount a frontal assault. So Vince and Alice had come up with a plan, one that would require both a breakout from within and an assault from outside—a plan that required Alice to be inside. However, there were still many unknowns, and Alice knew they would largely have to improvise once they actually saw the inside of the camp and the situation there.

  The truck they were in halted and Max whispered, ‘Guys, we’re in. The guards have gone to call the officers and there’s only one left. I know the guy well and he has a big weakness for drink. I’m about to sacrifice my one bottle of Black Label, so you better make this plan work. Now get out and get into the camp while I take him aside for a drink.’

  As Alice and the others scrambled out of the truck, Mauricio looked at her, and he gave her a thumbs-up sign.

  It was still the middle of the day, but the whole place looked bleak, and it took Alice a moment to understand why that was so. Everything, the prefabricated tin huts that litt
ered the grounds, the small tents set off to one side, and the clothes that people wore—everything seemed filthy and covered with dust. Cynthia crinkled her nose.

  ‘Man, it stinks in here.’

  Josh was looking around warily and answered without turning.

  ‘What did you expect? Hygiene isn’t exactly the top thing on people’s minds. They’re here supposedly for their own safety, but they’re little better than slaves. In my camp, the guards used to treat them like shit, and that was in the early days, when people still tried talking or fighting back. Now, they’re just resigned to their fate.’

  Alice turned to look at Josh in surprise.

  ‘You were an inmate?’

  ‘No, Alice, I was a Zeus guard. After The Rising, a lot of ex-Forces guys joined up when Zeus appeared on the scene telling us that we were to help keep law and order and save the people from Biters. I signed up, but soon saw that these guys were thugs. I bumped into General Konrath and I left to join the resistance. Too many others enjoyed the power trip and are still with Zeus.’

  They were all unarmed, so that even if they were caught, they could claim to be refugees. As a Zeus guard walked past, Alice unconsciously slunk back into the corner. Larry steadied her with a giant hand.

  ‘Easy, girl, easy. With your hood around your face, you’re just another kid in the camp. Remember our story—you’re down with the pox so your face is covered and I’m your dad.’

  ‘That guard was not wearing the black Zeus uniform.’

  Josh spat on the ground.

  ‘Bastards call themselves Marines and wear the old uniform. It gives them more legitimacy in the eyes of the inmates. Just as they call these FEMA camps. Now come on, we need to find Max’s man.’

  They entered deeper into the camp, and people all around her were busy with chores. A long line of women at work were on sewing machines, making uniforms for Zeus soldiers. Another group of men was busy with woodworking, and when Larry asked, one of them said that they were building a new guard tower. Several children ran around, most wearing old, tattered clothes. Compared to this place, the settlement Alice had grown up in had been luxury, and once more she was thankful for all her father and his companions had done to create a safe haven for them.

  A voice boomed out over speakers set up on top of lamp-posts. ‘All residents are to gather for the afternoon video show. Please proceed to the main ground now.’

  Alice and the others followed the inmates, and as everyone gathered in a large ground in the middle of the camp, Alice saw that there were many thousands of people in this one camp alone. A large screen had been set up in a corner and it came alive as a video began showing on it. A blonde woman was speaking.

  ‘Good afternoon to everyone in the Homeland. This is Daniella Henretta with the daily news. Three insurgents were killed in Montana today in a drone strike and four more killed in a firefight near FEMA camps at two locations in Florida. Mr. Sam King, the President of Homeland Operations, told us that our forces are slowly but surely winning the war on terror and the day is not far when our Homeland can once again be free of fear. In other reports, Biters attacked and killed more than a hundred civilians who had rejected offers of sanctuary at a FEMA camp. Mr. King reiterated that till the menace posed by Biters and insurgents is contained, all citizens are strongly encouraged to report to the nearest FEMA camp. Now, stay tuned for a special broadcast.’

  Alice watched open-mouthed as her face appeared on the screen, and a man with a deep voice spoke in the background.

  ‘The evil dictator who imposed her reign of terror over the Indian Deadland is now missing, reported deposed by her own people. The people of the Deadland are asking us to help, and as always, we will step forward to further the cause of freedom everywhere. People of the Homeland, here is an opportunity of a lifetime for you. The Deadland has huge farmlands but not enough people to harvest them. We are putting together an Expeditionary Force. Every volunteer will get a plot of land to call his or her own. You can start afresh, create a better life for yourself and your family. Join in the pioneering traditions of our founding fathers and sign up today to help create this new world.’

  ‘What the hell was that about?’

  Alice looked at Cynthia.

  ‘That means they are confident they have a way of destroying my people and of occupying our lands. We must move fast.’

  ***

  ‘I was told I could find Edward John Hayes here.’

  The old man who looked up at Larry was ancient, and seemed to not have any teeth left. Yet when he stood up, his back was ramrod straight and his eyes were bright and full of intelligence.

  ‘Boy, which Edward John Hayes do you want?’

  ‘Someone younger than you, I suppose.’

  The old man guffawed and pulled a five-year-old boy from the tent next to him. ‘Will he do?’

  Larry was about to lose his cool when a younger man stepped out.

  ‘Forgive my daddy. He’s got a messed up sense of humor. The thing is we’re all Edward John Hayes. He’s the First, I’m the Second, and this here is Edward John Hayes the Third. Now, how can I help you? People in the camp don’t exactly go around making social calls.’

  ‘Max told us you could help us find someone called Bellman.’

  Edward looked at Alice, trying to peer through her hood. ‘You come asking difficult questions without even showing your face. That’s not really fair, is it? For all I know, you’re Zeus spies.’

  Alice pulled her hood back.

  ‘I may be many things, but I’m most certainly not a Zeus spy.’

  ‘Mary, mother of God.’

  With that exclamation, Edward ushered them inside the tent. A figure huddled in the corner, swathed in blankets but shaking uncontrollably. Edward seemed to be still dealing with Alice’s appearance in the middle of a FEMA camp, but his father came up to Alice.

  ‘Max may seem to be just a smuggler, but he’s much more than that. What he also gets us are medicines for the people here, and that’s saved hundreds of lives every year. That’s why the guards leave us alone a bit, since we treat them as well.’

  ‘You a doctor?’

  The older Edward looked at Larry. ‘Nah, I was a rifleman in the Marines, fought in ’Nam and a dozen other shitholes, and so know how to put people together again. In a camp like this, there are always fights, and people need stitching up. My son, though, was a medic in the Marines, and little Edward there would have also been a Marine had he been born in less fucked-up times.’

  He leaned towards Alice.

  ‘Girl, we’ve all heard stories of you, ranging from you being an imaginary character to you being a monster. I don’t how you got here, but what do you want from us?’

  Alice explained in brief what they had been up to, and the younger Edward finally spoke.

  ‘Then we don’t have much time to lose. Bellman came to us when she was already feverish and very sick. The Zeus goons were here yesterday, and despite me telling them that she was not up to it, they interrogated her. I didn’t see what they did, but they worked on her a bit, and she was cut and bruised when the bastards left her. I honestly don’t know how much time she has.’

  ‘Where is she?’

  ‘Right there.’ He pointed to the shivering bundle of blankets in the corner.

  As Alice moved the blankets aside, she saw an old woman, her thin, fair skin crisscrossed with cuts, many with fresh blood seeping from them. Her forehead was very hot to the touch and she seemed to be trying to say something, but no words came out.

  Cynthia knelt beside Alice. ‘She’s in terrible shape. We need to get the information from her and then get out of here.’

  Edward had joined them. ‘I’ve given her some antibiotics and she gets lucid once the dose kicks in. She told me her full name was Amy Dias Bellman, but other than that, she doesn’t say much that I understand.’

  Alice considered what he had told her about Zeus having interrogated her.

  ‘Zeus has c
learly got the information they wanted so we don’t have any time to lose. Tell us as soon as she can speak. In the meanwhile, we’ll work on our plan to break out.’

  ‘I hope you have an army or something waiting outside, otherwise there’s no way you’re breaking out of this place. Believe me, lots of people have tried, and died for their efforts.’

  Alice looked him in the eye.

  ‘Just get her in a position to speak and we’ll get our plan together.’

  She went outside the tent, pulling her hood around her head, and conferred with her companions.

  ‘Beaver, what would you say our first move should be?’

  Josh had used the last twenty minutes to wander around the camp and do a recce and he knelt on the floor, drawing on the sand with a stick.

  ‘We need to neutralize these two gun turrets on the wall. Butcher and I can do that. I’ll tell Barrister to have his package ready to hit the wall and Broker will be able to take out any sentries with his sniper rifle. So creating an exit point will not be tough. What will be tough is for us to get out, since the moment we strike, every guard here will be hunting us.’

  Alice drew a little figure with bunny ears and smiled.

  ‘Don’t forget, my friends are out there as well and they’ll come into play. But this Bellman is very sick, and we need to get her out. The four of us won’t be able to fight our way out through all the guards inside.’

  The older Edward had come up behind Alice and had been listening in.

  ‘Bellman’s saying something and my son’s asking you to come inside. By the way, if you really will help bring these Zeus bastards down, then I can help raise some hell in the camp to get you some distraction.’

  Alice looked at the old man who was smiling a toothless grin and before she could ask the question that was on her mind, he answered.

  ‘Kid, my son and I tried to break out many times. They beat us senseless, but let us live because they needed our medical skills. We stopped trying when little Edward was born and his mom died giving birth to him, since we figured a dead granddad and dad wouldn’t help him much. I guess we were getting used to living like slaves, but seeing you makes me think he’s got a chance of growing up a free man after all. So, I can help you get out if you promise to take care of him in case we don’t make it.’