by V. L. Dreyer
"It was a thing, back in the day," I answered, excitement rising in my breast to replace the darker thoughts. "Mail-order honey. That means this'll be the good quality stuff. Oh man, Doc's going to be thrilled."
"It'll be nasty after all this time, won't it?" Skye asked, looking at me with interest. "The stuff's just like… sugar and bee spit."
"Actually, honey is one of the few foods that never expire," I explained. As I spoke, I crouched down and set the box at my feet, so I could examine the contents without the risk of dropping it. Inside, four sealed jars of perfect, translucent sweetness sparkled up at me. It was a sight that made me smile. "A few years after the plague hit, I met this guy down south. Up until then, I'd been surviving on trial and error, but that guy was ex-military and a survivalist. He knew a bunch of stuff. He taught me about honey."
"Oh, yeah?" Skye grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. "He taught you about honey, huh?"
I shot her a dark look. "It wasn't like that. We were just friends. He was a lot older than me, and treated me like a daughter, or at least a sister. Anyway, honey lasts forever if it's stored in an air-tight container without any impurities. There are a couple of other foods with an indefinite shelf-life, but honey is the only one that you can eat without cooking. It's a godsend when you're starving and desperate. It's also one of the most powerful all-purpose medicines that the natural world has to offer, so this stuff is going straight into Doc's medicinal stores."
"Oh." Skye stood back, watching as I closed the box and picked it up, then she and Javed both followed as I resumed our trek back to our bunker. She was silent for a few minutes, then she shot me a curious look. "So, what happened to him? You made it sound like you've been entirely alone for the last ten years. You haven't mentioned any friends before."
"There have been a few times when I had companions for a while," I admitted. "But it never ended well. I've been alone for the vast majority of the time. I spent about six weeks with him, but one day he just vanished. There were some gangs starting to develop in the area at that time, so it was getting dangerous for us. He'd taught me that if he didn't come home, I was to go to ground. So, that's what I did. I never saw him again."
"Well, that sucks." Skylar sighed heavily, folding her arms across her chest. "Sorry. Didn't mean to stir up bad memories."
"It's okay." I glanced over at her, and gave her a smile. "He's not a bad memory. In fact, he's one of the few good memories I have from that period. At the time we met, I was having trouble finding enough to eat. He taught me a lot of little things that have helped me to survive over the years, and now I get to teach them to the kids. Right, Javed?"
"Yup!" the boy agreed, even though it was clear he wasn't paying the least bit of attention to either of us. Skye and I laughed.
"Mama!" A voice in the distance called out. I paused and turned to look. A few seconds later, the voice called out again. "Mama, I heared you. Where are you?"
"Over here, Priya," I called back.
There was a rustling sound, then Priyanka appeared on the other side of a tangle of overgrown shrubs, with Matt right behind her. "Mama, we found the stinky stuff that's food for the cars! You come see, please?"
"Sure, sweetie," I agreed. I turned to Skylar, and offered her the box of honey. "Make sure this gets to Doc safely?"
"'Course." She took the jar and tucked it under her arm. "I can take your backpack, too."
"Thanks." I slipped the pack off, and handed it to her with a smile. "I'll see you guys soon."
"Stay safe," she said by way of farewell, then with a wave, she and Javed were off. It wasn't far back to the warehouse and Skye had her gun with her, so there was no valid reason to worry about them. I hurried over to meet up with Priyanka and Matt.
As soon as I found a way around the jungle that had once been someone's hedge, Priya threw her arms around my waist and hugged me. Then, she grabbed my hand and dragged me off without a word. We passed down a street and ducked through an alleyway that terminated beside an old gas station.
At some point in the past, someone had cracked open the underground tanks and started to syphon out the contents, but they'd stopped half way through the task. A large barrel, half-filled, sat on the forecourt with a length of hose still leading back to the tanks, but now both were gathering cobwebs. I detached myself from Priya and went over to inspect the barrel, but before I got within a few meters I knew that the petrol was unusable.
"Sorry, Priya. This stuff is stagnant," I told her gently. Taking the opportunity to educate them both, I lifted a finger to touch the tip of her nose. "Do you smell that?"
"Yeah. Smells like bads." She glanced over at the tanks. "Car food is bads?"
"Unfortunately." I sighed and put my arm around her. "Petrol – the stuff that the cars eat – can last for years and years if it's stored in underground tanks, or in metal containers, but if even a little bit of water gets in then it'll… let's just say that it'll go bad. Just like how people can't eat bad food, if we try to make the cars eat bad petrol it'll make them sick."
"Oh." Priya's expression sagged, but she didn't have much time to mope. A second later, Matt drew a sharp breath.
"Someone's coming," he whispered, taking a nervous step back. I turned to look, just as the shouting started.
"Oi!" Jim yelled, already red in the face and angry. "Just because we asked you buggers for help one time doesn't give you the right to come traipsing all over our land whenever you feel like it!"
"Hold up, mate." I raised my hands in a placating gesture. "We're here for a good reason. Just hear us out, okay?"
"Jim, stop being an ass." Rebecca emerged from between two buildings, followed by Michael and Hemi.
"Shut up, woman!" Jim snapped irritably. "You're not my mother."
"Maybe not, but I know where you sleep," she answered sweetly, coming up behind her 'husband' to place a hand on his arm. Unlike his, her expression was friendly, and she smiled at me. "Hello, Sandy. Nice to see you again."
"You too," I greeted her, lowering my hands. "I'm sorry to show up unannounced. There have been a few changes in our group, and our radio is out of order."
"I assumed as much." Rebecca glanced past me, at the open petrol tank. "That was us. We tried to salvage the fuel a few years ago, but water got into the underground tanks. We have another reservoir up the road, but this one's useless."
"I gathered as much from the smell." I shot another look at the worthless fuel and shrugged. "Not much we can do about it now. Anyway, we came here to talk to you two. We're all leaving the Waikato, and we wanted to invite you to come along with us."
"What?" Rebecca reared back, her eyes wide. "Why are you leaving? I thought you were happy in Ohaupo."
"We were, but… something's changed." I glanced up at Michael, and he gave me an encouraging smile. I returned it and looked back at Rebecca and Jim. "Guys, you remember the things in Hamilton, right? The killer mutant zombies?"
"Hard to forget about those," she answered, her expression turning grim. "Why?"
"They've come south," I answered bluntly. Her eyes flew wide, but I continued before she could say anything. "They attacked us at Ohaupo. We managed to escape without any casualties, but Anahera's tribe wasn't so lucky. While we were busy cleaning up at Ohaupo, they swung around to the west and attacked the hill fort at Lake Ruatuna. There were only four survivors."
"Oh, my God!" Rebecca clamped her hands over her mouth. Jim muttered a few curses under his breath, and put his one good arm around her shoulders.
"So, you think they're coming here next?" he demanded, his voice an odd mixture of anger and resignation. "If they do, it's because you led them here. You know that, right?"
"I know," I admitted. "But we had no radio. If we just went straight south, we might have led them away from you, but maybe not. They might have found you anyway, and they'd have taken you by surprise. You wouldn't have stood a chance." I took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. "Guys, I don't think you realise how much we app
reciate what you've done over the years. By keeping the station going, you've helped us to keep in touch with our own humanity, and our link to civilization. Plus, hot showers. I can never thank you enough for the hot showers.
"But it's over now. It's time to move on. All of us. We've gathered up all the people that we know, and we're heading south. We're going to Wellington, and we're going to try something new there: we're going to build a city."
"A city?" Rebecca asked, her expression flickering through a variety of emotions all at once. "You're going to build a city? Seriously?"
"Yep." I smiled at her and nodded. "First, we're going to Avalon, a suburb in Lower Hutt, to find the Anchorman. Then, we're going to find the perfect site to build a new city. It's time. The mutant attacks were the catalyst, but this had to happen eventually. We can't keep just surviving, gnawing away at the bones of a dead civilization forever. We need to create our own civilization."
I shifted my gaze to Jim, and smiled at him as well. "It's going to be a place where everyone is welcome, so long as they're willing to contribute. We don't care about your race, creed, origin story, or sexuality, so long as you can share in our vision. Civilization has fallen, but it's fallen before. Humanity has survived before. We can rebuild. We can begin again.
"These people with me, they're the settlers that are going to found this new civilization, the bones on which the world is going to be rebuilt. There are twenty-two of us at the moment, but if you agree to join us, then there will be twenty-four. Our odds of success would be that little bit better. We need you, Jim, Rebecca. We also want you, as our friends.
"Please come with us, if not for our sake, then for yours."
There was a long silence in the wake of my impromptu speech. Rebecca and Jim just stood there, staring at me. Over their heads, I saw Michael and Hemi watching with interest. Eventually, Jim heaved a sigh and looked at his wife. "Up to you, woman."
Rebecca just smiled. "Well, with an invitation like that, how could we possibly refuse?"
Chapter Twelve
There was perhaps an hour of sunlight left by the time we made it back to the warehouse where we planned to bunk down for the night. Rebecca strode along beside me, content to chatter away about nothing of any real importance, but I could feel Jim's silent thunder at my back the entire way. Although he'd agreed to join us, there was always something off about his attitude that never failed to put me on edge.
A shout of greeting met us as we rounded a corner into the street outside the warehouse. I glanced up, and spotted a couple of the kids waving to us from a window on the second floor. I smiled and waved back, then turned my attention back to Rebecca.
"So, what should we bring?" Rebecca asked. Despite how sudden the proposal had been, she seemed excited by the prospect of going out in search of a new home. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and the only one not affected was her gloomy spouse.
"We'll have to travel light," I answered. "There are twenty-four of us now, and we've only got four cars. In terms of clothing and personal effects, I'd ask you to limit it to what you can carry on your person. So, try to keep it to one bag or backpack. Wear your favourite outfit, and bring your second favourite as a change of clothes, plus as many socks and undies as you can fit in your bag. We need to keep as much room as we can for vitals."
"We have a car," she piped up. "Would that help?"
"Maybe," I said. "What kind of car?"
"My little ladybug." She turned around and looked at Jim. "What's the proper name, dear?"
"Sports utility vehicle," he supplied for her.
"That's it!" She smiled, turning back to me. "I bought a brand new SUV just before the plague hit. Jim's been keeping her in running order for me. Her name is Sophie, and she's lipstick red. Can't miss her."
"Sophie?" I froze in my tracks, and shot a startled glance back at Michael. His expression mutated in an instant, from a genuine smile to one that was very much forced.
Rebecca looked back and forth between us, clearly sensing that something was going on. "What? What's wrong?"
"I had a niece named Sophie," he said flatly, his expression unreadable.
I reached out and touched his arm, drawing his attention to me. "That just means that it's fated, right? Meant to be?"
Michael stared at me for a long moment, then finally his expression softened. He nodded and gave me a faint smile. "I guess so."
I let out a breath that I hadn't quite realised I was holding until that moment, and put my arm around him. He hugged me in return. Somehow, through some sixth sense that I'd established purely for the purpose of reading my lover's mercurial moods, I could tell that he was okay once the shock had worn off.
"So, anyway," I cut in, directing the topic back to safe territory for the sake of his sanity. "Yes, it would be great if you could bring your car along. You have plenty of food, right?"
"Oh yeah." Rebecca nodded and laughed. "We have more food than we can eat right now. I'm not sure how much of it is still good, but I'll do an inventory when we get home, and then we can work out what's best to bring."
"Sounds good," I agreed. "You also mentioned at one stage that you have a generator. Is it transportable?"
"No, the solar generator is tied into the power station, like the radio," she said, shaking her head. "But I think we have a portable propane generator in storage. You want me to bring that?"
"Yes, and any gas you have as well," I answered. "We have a couple of propane camp stoves, and it's handy to have them since we're going into unknown territory. Do you want me to lend you a couple of the boys for the night, to help with the heavy lifting?"
"That would be appreciated," Rebecca said. She jerked a thumb at Jim and rolled her eyes. "His arm isn't healed yet, and I don't want to give him an excuse to strain it trying to show how manly he is."
Jim shot her a black look, but said nothing.
"It's all good." I smiled at her, amused by the playful banter. "You two head off whenever you're ready. I'll send the boys to meet you when I find them."
"Yes, ma'am!" Rebecca gave me a mock salute and grinned at the folks standing around me. "You know, I think I like having this lady in charge. She knows how to get things done."
I just laughed and shook my head. "I'm only in charge because no one else wants to do it."
Michael let out an indignant snort. "She's just trying to be modest. She's in charge because she's damn good at leading, and she actually has a vision, which is more than I can say for the rest of us."
It was my turn to shoot Michael a dark look as my cheeks started to burn. "I'm sure everyone would be just fine without me."
"Lass, don't put yourself down." To my surprise, it was Jim that spoke up in my defence. "You've managed to get together twenty-four very different people, and give them hope that there's something better out there for all of us. That's no small feat." Suddenly looking embarrassed, he issued an inarticulate grunt and walked away from the group.
Rebecca stared after him until he was out of sight, then laughed and shrugged. "Well, I guess that's that, then. I better catch up before he gets himself killed. Do me a favour, and send those sexy Maori brothers, huh?"
"I'll think about it." I laughed, and made a shooing gesture. "Go on. It's not safe to be out alone at the moment."
"You got it, boss-lady!" Rebecca saluted again, and rushed off. I watched until she was out of sight, then turned to look at my companions. Matt and Priyanka had already vanished, bored by the grown-up chatter, but Michael and Hemi stood watching me with open amusement.
"Are you actually going to send Tane and Iorangi?" Michael asked, fighting to keep a grin off his face.
"No," I answered, feigning a haughty tone. "I'm going to send Iorangi and Richard."
"Eh?" Michael raised a brow, his expression shifting to one of genuine curiosity. "Iorangi I get, but why Richard?"
Suddenly, realisation dawned in Hemi's eyes, and he burst out laughing. "She's playing match-maker! Very clever, Sandy. Very clever
."
I grinned at him and nodded. Michael stared at us blankly, looking bewildered. "Matchmaker? Between who?"
"Richard and Jim, of course," I answered.
Michael's eyes widened in shock. "Richard's gay?"
"He's either gay or bisexual," I replied, nodding firmly. "It took me a while to figure it out why he always looks so out of place. He's so quiet and shy, my bet is that he wouldn't know what to say. Jim is the complete opposite. He's discreet, but not shy. If he figures Richard out and there's any kind of spark there, then I'm pretty sure Jim will take the lead. I feel like Richard needs that." I glanced at Michael, and gave him a smile. "Someone strong, to help him feel stronger, himself."
Michael looked surprised but not scandalised, and that pleased me. He'd never struck me as the kind of person that would be homophobic, and my instinct proved to be correct. "Wow, I had no idea. You're right, he does always look sort of lonely and uncomfortable. Let's hope your scheme works, honey."
"It will if it's meant to," I answered with a shrug. "You can't force love where there isn't a spark, and I wouldn't dream of trying. I just hope that there is a spark. Everyone deserves some happiness, right?"
Hemi cleared his throat, and shot an uncomfortable glance at me. "Actually, while we're on the subject… Sandy, could I speak to you alone for a second?"
"Of course." I smiled at him, then looked at Michael. "Can you go check on the foraging teams, please? If anyone's found fishing gear, send them down to the docks to see if they can catch us some dinner. I want them back here before dark, though."
"Sure," Michael agreed immediately. He kissed me quickly, then vanished into the warehouse.
I turned back to Hemi, and gestured for him to follow me. Side by side, we wandered far enough away to give us a little bit of privacy. "Okay. What's up, bud?"
"Aw, mate, it's your sister," Hemi admitted, shooting a helpless look at me. Suddenly, he seemed to fall apart on the inside, like a house of cards. "I think she likes me, but I don't know, I can't tell. I like her, though. I mean, I really like her. As more than a friend, you know? I thought I stood a chance, but now that Ryan guy is back… I just don't know any more. What do I do, Sandy?"