by A. R. Wise
After a brief silence, Clyde said, “I’ll leave you two alone for a minute.”
Zack stayed in his seat, and I sat on the edge of my bed with a weak smile for him. After a moment I said, “You knew what you were signing up for when you said, ‘Yes.’”
He was chewing on his bottom lip, and his nose flared as he took a deep breath. He was upset, and wouldn’t look directly into my eyes. Instead, he stared down at his big hands as they laid helplessly in his lap. “I want to help.” The way he said it broke my heart. He wasn’t angry, just forlorn about his inability to do anything to stop the illness that was slowly murdering me. “I want to make you better.”
“You do make me better,” I said as I saw a tear roll down the bridge of his nose and drip down to his calloused hands. “You make me better every day, you big softie.”
That got him to chuckle, and he wiped his thumb across each eye, clearing the tears away. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Hopefully you’ll do what I ask and take me to New Vineyard.”
“Is that an order?” he asked.
“It’s a request from a girl to her boyfriend,” I said. “Unless you say no, in which case it’s an order.”
He laughed again, and then stood up beside me. He offered me his hand and said, “Then let’s get going.”
“Thank you,” I said. “But let’s go check in on Jill first.”
Jill was in her own room down the hall, not far from mine. The rehab center had become uncharacteristically quiet now that the refugees of Vineyard had been relocated, and there was plenty of space for the Rollers to enjoy some privacy as they waited for the go ahead to launch an attack against the airport base. We’d considered all moving to New Vineyard, and mounting our attack on the airport from there, but there was a stark division in our group, and everyone thought it would be best if we allowed the two sides to enjoy some time apart. Being trapped in this place for so long, forced to deal with one another, made getting some breathing room a top priority for everyone.
I gently tapped on Jill’s door before easing it open. Clyde had left my room and come in here, and he greeted us at the door. Jill was on the bed, her upper half supported by pillows that Clyde had piled up for her. She smiled and waved.
“Hey there, how are you feeling? I heard your stomach was giving you trouble,” said Jill, cheerful and worried about anyone but herself, as always.
“Funny,” I said as I walked in, “I heard the same about you.”
Jill set her hands on her stomach and rubbed her hands on it. “Oh, this ain’t nothing. Just my little Hero kicking around like a wild man.”
“Clyde said you were having contractions,” said Zack.
“Nothing new about that,” said Jill as if it was nothing more than a bout of gas. “Just the Hicks type, not the real thing. False alarm. This’ll be the fourth time the little bugger tried to trick me.”
“You sure it’s not the real thing?” I asked, concerned about the mother of Hero’s baby. I hadn’t been more excited about the birth of a Roller child since David, and the last thing I wanted was to think that anything could go wrong.
“Yeah, I’m sure,” said Jill. “I’d already be up and working if Clyde wasn’t such a worry wart. You know how he can be.”
“Do I ever,” I said with a chuckle as I grinned at Clyde. He looked more tired than usual, and he stood with his arms crossed near the door.
“As soon as he gives me the go ahead, I’m going to have Abe drive me out to New Vineyard. I can’t wait to see how it’s coming along. I’ve heard it’s pretty nice.”
“I’ve heard the same,” I said as I held Jill’s hand. “We’re headed there now.”
“Tell everyone that I miss them,” said Jill. “Not that I miss all those people jammed into one place, but you know what I mean.”
“I sure do,” I said before leaning down to kiss her head. “You take care of yourself, and that little bugger in your tummy too. I can’t wait to meet him.”
Zack kissed Jill on the forehead before we left, and Clyde followed us out into the hall. I turned to him after Zack closed the door and asked, “What do you think? Is the baby coming?”
“I don’t think so,” he said, but looked uncertain. “It’s hard to say. She’s not dilated, so I think we’re dealing with another false alarm. I’ll keep my eyes on her just in case.”
“She’s not due for another month or so, right?” I asked.
Clyde shrugged and shook his head. “No one’s really sure. If you were to judge it by the size of her stomach I’d say she’s ready to burst, but with the genes that kid’s got he’ll probably pop out of her toddler size.”
“Have you decided if you’re going to come out to New Vineyard or are you sticking with the Rollers for one last fight?” asked Zack.
We both expected him to say he was going to New Vineyard, so it was a shock when he said, “I’m going to fight.”
“Really?” I asked.
Clyde smirked as if he enjoyed our astonished expressions. “I know I’ve been bitching about Billy for a few years now, but I still owe the guy my life, as well as a lot of the other people that are planning on heading out to fight this stupid war. I’ll be damned if I let them charge out there without a medic to watch their back. And Bonnie’s got lots of people with her that can help deliver Jill’s baby, so I’m going to play the same part I’ve been playing since I met you guys, and try my best to keep Billy alive.”
“Speaking of him, where’d he disappear to?” asked Zack.
“He’s out front with Abe, getting things ready for the attack,” said Clyde. “You’ll see him on your way out. His back’s not giving him as much trouble as usual, at least for now.”
“Okay,” I said as I considered the implications of Clyde’s decision. “So this is going to be the last time I see you until after you guys get back from the fight.”
“Depending on what Annie says when she gets back, yeah,” said Clyde.
“Damn, brother,” said Zack as he moved closer to pull Clyde in for a hug. His girth seemed to swallow Clyde as he pat his wide hands on the thin man’s back. “Be careful. Get to New Vineyard after this mess with the airport is done. I need you there to take care of my girl.”
“I don’t think you’ve got the kind of girl that wants someone looking after her,” said Clyde as he turned his attention to me. He raised a brow and added, “Even if she needs it.”
“We all need your help, Clyde, myself included.” I hugged him, and then kissed his cheek. “This isn’t goodbye, pal. Right?”
“Right,” he said and waved as he headed back into Jill’s room.
Zack and I made it through the oddly quiet halls, like the last employees at closing time. The Rollers were outside, where we’d pulled up trucks that we’d abandoned so many months back. Billy’s men had retrieved the vehicles, brought them back, and loaded them up with the weapons they thought they’d need to put an end to Jerald and his army at the airport.
I feebly tried to persuade Billy to give up the war, but I knew he’d never concede, and the Rollers that stood with him felt the same. No one was angry with those of us that decided to join New Vineyard, but it became clear that our group had become divided. I was no longer their captain, and Billy took control once again. Neither of us had any animosity towards the other, although there was an undeniable sadness that stung me every time we spoke.
Billy argued that this was how it had to be. The Rollers had to go to war to protect New Vineyard. Jerald had laid down the gauntlet, and he wouldn’t rest until he thought the Rollers were all dead. When the High Rollers stormed the airport, it didn’t matter if they won or lost, either way Jerald would assume we were all dead. According to Billy, this was the only way to guarantee that our war ended for good.
We found him out front, in the parking lot of the rehab facility where the Rollers had gathered the trucks. He was in army fatigues, cleaning a rifle when Zack and I approached. He saw us coming, but didn’t
get up to greet us. His posture was rigid and I knew that he was hiding a back brace beneath those fatigues. Despite how he tried to pretend he wasn’t in pain, I knew the truth. I was well practiced in those sorts of lies.
“You guys headed out?” he asked as we approached.
“Yeah,” I said and sat on a crate beside him. Zack stood on the other side of Billy, and started to inspect some of the rifles that had already been cleaned. “There’s just one truck of supplies for New Vineyard left.”
“The mannequins,” said Billy. “Kayla and some of the Rollers got the mannequins dressed with their bells on for you guys, but we didn’t attach the legs yet. You’ll have to do that when you get there.”
“No problem,” I said as I watched Billy start to clean his rifle again. By the looks of the pile of weapons beside him, he’d been at this for a while. “Are you sure there’s no way I can convince you…”
“Laura,” said Billy sharply, and then he shook his head as he gave an amused sigh. “You never give up, do you?”
“I’m going to go get the truck ready,” said Zack, understanding the close relationship Billy and I shared and having enough respect to give us a moment alone.
I watched as Zack walked away, and then I set my hand on Billy’s knee and squeezed. “I love you, Billy. You know that. And the thought of losing you scares the living shit out of me.”
“Come on, Laura,” said Billy with a wry smile. “You can’t possibly think I’m done giving you grief. You and I have a whole lifetime left of getting on each other’s nerves.”
“We’d fucking better,” I said as I squeezed his leg again. Without any warning, my eyes filled with tears as I repeated myself, “We’d fucking better.”
“Now stop that,” said Billy with a rare tenderness in his tone. “Don’t go getting all mushy and stuff. I’m going to be driving on up to New Vineyard soon with a big old smile on my face because the Rollers whooped Jerald’s ass. You can put money on it, babe.”
“I don’t care about that,” I said. “I just want you safe. I want you to be there to help raise Hero’s kid. I want you there to teach David how to shoot, and to help me yell at Annie when she does something stupid.”
“Like the time she ate all of Reagan’s bacon,” said Billy with a chortle.
“Yeah,” I laughed as well, recalling how angry the old captain got. “And it was the last package he had.”
“Yep,” said Billy. “He was so excited about eating it, and turned his back for like two seconds.”
“Remember what she did when she got caught?” I asked.
“Oh yeah,” said Billy, delighting in the memory. “She rubbed her tummy and said it was delicious. That little devil.”
It felt so good to laugh with him, like we used to do so many years back. I could recall hundreds of nights around a fire with him, doing our best to make each other’s lives a little better as the world fell apart. There were few men ever alive that I loved more than Billy Hendrix, and I needed him to know it.
I moved over until I was right beside him, and then hugged him. My arm rested on the upper edge of the back brace that was hidden under his shirt. I cried, and he tried to console me, but it was a useless gesture. Despite his assurances, part of me knew that this would be the last time that I’d ever see him, and that when I let him go I’d never hold him again. He was dead set on a suicide mission, and there was nothing I could do to save him.
“It’s time to go, hon,” said Zack. I realized that he’d come back to get me.
“It’s okay, Laura,” said Billy as he pat my back. “You get out of here. Go get things started in New Vineyard, and I’ll be there for the wedding. You’d damn well better believe that. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
I let him go, and wiped off the smear of tears from my cheeks. “You’d better be. You’d fucking better be, Billy.”
“Go on, potty mouth,” said Billy as he playfully shooed me away. “Go live happily ever after already.”
28 – Coming Apart
Jerald Scott
I could feel the virus burning its way through my veins. I was sopped with sweat, and my hands were twitching. My stomach was turning, bringing waves of nausea that threatened to make me vomit in my mask.
I was alone in my vehicle, afraid that I would infect the men that had trusted me to save them. At first, I thought I might be able to make it to the mountains with them, and that the cold air would slow down the spread of the virus, but this new plague worked fast. I was dying.
A printed copy of Hank’s conversation with The Electorate was beside me, stapled to a map of the area that showed how to get up to the mountains where we might be safe from the Tempest Strain. Each vehicle in our caravan had one identical to mine. I’d prepared them before we left the airport so that the men would know the truth, and would be able to get their families somewhere safe no matter what happened on our trip out.
The caravan was stopped along the westward highway. The red hills that preceded the mountains stood before us. This was where we would split up, and it would be the last time I’d ever see many of the men that had pledged their loyalty to me. I’d never see the other side of those mountains, not with this virus tearing me apart from within.
I got out and stumbled away from my Humvee to the concrete barrier that lined the shoulder, protecting drivers from falling off the raised stretch of road. The wasteland of a dead age lay before me as I tore off my mask in search of fresh air. I stared down at the world I’d helped destroy, and vomited onto it.
“Sir,” said a familiar voice behind me. I turned and waved him away as I wiped the pink, stinging fluid from my lips. It was Bear, the first of the assassins that The Electorate had sent after me, and he waited patiently as I cleaned myself.
“What is it?” I asked once my nausea faded.
“Everything’s set,” said Bear. He stayed a good distance from me, following the order that I’d given everyone. My infection was no secret. They all knew I was dying.
“Good,” I said as I leaned against the concrete barrier, relying on it to keep me from tumbling backward. “Any new pictures from the drones?”
“A few,” said Bear. “Same as before. They’re still loading trucks and sending them out to the southern town.”
“Then we’ll stick to the plan,” I said as I looked out at the grey clouds that the wind was pushing our way. The warmth of the past few days had faded as a front moved in, bringing the threat of snow with it. This unsettled some of the men, causing them to fear that we were sending families up into the mountains in the midst of a storm, like a modern day Donner party.
“I’ll lead the first team down to the southern town, and you take the second out to where they holed themselves up these past few months.”
“There’s a problem,” said Bear as he dared to step closer.
“What is it?”
“We’ve lost some men,” said Bear as he glanced off at the row of vehicles behind us. “Quite a few.”
“Lost them?” I asked, not certain what he meant at first. The wind gusted, bringing the bitter promise of snow with it. I conceded the truth, “Deserted us.”
“They’re worried that their families are going to get trapped up in the mountains, and that we won’t reach them in time to protect them from whatever might be up there.”
“They’ll have guards,” I said. “They’ll have weapons.”
Bear explained further, and I knew he was getting to the crux of the real reason the men were abandoning the plan, “There’s also some concern about our motivation here.”
“How so?”
“Now that they know we’re not aligned with The Electorate, there’s some questions about whether or not what we’re doing is worth it. A good amount of the men here think attacking the Sons of Reagan is pointless, and that we’re risking our lives, and the lives of the women and children here, on revenge.”
“And what do you think?” I asked.
“I think what you think,�
� said Bear, leaving me to suss his meaning.
“How many men are sticking with the plan?”
Bear was quick with the facts. He’d always been one of my best men. “Thirty three, but I think at least ten of them are just waiting to see if there’s going to be any repercussion.”
“So we should bank on twenty? Just twenty soldiers are sticking with us?”
“Somewhere in that range,” said Bear as he stood stoic before me, ever-dependable.
“That’s not enough to risk splitting the groups up,” I said as I considered this new development. “We’ll have to hit them one at a time.”
“Then we should consider the south site first,” said Bear. “From the pictures I’ve seen, the majority of them headed there. The north camp still has a lot of weapons there, but not as many people.”
I considered this for a moment, and then came up with a plan. “Bear, I’ve got a job for you that I think you’re going to like. It’s been awhile since you’ve been out on your own, sneaking around trying to assassinate people. Do you think you’re up for another mission like that?”
“What did you have in mind?”
“If you’re right, and they’ve still got most of their weapons back at the north base, then a few well-placed bombs there could be catastrophic for them, and would make our job a lot easier when we head back out to finish them off.”
“Sounds like fun,” said Bear with an emerging grin.
“Yeah, I thought you’d like the sound of that.”
“How do you want me to handle the men that are planning on leaving the squad to head up into the mountains?” asked Bear.
“Let them go,” I said without a second thought.
Bear wasn’t as certain. “Shouldn’t we take some of their supplies? The weapons at least.”
“Only what we need,” I said as my nausea threatened to return. “Tell them good luck, and that I wish them well. Gear our men up with whatever you think they’ll need, but don’t send the rest of them out of here without enough food and weapons to be safe.”