New Eden

by Michael Watson

  Before any kind of response could be made, he had to know what he would be up against. Uncle Don knew exactly what needed to be done first. He summoned two of his citizens to his headquarters, which was no more than a one-room shack where he conducted business. Chris and Amy were young, in their twenties, and already a couple, perfect for what he had in mind. That part they wouldn’t have to fake.

  When the young couple was told Uncle Don wanted to see them immediately, they became concerned, asking the messenger if he knew what it was about. He had no idea.

  Had they done something wrong? Hand in hand they went directly to see him. Chris took a deep breath before knocking on the door. They didn’t hear any reply or noise inside. Maybe he wasn’t there. Chris started to knock again when the door opened. The expression on Uncle Don’s face told them it was a serious matter, adding to the stress they were already feeling. They were afraid of what would come next.

  Uncle Don stepped aside. “Please, come in.”

  Timidly, they stepped inside. The furnishings were sparse, almost nonexistent. There was a single wood table with one chair on one side facing two on the other.

  “Have a seat,” he offered as he went to the other side of the table and took a seat.

  Chris and Amy were worried and uncomfortable, and it showed. “Excuse us, sir, did we do something wrong?” asked Chris.

  A confused look came over Don’s face. He wondered why Chris had asked. Then he realized they had no idea why he had asked them there. He cracked a smile. “I’m sorry. You’ve done nothing wrong. Actually, I need your help.” He saw a noticeable change in the couple as they sighed aloud and seemed to relax just a bit. They sat back in their chairs, where before they’d been sitting on the edges.

  Chris stood up. “Anything, Uncle Don.”

  Don waved for him to sit back down. “I’m going to ask you to do something, but before you answer, I want you to think about it.”

  “Okay,” said Chris.

  “I imagine by now you’ve heard about my nephew?”

  “Yes, sir,” answered Amy. “We’re very sorry.”

  He didn’t like being called sir, but decided to let it slide this one time. “The person responsible is at Sector 4, the old prison site. I plan to find him and kill him. I need some one, two some ones, to go there and recon the site. You’ll need to be there one or two days. You don’t have to give me your answer…”

  “Yes,” said Chris. He looked at Amy. She nodded. “When do we leave?”

  “Tomorrow. So, now we need to talk about what I need you to look for.”

  ***

  Chris and Amy were escorted to a spot five miles from New Eden where they camped for the night. The person that dropped them off, Frank, said he would be waiting when they returned. The next morning they began the long walk carrying only one well-worn cloth bag containing clothes and miscellaneous. It was only for appearances sake. They wouldn’t be there very long. The clothes in the bag and the ones they were wearing had been collected from strangers who’d mistakenly wandered into their territory. After all, they wouldn’t need their clothes, shoes, or any other personal items after the community was through with them. And Uncle Don insisted there wasn’t any waste.

  Chris and Amy were sweaty and dirty when they entered the edge of the settlement, which was exactly what Uncle Don had wanted. They needed to look as though they’d been traveling a long way, that it had been a rough trip, and that they needed help. A little acting on their part would help to sell it.

  Jenny had located her camp in the woods to the southwest of the compound where it was quieter and she wasn’t crowded. Those were the preferences she and Ryder had in common. She was the first to see and greet the two young strangers as they came toward her. She was the perfect ‘welcome wagon’ to meet newcomers, warm and friendly.

  “Oh, you dears look so tired. Come with me.” She took Amy by the arm and led them into her camp where she had them sit on logs by the fire. She brought them a cup of water, which they shared, drinking as though it had been days since having any. Jenny had to refill the cup.

  When they had finished quenching their thirst, Jenny was anxious to learn all about them and where they were from. “My name is Jenny. What are yours?”

  “I’m Chris and this is Amy.”

  “Where did you come from?” asked Jenny, hoping she sounded curious rather than like she was interrogating them.

  Amy answered, “We were part of a small group several days from here. There was a disagreement that we’d just as soon not go into and we decided to leave. We heard there was a community up this way. We’re just glad we ran across you when we did. We ran out of food two days ago and water yesterday.”

  “You just sit there and rest. I’ll find something for you to eat. Then I’ll go and let the Council and Ryder know you’re here. They like to know when new people come to town.”

  Ryder was the name they’d been given. Uncle Don would be glad to know he was still there.

  Jenny had some bread and leftover vegetarian soup she heated up for them. She asked them to stay there, eat, and relax while she went to inform the others.

  ***

  As soon as Jenny was out of sight, they quickly set their bowls down. There was no time like the present to begin their exploration of the site for Uncle Don. They began to move toward the main community. The sooner they finished their recon the sooner they could return home. From their perspective, there was no need to wait and meet Ryder. Jenny had already confirmed that he was there.

  To keep up the charade, they held hands and walked into the settlement as though they belonged. There were many more people than either had anticipated. It was middle of the day and there was a flurry of activity everywhere. Chris and Amy had been told what had happened there. The people were taking full advantage of their new found freedom now that Davis and Damon were gone.

  They were met by smiles and friendly greetings by everyone they ran into, just as friendly as Jenny had been. No one else stopped them to ask who they were. Rather than asking questions about the community and possibly drawing attention to themselves, they felt they could learn just as much by exploring on their own, until someone objected. They paid special attention to the single guard in the corner tower of the prison. He was watching them. They waved and he waved back. This was one of the things Uncle Don would want to know.

  Several people were entering through the prison gate that was wide open. This was an opportunity they couldn’t pass up, following the others. Passing through the main entrance, the people were all veering off to their left forming a line that went down a set of steps. Staying with the line of people, they passed through a set of double-doors, shocked to find a huge room filled with what looked to be supplies of all kinds. This was a gold mine. After Uncle Don took care of Ryder, they could go to work cleaning out this place. A guard was watching everyone who entered, apparently there to maintain order. As they stood in the doorway, mouths gaping open, he approached and asked, “Can I help you?”

  “No, thank you. We’re just looking,” replied Chris.

  “I don’t think I’ve seen you here before. Are you new?”

  “Yes. We just arrived.”

  “Have you met with Ryder yet?”

  “No. Not yet.”

  “You shouldn’t be here until he’s given the okay.”

  “Oh, okay. Sorry, we didn’t know. We were just following the people. So, we’ll find this Ryder and talk to him. Alright?”

  “Sure. Then come back and I’ll help you get what you need.”

  “Thank you,” replied Chris.

  They turned around and went back up the steps. Chris looked over his shoulder. The guard was still watching them with interest. There weren’t any guards in the foyer area. So far, they’d only seen the two guards. Uncle Don would be pleased. They went back outside. There was a large grouping of tents to the east, inside an enclosure made of car bodies. They decided to check it out next. They stopped at the open gate
and looked down the main avenue. Neither saw a reason to enter. Other than the people wandering around inside, there didn’t appear to be anything of value in there. They continued east past Tent City, finding a corral of horses and the blackened remains of a burned down structure. Past that was a large pen with cattle and then several garden plots followed by the crop fields. Uncle Don was going to be very happy when they reported what they’d found. There were no guards this way either. These people were overly trusting and naïve, perfect for what Uncle Don had in mind.

  “I think we’ve seen enough, how about you?” asked Chris.

  “I think so too,” answered Amy.

  “Then, let’s get out of here before they catch on.”

  ***

  CHAPTER THREE

  Ryder didn’t like feeling closed in, so he had set up a camp in the woods, even further out than Jenny. He liked elbow room and his privacy. Though his current duties required him to be accessible during the day, he refused to spend any more time than was absolutely necessary inside the compound walls. Staying in one of the cells the way he had as one of the old Guard was out of the question. So was staying in Tent City. A camp in the woods had been the only acceptable alternative left to him as a temporary home.

  Jenny went to his camp first in an attempt to locate him. It was the middle of the day, but there was the outside chance he had gone there for lunch.

  “Ryder!” shouted Jenny from outside his tent. She waited for a response but heard none. Lifting the tent flap and peeking inside, she was surprised at how bare it was inside – a tarp for a floor, a cot, and a section of a log for a bedside table with a lantern on it. And that was it. Backing out, she briskly walked over to the road and then to the compound where Ryder kept an office on the second floor. The Council had strongly urged him to maintain an office near them, so it would be easier to find him if needed. His only stipulation had been for the office to be on the south side and have a window so he could keep an eye on the community’s activities below. He was seldom there, but he kept a pad of paper and a pencil on his desk in case someone wanted to leave a message. He had too much to do to sit behind a desk.

  Jenny passed through the main entrance doors and went directly to the staircase leading up to his office. Of course he wasn’t there either. She looked out his window. Someday, if he stayed long enough, he’d be able to watch the town grow from there.

  Ryder came up behind her. “Nice view, isn’t it?”

  She jumped, startled by him. She sighed. “Don’t do that! Do you want to give me a heart attack?”

  “Sorry.” He stood beside her. “I wish I could stay down there. But, as you know, the Council wants me to be here as often as I can, so I’m accessible. I guess it’s working. Did you need me, Jenny?”

  “Yes. I have a young couple at my camp. They just wandered in from the southwest and they say they want to stay. I thought you might like to talk to them and check them out.”

  “That’s not really my role here. Anything suspicious about them?”

  “No, not really. They seem normal enough. But I’d like you to talk to them anyway. We haven’t had any new people for a while. And you’re a better judge of character than I am.”

  Her comment made him think of the recent events when Morgan had delivered Davis and Damon to them. His gut had told him Morgan was alright, but he’d been proven to be wrong. He didn’t bother to remind her of that tidbit.

  “I’d be glad to talk with them. It’ll give me an excuse to get out of here for awhile.”

  “Would you prefer I brought them here?” she asked.

  “Absolutely not,” he replied.

  He posted a note on his door telling anyone who was interested that he would be back soon. He could have stepped down the hall to notify the Council, but knew it would lead to questions he didn’t have the answers to yet, and he wasn’t in the mood.

  They slipped out and headed to Jenny’s camp. The couple wasn’t at the campfire where she had left them. She checked inside her tent, just in case. They weren’t there either. “I told them to stay put.” She looked in all directions. “Chris! Amy!” There was no response. “Now, I suppose I’ll have to go and find them. Don’t you find its suspicious that they’re not here?”

  “Let’s not jump to conclusions. How long has it been since you left them here?”

  “Not long. Maybe thirty minutes.”

  “They probably just got antsy and went exploring. Let’s split up and I’ll help you look. It shouldn’t be too hard to find them. Someone will have seen them. I’ll meet you back here in an hour.”

  These were the first strangers to enter New Eden since the workers had gained their freedom. Once word continued to spread about New Eden, Ryder and the Council knew more would come, which could be either good or bad, depending on why they came. Some would come to be a part of a growing community, others to take advantage anyway they could.

  ***

  Samuel had told Roy, one of the Council, he’d return in a few weeks to oversee and help build a new granary, after Damon had burned theirs to the ground. That time would give them a chance to clean up the area and locate building materials. It was time to go back.

  “I don’t want you going alone,” insisted Emma, Samuel’s wife. “Maybe you could ask John or Daniel to go with you.”

  “No, I won’t ask them to help again. They already did more than anyone would have expected when they helped Ryder and Levi.”

  “I wish Levi was here. He could have gone with you.”

  Samuel smiled. “He just couldn’t wait three weeks. I’m not sure why, but he was eager to go back. I’m sure Ryder’s put him to work. Maybe Eli would be up for a road trip. He knows as much about raising barns as I do.”

  “Why don’t you ask him?” urged Emma.

  “I’ll go next door right now and ask him if he’d like to go,” said Samuel.

  Emma smiled and nodded her approval.

  “This would be a convenient time to take any of John’s friends back too, if they’re interested. I’ll talk to them. Gary might be interested in just going along to help with the construction.”

  ***

  Ryder returned to the compound, checking at the campsites he passed, asking if they’d seen the young couple. Several had, but none knew where they were at the moment. Some asked if there was anything to worry about, but he calmed their concerns. He continued to the lower level where the guard on duty also remembered them. “They were here, but I told them they shouldn’t be until after they’d talked to you.”

  “Did they take anything?”

  “No. I wouldn’t let them.”

  “Did they ask about the supplies?”

  “No. They said they were just looking around. Is there anything wrong?”

  “I don’t think so. I just want to talk to them.” Ryder didn’t want to jump to conclusions until he knew more. It was entirely possible they were innocent of any wrong doing. If their roles had been reversed, he might have been anxious to be out exploring too.

  ***

  Jenny went to Tent City and asked around. A few thought they had seen the couple, but weren’t sure. She continued east toward the corral and the cattle pens. Again, there was no sign of them. She was beginning to become concerned. Jenny headed back to the compound, spotting Ryder as he came out of the prison front doors. “Ryder!” she shouted through the fence to get his attention.

  “Stay there! I’ll come to you!” he yelled.

  “No luck?” he asked when he came up to her.

  “None. And I looked everywhere east of here that I could think of. I did talk to some who thought they’d seen them, but didn’t know where they were now. How about you?”

  “Same here. I checked inside and around the campsites south and west. I’m starting to get a bad feeling about those two myself,” admitted Ryder. “They may have been here just to look us over, saw what they needed to see, and then left.”

  “Should I recruit some of our people to help look
?”

  “No. We don’t want to raise an alarm just yet. They may be here and we’ve just missed them.”

  “I’ll do a little more looking on my own. If I come across them, I’ll bring them to you.”

  ***

  Chris and Amy quickly made their way back to the location where they’d been dropped off. They’d seen enough, fulfilling their mission. Frank was waiting just as he said he would. They didn’t waste any time changing back into their comfortable everyday clothes.

  “Check out everything Uncle Don wanted to know?” asked Frank.

  “Everything,” replied Chris.

  “Let’s go home then.”

  ***

  When they were first spotted, word of their return rapidly reached Uncle Don. He anxiously waited for their arrival at his headquarters. He wasn’t usually one to show his emotions, but when he heard they had returned he was eager to hear how their mission had gone. He asked the messenger to have them report to him immediately. Frank beat them there and was leaving when they arrived.

  “Frank said you were successful,” said Uncle Don. “Any problems?”

  “None,” answered Amy. “Even though we were strangers, everyone was very friendly. We explored the entire community on our own with very little interference. The only place we were turned away was a huge room in the lower level of the old prison filled with supplies.”

  “What about guards?”

  “We only saw two, one in a prison tower and the one in the supply room,” said Chris.

  “And Ryder?”

  “We didn’t see him, but we were told he was still there,” answered Amy. “No one suspected a thing.”