Deadland 02: Harvest

by Aukes, Rachel

  “Listen, Jase,” Clutch said. “If you want me to go, if you want an extra gun—”

  “Relax. No worries. Tack and I’ve got it.” Jase patted Clutch’s shoulder. “Like Tyler said, we just toss them into a raft and bust out of there. Trust me, I don’t plan on getting anywhere near Sorenson.” With that, he turned and started walking away.

  Jase spoke the words so nonchalantly, yet I had a hard time believing that an accidental death wasn’t tearing him up inside. He’d seen so much death that he’d built quite the mask. So good that I couldn’t even tell anymore if something was bothering him.

  “Good night,” I said, watching him. “I’ll be in soon.”

  Clutch sat down in his chair and set his crutches across his lap.

  The edge around the barge and deck had mostly cleared. Lanterns and flashlights blinked off one by one. I looked out over the river, the water peacefully reflecting the moonlight. In the far distance, wolves bayed. While people and domesticated animals had been devastated by the outbreak, some wild animals had flourished. Packs of wolves had become a new risk to scouting runs. I took in a deep breath of cool air. “Well, isn’t this is a mess.”

  “I don’t have Tyler’s optimism,” he said. “Any hope for a trade agreement is lying dead at the bottom of the barge.”

  “With the grain, we have enough food. We don’t need a trade agreement,” I said, pushing his chair. “So we’re on our own. Then again, we’ve always been on our own.”

  “Yeah, but you’re assuming Sorenson is going to let us be.”

  WRATH

  The Third Deadly Sin

  Chapter XV

  Mid-afternoon, the following day

  “You’re getting a sunburn. It could slow your healing,” Clutch said.

  I touched my cheek where Doc had taken out the stitches a couple hours earlier. The bright sun warmed my skin. I looked down at Clutch. “What’s taking them so long? They should’ve been back hours ago.”

  “Maybe the Lady Amore was farther out then Tyler thought.”

  “The herds could be showing up as early as today.”

  He shook his head. “The latest recon to the north shows them at least two days out, longer if they stop along the way. Jase will make it back okay.”

  Clutch didn’t leave my side, so I knew he was as concerned about Jase as I was.

  Just before the sun had crested this morning, we’d watched Jase and Tack disappear around the bend of the island. They’d been in the fastest deck boat we had, tugging behind it a large yellow tube containing the trio from the riverboat. Before the outbreak, the tube would have carried squealing kids as they bounced over the waves. Today’s passengers were far more somber, especially considering one was dead.

  Since Jase and Tack had left, Clutch and I had circled the deck countless times, taking breaks only for food and when Doc came for me. My anxious nerves were making it impossible to focus on anything. At noon, Griz begged Tyler to let him take a small crew out to find Tack and Jase. We all hoped that the reason they weren’t back yet was because they’d had trouble finding Sorenson’s boat. Any other alternative meant something had gone seriously wrong. I tried to focus on the positive, but as the day went on, horrible imaginings began to cycle through my mind.

  I shaded my eyes against the sun and looked out over the river for any sign of either boat. Even with sunglasses, the glare off the water gave me a headache. An engine noise to my right pulled my gaze to find Kurt returning on a Jet Ski from his scouting run in the north. The Jet Ski, which we’d found at a dock a few miles upriver, had extra plastic fuel tanks strapped on both sides, and Kurt wore a large backpack. He’d had enough fuel and food for a three-day trip, but he’d been gone only two days. “I wonder how close the herds are now,” I said.

  Clutch wrapped his gloved hand around my mine. “Come on. Let’s head back to the galley and grab a snack. There’s nothing we can do out here except wear holes in the deck.”

  I looked to the south another time, still seeing nothing. “I guess you’re right.”

  I moped as we headed back toward the galley. Clutch rolled slowly over the deck boards. After several feet, he came to an abrupt stop, peeled off his worn gloves, and picked at a blister on his hand, grumbling under his breath.

  I picked his gloves off his lap and rubbed at the soft leather with holes and slashes. “Wow. These are worthless. You really need a new pair.”

  “That’s not going to happen. I can’t find any more. What I need is to get rid of this chair and back on my feet.”

  I wanted to snap back at his infuriating refusal to give his body time to heal. Instead, I dropped his gloves with a smack on his lap and gripped his shoulder. “A week ago you couldn’t even stand. Just be patient.”

  “It’s hard to be patient when we’ve got a shit storm of zeds heading this way.”

  Good point. I left my hand on his shoulder while I looked to the north. I forced a smile. “The zeds aren’t here yet. So you can be patient a little longer.”

  “Hmph,” he replied.

  As I turned to look back down at Clutch, something in the distance caught my eye. I stepped back and lifted my rifle to look through the scope. Off the edge of the island, a deck boat with several people in it came jetting around the corner. I quickly made out Jase’s sandy, shaggy hair.

  I lowered my rifle and let out a whoop. “They’re back! They must’ve had boat trouble since they’re all loaded up in one.”

  Clutch narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the incoming boat for a long minute.

  “Come on,” I said. “Let’s go meet them at the top of the ladder.”

  He didn’t move. “I only count four on the boat.”

  “What?” I asked. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  When I’d seen Jase, I hadn’t bothered counting the crew. I squinted in the sunlight as I counted. Clutch was right. Griz had gone out with two other scouts today. There should have been five on that boat. “Maybe the fifth man is still bringing in the other boat,” I offered hopefully.

  “Maybe,” Clutch said. “Let’s get over there.”

  We hustled over to where the rope ladder and pulley-driven elevator platform hung. Deb was already there, watching each man climb up the ladder. Consternation filled her face.

  Jase was the second man up the ladder. I grabbed onto his shivering, wet form and helped him climb over the railing. He collapsed on the deck, and I wrapped my arms around him to share my body heat. “What happened? Are you hurt?” I asked.

  Clutch put a hand on Jase’s back.

  Deb kneeled by Jase. “Where’s Tack?”

  “Don’t-know,” Jase replied between chattering teeth and started to pull himself up.

  I helped Jase to his feet. “Let’s get you a hot shower.”

  By then, the others had reached the top. Griz’s sleeves were wet, but everyone else was dry. He gave Clutch a hard look. “I think it’s safe to say Sorenson is headed this way.”

  Clutch nodded. “I’ll meet you on the bridge in five.”

  Griz and the other two scouts jogged across the deck, followed closely by Deb, who kept asking them about Tack.

  Clutch looked up at Jase. “I need you to tell me exactly what happened.”

  Jase nodded, his whole body shaking against mine, as we took slow steps toward the galley. “We-we drove until we s-saw the riverboat.” He sucked in a breath. “We c-cut the tube loose and took off. They must’ve seen Nikki or something ‘c-cause they sent a speedboat with—swear to God—our own .30 c-cal after us.”

  “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. “Thank God you didn’t get shot.”

  “Tack?” Clutch asked.

  Jase sniffled. “When they got close, they shot out our engine. W-we were dead in the water. They kept their distance until we ran out of ammo. They came up alongside, and Tack and I got ready to take them on, but then he shoved me into the water and took on all three guys by himself.”

  “Oh, God.” That
sounded exactly like something Tack would do. Even though he was only a few years older than Jase, Tack had taken him under his wing. I figured it had something to do with the fact that Tack had a younger brother about Jase’s age. After the outbreak had hit, he searched but never found him.

  Jase winced and then rubbed his hair. “I saw it all from the water. They tackled him. Then they tied him up and came after me. I had to ditch my life jacket and swim. I got lucky and hid under a tree trunk floating down the river. They got really close but I heard Sorenson on their radio and he called off the search. I think he assumed I was a goner.”

  He looked at each of us, his eyes pleading. “We’ve got to go back and get Tack.”

  “We will,” Clutch said without hesitation. “We don’t leave any of our own behind.”

  I hugged him. “We’ll get him back. We have a hundred times the firepower that Sorenson has.”

  “What if they’ve already killed him?” Jase asked.

  “If they wanted him dead, they would’ve gunned you both down in the water. I’m sure he’s safe. Sorenson needs Tack as a bargaining chip,” Clutch replied.

  I tried not to frown, but whenever Clutch threw in extra words like “I’m sure” or “maybe”, he didn’t really mean it. A chill ran down my spine. Did he really think Sorenson would kill an innocent man? I swallowed and made a mental note to ask him as soon as we were alone.

  When we reached the galley, Clutch stopped, lifted himself on his crutches, and turned to me. “You got this?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, we’ll be fine.”

  He started to climb the stairs to the bridge while Jase and I headed inside and down to the crew quarters. I propped my rifle against the wall, and helped Jase strip out of his gear and boots. His fingers were shaking too much to unbutton his shirt, so I took over, gently brushing his fingers away. Once he was down to just his pants and a t-shirt, I opened the utility closet near the shower and kicked on a generator hooked up to a small, tankless water heater Wes had brought on board. Within seconds, warm water came out of the shower. Jase stepped under the spray without bothering to take his pants off and stood, leaning against the stall.

  I went to his bunk and sifted through his trunk for a change of clothes.

  “You don’t need to stick around for me.”

  “It’s okay,” I said, putting on a smile. “I’ve got nothing better to do.

  He lowered his head under the spray. “To be honest, I could use some alone time,” he said after a bit.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah. I’ll see you above deck.”

  I waited for a moment before taking a step back. “Okay, but I’ll be here if you need me for anything. Anything at all.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be fine,” he said all too quickly with that deadpan tone.

  I wasn’t surprised that he was closing himself off, but I was still disappointed. I sighed. “I’ll leave your clothes on the chair.”

  With that, I set his clothes down and headed back through the crew quarters. I heard shouting and I ran up the stairs, through the galley, and onto the deck.

  One of the scouts was pointing to the river. “The Lady Amore is a couple clicks to the south, heading our way!”

  Tyler was running down from the bridge, followed closely by several others. Clutch, being so much slower, brought up the rear. I caught up to him quickly. “Sorenson’s here,” I said, though I knew he’d already figured that out.

  “We need to be ready for a fight,” he said as he settled into his chair. “Do you have all your gear?”

  I winced. “Shit. I left my rifle below decks with Jase’s stuff.”

  “You might need your rifle for this one.”

  Griz’s voice came over the loudspeaker from bridge. “All scouts report to the deck. Everyone else, please go to barge Number One immediately. This is not a drill.”

  “I’ll be right back,” I told Clutch and headed back to the galley, only to have Jase nearly run into me.

  “You left this.” He handed me my rifle.

  “Thanks.” I checked my rifle and slung it over my shoulder.

  “Is it the riverboat already?”

  My body shook with anger. “Yeah,” I replied, and I narrowed my eyes. “Let’s go.”

  We ran to meet up with Clutch and Tyler. Griz was just coming down from the bridge. He held an extra rifle and looked around. “I guess none of you need one.”

  Clutch, who already had his Blaser on his lap, grabbed it. “I’ll take a spare.”

  “Do you see Tack yet?”

  I jerked around at the voice to see Deb right behind me.

  “You should be in the barge right now,” I said.

  Deb’s lips tightened.

  “Or you can stay,” I quickly added.

  I turned my attention to the incoming riverboat. We were in a shallow part of the river, which meant a few zeds washed up on the island every day that we’d have to dispatch. It also meant that the Lady Amore couldn’t get very close without hitting the river bottom, which was the first perk I’d seen about being on a boat that didn’t go anywhere.

  Deb’s hand flung over her mouth. “Oh, God.”

  “What is it?” I asked.

  Deb pointed to the riverboat. “No.”

  Every pair of eyes followed.

  There, on the bow of the riverboat, Tack was strung up like its figurehead. He hung limply, a dark clump of bloodied hair hinting that he couldn’t be alive.

  “No, no, no,” Deb cried out and then collapsed.

  I fell to a knee and wrapped my arms around her. Clutch, his brow furrowed, looked from Deb to Tack.

  “Aw, shit. No,” Jase said. The sound of his heart breaking couldn’t be missed in those few short words.

  “We’ve got incoming!” someone yelled.

  I looked up to see flares being fired from the riverboat. Sorenson and his crew had dozens of flare guns, and they were shooting constantly into the air and directly at the towboat. All but one from the first round of flares missed the Aurora. The flare that didn’t miss landed on the deck and lit up a tarp covering a raft. Kurt lunged for a fire extinguisher hanging near the stairs.

  “To your posts!” Tyler yelled, waving his arm. “They’re trying to burn us down! Teams Alpha and Bravo, prepare to launch a counterattack from the boats. Charlie, get those barge bay doors closed now! All other teams, get the civvies to barge Two now!”

  Over a dozen scouts, including Griz and Tyler, ran toward the ladder to head to the boats. Jase and I were on Clutch’s Charlie team, which meant we stayed behind to protect the towboat and its barges.

  “You heard the captain,” Clutch yelled as he grabbed his crutches. “We need to get the big generators running and those doors closed now.”

  A young man came up and stood there, looking in shock. He’d arrived with Manny and had just joined Delta team a day ago. His eyes were wide and looked like they were about to burst with tears. “I don’t know what to do.”

  “Grab as many fire extinguishers as you can handle and distribute them,” Clutch ordered. A commotion of cattle bellowing and pigs squealing came from barge Four. He turned to Jase. “Jase, take lead of Delta and Echo teams. Cash and I will get the bays closed. Save the barges.”

  Jase didn’t say anything. Stress was instantly replaced by a smooth, hardened sense of purpose on his face. “Come with me!” He took off at a sprint, and the other scout followed.

  Ever since Tyler had divided scouts into teams, we’d practiced, but we’d never needed more than three teams on a mission before. Delta and Echo teams were made up of only corporals and civvies. “You sure Jase can handle teams right now?”

  “He’s a natural,” Clutch said. “Besides, he needs this. Let’s go.” He grabbed his crutches again, and we headed into the galley.

  Starting the generators was an easy task…except that black smoke was bleeding through the doorframe leading below decks and exactly where the engines were.

  Chapter XVI

>   Even with crutches, Clutch kept a good pace. After touching the steel door for heat, I opened it. Smoke dirtied the air and I coughed. Propping the door open with my foot, I tugged off the red bandana I kept tied around my wrist.

  “Hold up,” Clutch said and grabbed my bandana. He dumped water on it and handed the soaked fabric back to me. “Here. This will help.”

  “Thanks.” I tied the wet bandana around my face while he did the same with a tactical scarf he’d retrieved from a backpack he always carried.

  As soon as he had his face covered and his water bottle stashed in his pack again, I entered the short deck. The air wasn’t pleasant, but there was no fire here. I looked up to see the heaviest of the smoke hovering around the vents. “The smoke must be coming in through the ventilation system,” I said.

  “We need to hurry,” he said as he hustled around me. Each step of his was staggered as the rest of his body had to overcompensate for legs that didn’t play along. He stopped at the door leading to the equipment room that would in turn bring us to the engine room. He touched the door. “It’s cool. That’s a good sign.” He sifted through his backpack and pulled out a flashlight and a flat roll of duct tape. He clicked on the flashlight and taped it onto a crutch. He turned to me. He ran a hand through my hair, and his look softened. “Stay here. I don’t know how bad it’s going to be in there.”

  I guffawed and then smacked his hand away. “I should go, and you should stay. I can move faster.”

  He frowned. “You don’t know how to work the generators.”

  I pulled out my handgun and pressed the flashlight. “Then we go together. If one of us falls, the other will get us out of there.”

  He turned back to the door. “I knew you were going to say that,” he muttered as he opened the door. I shoved my bag against the door to prop it open. Before us was a filthy gray haze, hiding anything and anyone in the large room. Clutch took the lead, moving as quickly as he could, clearly pushing his body beyond what it was ready for.

  My eyes burned. Every breath was bitter air. Clutch coughed. I tried to smother my coughs, but it was impossible. I supposed all these doors help protect the well-sealed towboat in case it flooded, but they were a pain in the ass because they retained bad air inside.