Miriam was a mousy little woman, with tangled black hair, darker skin around her eyes, and a perpetual scowl on her face. She hugged the little girl tightly, fixed her gaze on Selene, and started to speak, very quietly at first.
“I was held in the camp, yes,” she said. “That’s what she asked. Yes, they held me there for a long time. There’s a part of the camp…on the west side…where they keep a bunch of the workers. Lots of guards in that area, though. It’s hard to just leave, even if you want to. They had me on kitchen duties mostly…” She seemed like she was about to say more, but then she dropped her gaze and finished with, “Well, that’s pretty much it.”
Selene gave her another gentle pat and sat down beside her, smiling proudly.
“That’s good information to have,” Prig said, “but our guy was taken captive. Do you have any idea where they hold prisoners in that camp?”
“I didn’t leave my area,” Miriam said. “Once you’re assigned a workstation, you’re not allowed to leave unless you have a guard escort. They have supervisors who watch you. If there’s a place for prisoners, it’s not on the west side, and it’s not in the center of the camp either. I can tell you that.”
“Okay, well, thanks for the information,” Prig said. “It’s helpful.” He nodded in Elna’s direction. “Elna, do you have any idea where you were held captive when you were over there? Could you at least point us in the right direction? If you help us out, we’ll make it up to you.”
Make it up to us? Elna thought that the best way the Marines could make it up to them would be to leave the island forever, maybe bomb the bridges on their way out. Somehow, she didn’t think that was going to happen.
Then again, she thought, if I can get these Marines to deal with Rod Smith and his men, it will eliminate a major threat.
“I’m sure I could point you in the general direction,” she said to Prig, after a moment, “but I can’t promise you’ll find your man there. The camp might have changed. They might be holding him elsewhere. I just don’t know. Couldn’t you take Miriam with you and let her act as a guide? She knows the place best.”
But Miriam reacted like she’d been slapped, lunging back in her seat, wrapping both arms around the child, and shaking her head vigorously. The child whimpered loudly.
“I can’t go back there,” she whispered. “You have no idea what they would do to me!”
Selene gave Elna a disapproving look.
“Okay, forget about that,” Elna said. “Bad suggestion. I retract it.”
“I wouldn’t want to take Miriam back to the camp, even if she were willing to go,” Prig said. “After all she’s been through, it’d be too cruel. Heck, we barely got her out of there the first time.”
Dr. Ruzka stood up then. She was so small, Elna assumed she wanted to make sure everyone could see her. Before she spoke, she raised a hand, as if to draw attention.
“I understand the Marines have their own objective here,” she said. Everyone turned to her. For having such a squeaky voice, she knew how to command a room. “However, maybe you could raid their medical supplies while you’re there. I assume most of what they have was stolen or looted, so I wouldn’t feel bad helping ourselves to a few things. I used a lot of supplies treating your wounded. I could use more of the basics: gloves, bandages, meds. If you’re going into the camp anyway.” She nodded, as if satisfied with her own words, and sat down.
“Now, wait a minute, people,” Malin said, smacking the tabletop. “Two of your Marines are injured, so you’ve only got five for this mission.”
“Three,” Prig corrected. “Ant and Cat are wounded, and Fish still needs to recover. He’s not going anywhere. That leaves me, Spence, Mac, and Archer, but we wouldn’t take all four. Fish should stay here and recover, and Mac can stay with him to keep an eye on things.”
“Give me another day or so, and I’ll be ready to go,” Fish said from his table near the door.
“No, you stay and rest,” Prig said.
“So you’re going to send three Marines into a camp with hundreds of armed militiamen and try to rescue one man who is hidden somewhere in the camp,” Malin said. “That doesn’t sound like good odds, especially if you try to complete some side quest to steal medical supplies. Plus, you’re going to be sitting ducks if you try to cross the bridge again. I’m sure they’re keeping an eye on it. And if the bridge isn’t an option, how are you going to get over there?”
At this, Prig and his fellow Marines went quiet, each seeming to reflect on the situation. There was no easy answer to Malin’s question, of course, and if Fish was not yet ready to swim back across the bay, how did they expect to get back from the camp?
Raymond spoke up then. He was sitting at the same table as George and Dr. Ruzka, watching his son pick at his food. She’d assumed he was largely disengaged with the conversation—probably upset that all of these people were adding to Daniel’s stress.
“You could take the sailboat across the bay,” he said. “Assuming any of you know how to sail.”
He’s interested in the medical supplies, Elna thought. That’s where his sudden interest comes from.
“No, none of us are sailors,” Prig said, glancing at his fellow Marines. “I don’t suppose a few of you island folk would be willing to come with us? I know it’s a lot to ask. Look, our team is too small to disband the entire camp. Even if we can get across the bay, we’re not going to just charge in there and provoke an open fight. This is going to be more of a stealth mission. We’d do our best to keep you safe.”
Elna would have volunteered if she could have gone alone. Staying on the good side of these Marines seemed like a smart idea. However, it would take at least a couple of people, preferably three or four, to operate the sailboat in the rough waters of the bay. She did not want to drag any of her people back over to the militia camp.
When she hesitated to reply, she noticed that every islander, including Dr. Ruzka, was looking at her. Still, she didn’t know what to say.
“Okay, I’ll level with you,” Prig said finally. “This isn’t just about recovering one of our men, and it’s not just about getting in that bunker. Marines don’t leave anyone behind, but there’s more to it than that. You want the full story?” At this, some of his people shifted uncomfortably in their seats, and the woman named Archer seemed like she was about to say something, maybe to protest, but Prig either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “The truth is, there’s an enemy headed our way that will make Rod’s militia seem like rubes. We have to get our man and get the communications up and running before they arrive.”
“A worse enemy?” Norman asked. “You mean, a bigger militia?”
Prig shook his head. “A hell of a lot more dangerous than a militia.”
“You mean…them?” Norman asked.
“The people who fired the missiles that caused the EMP?” Prig replied. “Yeah, they’re sending a little mercenary care package our way. Look, I wouldn’t ask for civilian help on a dangerous mission if the lives of millions of people weren’t hanging in the balance, but that’s the situation, folks.”
Elna felt a cold knot in her belly.
“Why is this one man so important?” Malin asked. “I get the ‘no man left behind’ philosophy, but why does your rescue mission take priority if millions of lives are at risk?”
“Because we need this specific person,” Prig said. “Golf is our technical specialist.”
“His name is Golf?” Malin asked.
“That’s what we call him. He’s the one who’s supposed to get us into the bunker and get the equipment up and running. Plus, he has the door access code memorized. He’s the smartest member of our team.”
“Not smart enough to avoid being captured, though,” Malin said, and Elna almost smacked him.
“Not his fault,” Prig replied, bowing his head. “We had the access code on a thumb drive, but we lost it. Got robbed at night on the way here. Roads are full of feral groups of thieves and freaks.”
> “Don’t I know it,” Elna said.
“So, our tech guy is the only option,” Prig said. “We can’t blast the bunker door open. It might damage the equipment inside.”
Elna glanced at Malin. This was not a decision that she felt comfortable making unilaterally, no matter how much the islanders wanted her to. Malin must have read this on her face, for he said, “Staff Sergeant, this is a lot to process, and I think we need to discuss it amongst ourselves. Would you Marines excuse us for a bit, so we can hash it out?”
Prig immediately nodded and rose from his seat, wiping his mouth on a napkin and tossing the napkin onto the table. “I understand. Take your time. Discuss it thoroughly, and make sure you’re all on the same page. We’ll be inside. Come and find us when you’ve reached a decision.”
He made a small hand gesture, and all of the other Marines rose from the table in unison, making a sudden, almost harmonic sound. When he strode across the veranda to the front door, they followed him, falling in line. Even Miriam and Chloe rose and followed them. Elna waited until they were inside, the front door closed again, before she spoke.
“What a mess,” she said. “I’d like to hear what everyone has to say.”
George Pasqualee gave his big white beard a generous scratching and said, “Well, it’s not as if we’re dealing with a criminal enterprise here, Principessa. These are United States Marines. The good guys!”
“Yeah, Marines working for a barely functioning US government, from the sound of it,” Malin pointed out. He reached over to Prig’s table and grabbed one of the bottles of wine. It only had a small amount left, but he poured it directly into his mouth.
Dr. Ruzka looked like she was about to stand up again, but she caught herself against the edge of the table and kept her seat. “They’re going to the camp one way or another, whether we help them or not. They’ve made that clear. But we really need medical supplies, so it’s to our advantage to participate in some fashion.”
Norman spoke then. “I agree with you, Doctor, but that’s not even the most important thing here. These Marines are here to defend the West Coast, and they need this island. That means our little island is key to helping the whole country. And just maybe, it’s key to getting the lights back. Man, if the day ever comes that I can go back and check on my old gift shop in Santa Cruz, I’d just about cry.”
Of all the arguments, that one got to Elna most effectively. She had only been thinking of the situation as an intrusion, but Norman was right. This could be the first step toward getting the nation back to some semblance of normal. She had almost given up on the idea of normal. The fact that it was possible, and that her island might play a key role, filled her with something akin to awe.
“This island is my home,” she said. “I want to protect it. When the Marines first showed up, I saw them as an invading force, but there is real danger on its way. The Marines are our best hope of protecting the island, our home, both from Rod’s militia and from whatever’s coming, so even though I’m not entirely comfortable with the idea, it seems wise to help them. Besides, yes, as the doctor said, we might also pick up needed medical supplies. Does anyone disagree?”
She looked at each person in turn. Most nodded at her. Daniel was resting his head on the tabletop and had no reaction, and Selene was slouching in her seat.
Selene doesn’t like the idea, Elna thought, but she won’t disagree because she doesn’t have a better one.
“Selene?” she asked.
Selene blew her breath out loudly. “I don’t like it. Not at all. It seems really dangerous, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t do it. I trust your judgment, Elna.”
“Seems like everyone agrees,” Norman said. “We have to help them.”
“Malin?” Elna said.
He glanced at her, set the empty wine bottle on the table, and leaned back in his chair. “Well, I can go along with it on one condition: you take me with you.”
“That seems unnecessary,” Elna replied.
“It’s all unnecessary, as far as our immediate needs go,” he said, “but if you’re going, I’m going. We stick together. Anyway, I think we need some sort of formal agreement with the Marines. There’s a very good chance that when they get in the bunker, they’re going to set up camp on this island, and we might be sent packing. Can’t have civilians on a top-secret military base, after all. So, we need reassurance that we can stick around and that when they’re done here and they move on, the island will still belong to the Pasqualee family.”
“Excellent idea,” Elna said. “If you insist on going, I won’t stop you.”
“Surely, they’re not here to steal my island,” George said. “I bought it fair and square.”
“You’re sure there was nothing on the deed about the military holding on to a portion of the island?” Malin asked.
“I haven’t looked at the paperwork in decades,” George said. “There may have been something about an easement, but it was vague enough that I didn’t think twice about it.”
“You never mentioned anything about an easement to me, Pop,” Elna replied.
George shrugged. “Like I said, it was vague. I guess I assumed it was about the old lighthouse. Even so, that doesn’t mean they can just take the whole island from me.”
“Oh, I’m sure they’d compensate you,” Malin said. “Not for as much as you deserve, of course. What’s the term? Eminent domain?”
George held up his hands in a way that suggested he thought Malin’s idea was absurd.
“Malin’s right,” Elna said. “We need some guarantee that this island will still belong to us. Let me go and talk to the staff sergeant. Is everyone on board?”
She looked around again, lingering on each face. This time, she got a nod from every person except Daniel, who appeared to be half asleep. She rose from her seat and stood there for a moment, feeling a deep disquiet about what was to come. Then she headed to the stairs.
“Our goal, ultimately, is to completely dismantle that militia camp,” Prig said. “I promise you that. We can’t have a bunch of armed nutjobs at our backs while we’re trying to defend and rebuild the nation.”
She found the Marine in the back storage room, huddled near the door while their injured people rested nearby. Spence was back to munching Mentos. How many packs of those mints did he have stashed away in his pockets?
“Well, getting rid of the camp would certainly be a benefit,” Elna replied. “We’re willing to help. You can use our boat, and Malin and I will provide whatever guidance we can. All we ask in return is some written guarantee that we’re not going to be kicked off the island, either while you’re here or after you leave.”
Prig glanced at Archer, then back at Elna. “Nobody said anything about kicking you off the island.”
“I know,” Elna said, “but we’re just trying to prepare for all possible outcomes.”
“Do we have any authority to make a written agreement?” Fish said.
“I don’t see why not,” Prig replied. “I’m in charge of this mission, aren’t I? Captain can confirm it later.” He turned to Elna. “We’ll draw up some kind of contract and sign it. You’re not going to be kicked off the island if I have anything to say about it, okay?”
“Okay,” Elna replied.
I hope you mean it, she thought, but his pale blue eyes betrayed no emotion.
6
In truth, Malin wasn’t fully on board with the plan. He didn’t trust the Marines. Though Prig had opened up, it felt like they still hadn’t gotten the full story about their mission on the island. Still, Elna had worked out a deal with the staff sergeant that he could live with, and they’d even scribbled a crude contract and signed the thing. He was willing to pretend like that piece of paper meant something in the post-EMP world, if only because their course was set.
This is happening, he told himself, as he sat down at the dining room table with Prig, Elna, and Norman. It’s a done deal, so we’d better make it work.
He h
ad to admit, there was some small part of him that relished the idea of raiding the militia camp. Maybe he would even get a chance to thumb his nose at his old buddy Garret, assuming the meathead was still alive over there among the heathens.
Prig had a large piece of paper, and he was busy scribbling a map of the island, bay, and nearby coastline, as his subordinates, Spence and Archer, gazed over his shoulder.
“Okay, we need to get in and out of the camp as quickly as possible,” Prig said, having just finished sketching out the borders of the camp according to Elna’s description. “With our small numbers and limited weapons, we can’t risk a head-on fight. We’re outgunned, and even if we don’t get killed, we’re liable to be captured. Remember, our first goal is to locate our man, Golf, and get him out of there. We’ll try to grab your medical supplies as well, but not if it jeopardizes the rescue.”
“Well, the causeway is watched,” Elna said, pointing to the crudely rendered causeway near the edge of the paper. “Our best bet is to sail in from the north, anchor northwest of the camp, and come in from a direction they’re not expecting.”
“Tell me about the boat,” Prig said.
“It’s a small sloop,” Elna replied. “We’re taking you, Spence, Archer, Malin, and me, plus your packs, and then we’ll have one more on the return trip. That’s probably too many on board. The extra weight might make it difficult to navigate, so we need to travel as lightly as possible.”
Prig looked over his shoulder at Spence and Archer. “Empty the packs. The only things we’re bringing are weapons, ammo, knives, and first aid kits. Everything else stays here. Unload your pockets. Dump it all. We’re traveling light.”
“Everything?” Spence said, one eyebrow going up.
“Dude, if you’re worried about your candy, I’m going to smack you,” Prig replied, waving him off. “That’s a bad habit.”
“Just asking.”
“If we exceed the weight limit of that boat, we’re all going down in the bay,” Prig said. “Mac, you’re going to stay here on the island and keep an eye on things.”
Island Refuge EMP Box Set | Books 1-3 Page 55