by B. Buechter
“Should we pack anything before we leave?” Jake yelled over the rain and thunder. He was trying to stall.
“No time,” Eva called over her shoulder and lifted her hood. “We have to leave now if we want to get out of this territory by morning.”
Eva disappeared into the downpour. Tommy pulled his brother into the rain at her heels. Lightning struck one of the watchtowers nearby with a brilliant explosion of sparks. That was when the brothers laid their eyes on the compounds for the first time. Between the spaces in the walls, through the fencing, were dozens of silhouettes working in the rain. Above them were armored guards with large guns, pacing and yelling over the storm. An occasional gunshot rang out and someone would scream over the thunder, but not one guard turned to the three leaving the hills. Tommy, Jake, and Eva were able to make it through The Blooded Row without incident.
The rain continued for the next several hours, drenching the three travelers. Jake kept a firm hold on his brother’s hand and a vigilant glare on their ‘savior’. He was waiting for her to turn on them, but she never did. All of them were exhausted. Eva waited until she felt they had traveled ample distance from the compounds before she began looking for shelter. They had just entered the line of old subdivisions near the freeway when she led them into a home that seemed a bit sturdier than the rest.
“Why are all of the buildings sunken in and dilapidated?” Jake asked as they stepped into the home.
“It’s been over 500 years since the bombs dropped in the city nearby,” Eva said as she threw off her wet clothes and hung them on the stair banister. “According to what I’ve read from old newspapers, the shock wave reached out here to the hills. Luckily, it wasn’t one of the chemical bombs. Other countries around the world dropped those on larger cities. The lands around them are complete wastelands. No animal or human can live there because even breathing the air will kill you.”
Eva continued taking off her clothes while Tommy and Jake stood and watched. She had stripped down to wrappings in complete nonchalance. Jake shielded his brother’s eyes.
“What are you doing?” he whispered loudly.
She threw her arms up. “I’m drying my clothes. Relax. It’s just a person’s body.”
“A woman’s body,” he corrected.
“They’re all the same,” she said. “Alive or dead. Also, I’m still covered, so chill out. Take off your clothes and hang them on the banister. I’m not going to be responsible if you both get sick.”
Jake huffed and started removing his soaked clothes. His brother followed suit as Eva carefully made her way to the second floor in search of anything dry. In the dusty bedrooms, she spotted piles of human bones from the Old World inhabitants. Upon further inspection, she noticed that they had been gnawed by animals long ago. But this was not an uncommon discovery. She tossed a bone aside and began poking through old wardrobes filled with torn fragments of clothing. Underneath one of the beds was a large plastic bag. None of the contents, including the clothing, had been destroyed by insects or time. She filled her arms with shirts, pants, a towel, and some blankets and returned to the brothers.
Jake was leaning against the windowsill and watching the dark, empty road. He spun around just as an armful of clothing was launched at him. “What about you?”
“I have clothes that are practical for this life,” she wrapped herself in one of the blankets and dried her hair with a towel. Without either of them noticing, Tommy had already made himself a small bed and had fallen asleep.
Jake walked over and covered his brother before collapsing down onto an old chair next to Eva. Both faced the window in silence. The rain had subsided to a drizzle, its hypnotic sound made their eyelids heavy. Eva had her gun on the armrest of her chair and her blades leaning against the table in between them.
“Your brother is so calm,” Eva noted.
“Yeah,” Jake whispered. “He has always had an open mind. Wish I had that myself.”
Again, silence.
“So, what the hell happened here all those years ago?” Jake whispered. “All we were told was the world had ended and there was nothing left.”
Eva watched a particularly large raindrop run down the window as she slid to the edge of her seat and interlaced her fingers together. Jake leaned in. Tommy was fast asleep on the floor while the rain pattered on the old roof.
“You aren’t far off,” she began slowly. “No one knows exactly what happened because it was so long ago, and there aren’t many surviving papers from the Old Times. The papers I’ve found had been intentionally preserved. Most of what we know was passed down by word of mouth. You know, it could be true or exaggerated. Anyway, this is what I believe happened…”
Jake was now touching knees with her. She lowered her voice even more.
“All those years ago, leaders of the world became greedy and power hungry. Tensions were building up all over the land, including here in this country. It was called America. I think that, finally, someone released a deadly bomb and then an entire global war broke out. We just call it the Old Time War. All we really know is that most of the world was wiped out. No one is sure whether there are survivors anywhere outside of here. And I’ve never left the region, so I have no idea either. But… there has to be other colonies out there. There must be.”
Jake’s eyes did not leave Eva’s. “What about the city nearby that you mentioned?”
“Like I said, it wasn’t hit with a chemical bomb,” she pointed towards direction of the city. “It was a destructive explosion, but a majority of the city still stands. Parts are just rubble and nearly everyone died. Even way out here.”
“And those who survived are your ancestors?” Jake leaned back in his chair.
“Yeah.”
“It sounds like the Old Times was just as bad as it is now.”
“From the journals and newspapers I’ve read, it sounded like they were fighting over a lot of different issues. The weather was changing drastically. People getting massacred in public places. Inequality and hatred seemed to prevail. Unfortunately, that much hasn’t changed.”
“Is that how it is now? With the Gangs?”
“Yes. I won’t even begin to describe the horrors I’ve seen in my lifetime. But one of the Gangs near here use slaves as their main source of trade. They kidnap Rovers and Nomads, beat them into submission, and sell the ones that are still fit for work. Women work as pleasure slaves and men do hard labor. Even children are treated this way. And that isn’t even the half of it.”
Jake’s stomach dropped as he glanced at his brother. Eva’s gaze shot to the floor as her final comment hung in the air over them like an echo. At first, she thought that it would be easy to tell the brothers everything. They had been secluded in a vault, unaware that anyone survived outside of its doors. And now, their whole life came crashing down when the Gangs slaughtered and abducted their people. Jake’s friends and family were either dead or being sold around the region and there was nothing they could do.
After what felt like an endless silence, Eva spoke. “I can’t save them all. And neither can you. Don’t dwell on them. You just have to worry about you and your brother out here.”
“Yeah…” Jake trailed off.
“What about your life in the Vault?” she tried changing the subject. Her back relaxed against the chair. “What was it like?”
“It was great compared to this life,” he chuckled nervously, twiddling his thumbs. “My community was about five hundred people. We were taught many things like math, history, and science. But to be honest, it was probably outdated. We had electricity… clean water. It was easy living. When you became ‘of age’, you were supposed to learn a trade to help the community. I was going to be an electrician. Stupid, right?”
“What are you talking about electricity?”
“The generators. Y’know, the machines you saw in the front entrance. They ran all the lights and technology in the community. The Gangs destroyed most of them. But they’re useless o
ut here anyway… and I guess my studies will be just as useless.”
“What about your family? Parents? Other siblings?”
Eva knew immediately that she brought up a sour subject. Although twilight shrouded the room, Jake’s silence spoke for itself. The feeling of uneasiness permeated the space between them.
“I’m sorry if I-” she started.
“No,” Jake interrupted. “It’s fine. I needed to ask you about this at some point…”
Eva tilted her head.
“Well, our mother died a long time ago. Someone in the community killed her, and we never found out who or why. But… er… Our father actually left the Vault about eight years ago. And since Tommy and I weren’t captured, we were hoping to find him. A-and you seem to um...”
Eva’s tone was unsympathetic, but not intentionally. “He was probably captured by the Tigers or Serpents.”
Jake cleared his throat and punched his fist on the chair. “Maybe. But he left through a secret passage around the hills.”
Eva stopped for a moment. She was not going to risk her life for a man who may or may not be alive. There was a good chance that he was now working as a slave for one of the Gangs in the region. An even better chance that he was dead. Still, she did not want to break the harsh news to Jake or Tommy. Not yet, anyways. They had already witnessed enough for one day.
“I’ll tell you what,” her voice sliced through the dark air. “I’ll teach you both how to survive in this shitty world. Then you can go find him.”
“What about you?” Jake asked. Eva sighed loudly. “You help people.”
Eva ignored his question, “Goodnight Jake.” With that, she fell asleep in the chair.
***
A gunshot rang down the street. Everyone jolted awake in a daze, their hearts pounding in their ears. They must not have been sleeping long as it was still dark. Eva threw on her damp clothing and holstered her weapons as fast as she could. Jake could hear her voice shake, though the tone was surprisingly calm.
“What’s going on?” Jake ran over to Tommy.
“Gang,” she pointed to the door. “Get down to the basement. I will come for you once I know it’s safe.”
Jake grabbed his brother. They were already by the door when he called back. “Will you be okay on your own?”
“I will be much safer on my own than with you two standing there,” she whispered harshly.
Jake and Tommy raced downstairs. Little did they know, the smell of rotting flesh would be waiting at the landing. They wanted to turn on their heels and run but hurried down the stairs and towards an open window. They were as far away from the smell as possible, but neither of them could help from vomiting.
Eva caught a whiff when she closed the door. It was undeniably human, and it was recent. There were Posts all around the area where many unlucky Rovers were sold or slaughtered. Gangs designated certain structures in neutral territory for the trading of goods and slaves. The sound of footsteps moved up the driveway to the front porch. Light from a lantern bobbed across the dusty window. On the other side of the home, near the back door, three people entered the building.
Eva had hidden herself in a bathroom with the door cracked just enough to squeeze through without drawing attention. As everyone filed into the foyer and exchanged greetings, she started counting shadows. Five. Part of her was hoping that they would just do their business and leave, so she waited. One group dropped a heavy box of metal objects onto the floor.
“Scrap metal we found in the city,” the first said. “No charge as long as we get some decent armor out of this.”
“Why? You doubting our contacts?” a woman’s voice mocked.
“Not saying that,” one of them spat.
Another voice sighed. “We heard what happened in the East Rover colony. Sorry about your comrades. As long as that monster is left alive, we are all in danger.”
“I just don’t believe one person did that,” said another. “You’re trying to tell me that one person killed two armed and trained Gang members?”
“I’ve heard stories that he’s butchered more than that at one time,” said a woman’s voice. “Us Rats have sent in at least five or six to that colony before. Same result.”
“It must be the other Rovers,” another argued. “They’re starting to fight back for once. Back anyone up in a corner, even that scum, and they’re bound to bite at some point.”
“None of them are trained like he is,” the woman contradicted. “He’s a calculated killer.”
“I’ve heard it’s a woman, not a man… Us Serpents must be better trained than you Rats,” another woman laughed. “We wouldn’t fall to one woman. Still, no one knows her name.”
“Most don’t,” a man’s voice said. “But, as you know, all others know her or him by The Wanderer.”
“What is her story by the way-?” Everyone stopped when they heard a bang from the basement.
Eva felt dizzy. Dammit Jake! She screamed in her head. Her heart rate rose, and her vision tunneled. The lantern illuminated their shadows against the far wall. She could see that they were arming themselves. The clicking of guns filled her ears. It was her chance to slink out of the bathroom and into the hallway that separated her from the guards. This was her only chance, if they split up, to cut down one or two.
Lucky for her, they seemed to follow her intended plan. They were walking around aimlessly, so they split up to search the house. Their footsteps and whispers were muffled. Eva could barely make out which direction they were coming from. As one of the armored figures rounded the corner, she made her first strike. The darkness made her invisible. Just as he passed her crouching silhouette, she grabbed him from behind. Lifting his head with one arm, she made a deep cut through his throat with the other.
The man dropped to his knees grabbing at his throat. Eva could feel his eyes turn to her before he crashed to the ground in a pool of his own blood. His comrade raced in. No assailant to be found. She had slipped back around the corner as the second Gang member ran past her. He met the same end. Only the sound of gurgling and struggling to breathe echoed through the room. But the others were already racing towards her.
I need to keep them away from the basement door. She rushed upstairs, making a point to stomp loudly on each step and have the rest of them follow her.
“Upstairs!” one of them called. “They killed two already.”
Eva couldn’t help but laugh to herself quietly. This was not the first time that her attackers overestimated the number of opponents they faced. Over time, that was the reason she had become so famous. At only twenty-five, she had become a cold, premeditated killer. Coming to that realization both delighted and terrified her.
Jake and Tommy heard the pounding of boots on the stairway to the second floor of the home. They held each other close. While Tommy feared for his own life, Jake was focused on Eva. He assumed she was still alive and the attackers were still pursuing her. However, he worried that they would end her life and hunt him and his brother next.
It was adrenaline that fueled Eva’s heart. She attempted to calm the pounding in her head by taking a few deep breaths as she sheathed her blade and pulled out her pistol. Admittedly, she always felt more comfortable grasping the hilt of her swords, but she was a decent shot.
The glow from the lantern brightened the landing as the head of the first person popped over the half wall. Eva had stowed away in a bedroom with only a thin door between her and the hallway. As soon as she fired off her first round, the rest would come bolting up the stairs. So, each shot had to be fatal.
She took aim and squeezed. The pistol kicked back a little and warmed in her hand. By the sound of a heavy object tumbling down the stairs, she had hit her target. More gunshots rang throughout the house. He must have had his finger on the trigger when he toppled backward, spouting bullets in all directions. The commotion was so loud, it made Eva scamper away from the door. A piercing scream burst from the bottom of the stairs.
; “Robert! Delilah! ” screamed one of the women. One of the stray bullets must have hit another Serpent by accident. “These Rovers are going to pay!”
Eva heard another set of footsteps race up the stairs. Bullets flew over her head as the woman entered the hallway with her gun hot. Eva ducked behind a dresser as small explosions pelted the walls. The smoke cleared, the dust settled, and the Gang member was out of ammunition after a few seconds. From the silence, the Serpent believed that she struck down her assailants. Down below, Jake and Tommy thought the same.
On the contrary. Eva had snuck through an adjacent bathroom and circled around the house during the flurry of bullets. Now, she was behind the last of her challengers. She quietly cocked her pistol and pulled the trigger just the woman turned towards the sound. The shot hit, entering through the chest, causing her to fall back onto the floor and drop her weapon. As Eva stood up and walked towards her final victim, the woman scrambled backwards until she hit the wall.
During the scuffle, the lantern had fallen on the floor nearby, but did not break. Eva could see the fear on the woman’s face as she coughed up mouthfuls of blood. As she passed the stairwell and holstered her gun, she glanced down to the main floor. The bodies of two Gang members were motionless in the twilight. Turning her eyes back to the Serpent lying in a growing pool of crimson, she pulled out one of her blades to finish the job. That was when the woman spoke.
“Who the hell are you? Where are the rest?” she shivered.
Eva laughed coldly. “The rest? It’s only me here. But, I must ask, who do you think I am?”
“You must be The Wanderer,” she choked. “No one else I’ve ever heard of could have taken on all of us.”
“You Gangs do nothing but destroy the lives of innocent Rovers for your own selfishness,” Eva spat. “And now you meet the end you deserve.”
The woman swallowed hard. Eva felt like a wolf closing in on a wounded rabbit. Anger seethed through her veins. Images of what this woman may have done to numerous victims flashed in her mind. Without another word, she eviscerated the woman, snatched up the lantern, and made her way downstairs.