New Eden

by Michael Watson

  All was peacefully quiet with no sign of danger. Motioning for the others to follow, he edged out into what was once a cultivated field, now where only weeds and prairie grass grew.

  ***

  “Ryder!” Levi exclaimed with a loud whisper. “More riders!”

  Ryder had been sitting in the perch, resting with his back against the side, but sprang up quickly. He saw one man on horseback ride out of an opening in the tree row just as the two men had earlier.

  Levi raised his pistol into the air to fire warming shots.

  “Don’t!” said Ryder.

  “We need to warn the settlement.”

  “Enough shots have already been fired. They’ve been warned. If they follow protocol, they should be inside or at least heading there.”

  “What do we do?” asked Levi.

  They continued to watch as the rider motioned to someone behind him. A procession of people both walking and riding filed out through the gap in the trees following their leader. Ryder wasn’t surprised to see empty wagons with them. Their intentions were clear, to take Sector 4’s supplies, much as Morgan had, but this time openly and head on.

  “We need to get back and get inside too, while we still can.”

  “What about the help Jeremy’s supposed to send out?”

  “Hopefully, we’ll intercept them on our way in.”

  ***

  Uncle Don was midway across the field when he spotted a dark object on the ground just ahead. Curious, he rode toward it, stopped, and dismounted. He knelt down over a body and turned it face up. It was Mark and he was dead, a bullet hole in his chest. He showed no emotion. Standing, he looked all around. A short distance away was the other scout he’d sent, also dead, also shot.

  Okay, the sentry had shot his men as intruders, but he was certain they didn’t know about the rest of his people. He had already underestimated them, not sure if they would use lethal force. He wouldn’t let it happen again. Somehow, it made it easier. He didn’t say anything, mounting back up and continuing to ride toward New Eden, everyone following his lead.

  One of his people ran up to him, asking, “Should we lay them in one of the wagons?”

  “No, leave them. We need the room for supplies and prisoners.”

  ***

  Ryder and Levi were almost back to the compound when they spotted a single rider coming toward them. They stopped and Jeremy rode to them.

  “Carl told me about the two riders. He seemed a little rattled, so I decided to come out and make sure everything is alright,” said Jeremy.

  “Is everyone inside?” asked Ryder with a bit of urgency.

  “Almost. Why? Are you expecting some more trouble?”

  “We’re about to be attacked by a large group,” said Ryder. “How many are still outside?”

  “Just two that I know of, your dad and his friend. They think it’s just another false alarm.”

  “I’ll get them inside,” said Ryder. “You and Levi head on in.”

  “I’ll go with you,” stated Levi.

  “No!” said Ryder firmly. “I don’t want to have to worry about you too.”

  Levi, feeling a little hurt, couldn’t believe his brother had talked to him that way. “It may take both of us to convince him.”

  “We don’t have time for this.” He took a deep breath. “Please, go with Jeremy.”

  At that moment they heard the yelling of the mob coming closer. They turned to see a hostile group running toward them.

  “Levi, come on,” persuaded Jeremy anxiously.

  Jeremy turned his horse back toward the compound and began to gallop away. He couldn’t force Levi to go with him. He’d come if he had a mind to.

  Levi hesitated, watching Jeremy ride away. Frustrated and upset with his brother, he finally took off for the gate.

  Ryder rushed to the site of the old granary. His dad was still there with Eli, sorting used lumber into piles without a care in the world.

  “Dad!” yelled Ryder. “We have to get inside.”

  Samuel stopped working, stood straight and looked at his son, smiling. “You worry too much.”

  “It’s not a false alarm. There is an army of people right behind me and they don’t appear any too friendly. Please,” pleaded Ryder, “let’s go inside before it’s too late.”

  “Maybe I can talk to them,” suggested Samuel.

  They turned to see the screaming mob running up the south road.

  “I think we should go inside,” suggested Eli.

  Ryder wasn’t going to take ‘no’ for an answer. If anything happened to his father or Eli, he’d never forgive himself. “Eli, come with us!” He grabbed his dad’s arm and pulled him behind a large stack of lumber. “I don’t think they saw us.” He looked at his dad to find him as calm as ever. He shouldn’t have expected anything less, because this was the way his dad had always been.

  Eli on the other hand wasn’t quite as composed. “Samuel, just so you know, even Emma’s cooking won’t get me back here again,” he said with a nervous smile.

  “What now?” Samuel asked Ryder.

  Ryder peeked over the wood pile. He could see the gate from there and glad to see Jeremy and Levi were closing it. Then he saw them run to the front door of the prison, Jeremy going inside. Levi hesitated and looked around, supposedly for him and his father, before entering and closing the door. He was glad they were safe. Now he only had to worry about his dad and Eli.

  “C’mon Dad, Eli,” said Ryder. “Stay with me.”

  Samuel finally accepted that there was a legitimate danger this time. They stayed low as Ryder led them past the corral to Tent City. Staying close to the car barricade perimeter, they worked their way closer to the gate for a better look.

  “Maybe we can hide in here,” mentioned Samuel, looking through the junk cars.

  The place was deserted, everyone who still resided there had left to take up refuge within the prison walls.

  “It wouldn’t be safe. When that mob finds out they can’t get inside, they’ll tear this place apart, taking what they want, and destroying the rest. And from the looks of it, they could be here very soon.”

  Uncle Don’s people were at the gate, attempting unsuccessfully to force their way inside. Their yells were getting louder. Shots were fired at the tower, at the front door, and through every window they could see. They never saw the people inside. Ryder had been insistent that they stay down.

  “Open up!” shouted Uncle Don. “Send out Ryder!”

  “The leader just called you by name,” said Samuel, surprised. “He knows you.”

  Ryder took a closer look. From John and Gant’s description, this must be Uncle Don. But why would he come there? According to what he’d heard, they were self-sufficient and didn’t need to steal supplies.

  Then something odd caught Ryder’s attention. The mob suddenly began to run away from the gate, leaving Uncle Don and one other man there. They were kneeling down at the base of the gate. After only a few moments they jumped up and ran to join those behind the wagons. Ryder stood upright, moving to where he hoped he could see what they’d been doing.

  Seconds later an explosion ripped through the gate, sending dirt, rocks, and metal fragments into the air. Before the dust had settled, the mob rushed from the trees converging on the gaping hole in the fence.

  “Dad, we’ve got to go!” urged Ryder, pulling on Samuel’s arm.

  “Where?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Ryder knew exactly where he needed to go. There was only one other place to enter the compound undetected. He led Eli and his dad along the outside of the prison’s perimeter fence to the backside of the compound. He had to hurry to get them inside to safety. But, if Uncle Don used explosives to get inside one of the doors, it wouldn’t matter where they went

  Out of breath, Samuel asked, “Do you know where you’re going, Son?”

  “We’re almost there, Dad. Try to keep up. It’s just a little further.”

 
“Eli, you okay?” asked Samuel over his shoulder.

  “I will be once we get inside.”

  They could hear repeated gunfire, making the situation even more urgent. Entering a small grove of trees, Ryder dropped to the ground as though sliding feet-first into home plate. He quickly began to wipe away a thin layer of dirt and leaves to reveal a metal hatch. Without hesitation, Ryder jerked it open.

  “Dad! Eli! Get inside!”

  Samuel looked down into the black hole and then looked at his son with disbelief.

  “Hurry!” urged Ryder.

  Samuel placed his feet on the first rung of a ladder and then withdrew.

  “Eli, you go first.”

  “Dad! Please, just get inside,” pleaded Ryder.

  Samuel, with a sigh, began the climb down. “I can’t see anything!”

  “I’m right behind you,” said Eli.

  After Ryder followed them in, he closed the lid and latched it so no one could follow. At the bottom Ryder felt in the dark for the stash of candles and matches. Lighting one candle, there was plenty of light to see where they were going. Ryder led the way through the corrugated metal tunnel. “Watch your heads. Low ceiling.” He looked back to make sure his dad and Eli were keeping up, only to find his dad right on his tail, smiling. His old man never ceased to amaze him.

  There was the muffled sound of an explosion. “What was that?” asked Samuel.

  “My best guess would be dynamite. They’re probably using it to get through one of the doors.” He began to run stooped-over through the six-foot tube. “Stay with me, Dad!” he yelled over his shoulder. When he reached the panel, he didn’t slow down, shoving it open and jumping out into the maintenance supervisor’s office. He waited for his dad and Eli to come out. He didn’t hear anything. “Dad?”

  There was no response, but Samuel soon appeared at the end of the tube, obviously out of breath. “I can’t go…any further,…Son,” he gasped. “Do whatever you have to do…we’ll be alright.” He swung his feet out and lowered himself into the room and then turned to help Eli down. Easing over to the desk, he plopped down in the supervisor’s chair.

  Ryder hesitated to leave them, but he had to find out what was happening upstairs, and this was probably the safest place for them to be. “Stay here and you’ll be safe. I’ll be back.” Samuel waved him on. Eli had collapsed onto the floor, sitting with his back to one of the cabinets. Ryder closed the office door and ran down the hallway and then through the supply room before slowing down. He looked through the double-door windows up the stairs to find a crowd of armed people in the stairwell, facing the main entrance. He could also see the freight doors and was relieved that they were intact.

  As he squeezed his way through, he was met by smiles, repeated slaps on his back, and greetings of those glad to see him. At the top of the stairs, he could see desks had been dragged out of the adjacent offices and placed as a barrier across the foyer, lined with more armed people behind it. He could also see that the front door had been damaged, but still closed. The door, desks, and windows were riddled with bullet holes.

  Jeremy, behind one of the desks, spotted Ryder and raised himself until Ryder could see him, and then waved him over.

  “We heard the explosion from below,” stated Ryder. “I can see they didn’t get through.”

  “We were able to keep them back at a distance. So, they had to throw the dynamite. If they’d gotten any closer, we would have been in real trouble.”

  “It looks like everyone is armed. Anyone hurt?” asked Ryder.

  “We opened the armory and passed out weapons. There haven’t been any injuries.”

  Levi was listening nearby and looking nearby. “Where’s dad? Is he alright?”

  “He’s in the maintenance office downstairs with Eli. They were too tired to go any further, but they’re both fine.”

  “Did you come in through the ‘you know what’?” asked Jeremy.

  Ryder nodded.

  “What should we do now?” asked Jeremy.

  “I’d say keep doing what you’re doing. We have to keep them from getting inside. Where are Roy and the rest of the Council?”

  “They’re upstairs in their offices, watching from their windows.”

  “That’s a good place for them.” He paused. “I think I know who’s out there, the ones that took John and Gant hostage.”

  “The ones that were hunting them?” asked Jeremy.

  Ryder nodded again. “Uncle Don and his people. I heard them yell out my name, but I’m not sure why.”

  “You should. You killed his nephew.”

  “According to John, they didn’t even like each other.”

  “Evidently, it doesn’t matter. Ever heard the expression ‘blood is thicker than water’?”

  Ryder was silent for a moment. “If he’s here for revenge, I need to talk to him. Maybe we can make a deal.”

  ***

  Uncle Don had expected some resistance, the only reason not to be surprised. Chris and Amy had drawn out the site perfectly. He had his people take advantage of the concrete barriers along the drive for cover. Prepared for anything, they’d brought explosives. Getting through the gate had been even easier than he’d anticipated. But now they seemed to be at a stalemate with those inside the walls. The gunfire was too heavy to rush the doors and they were too far away from the doors to throw the dynamite. And potshots from both sides of the wall were having little effect.

  Someone would have to risk charging the door. Since Mark, his former second-in-command, was dead, he needed to select a new go-to man. He looked both ways at the men hunched down behind the barriers, looking for the face of someone he could trust. Disappointedly, none did. Then he noticed Chris. Amy wasn’t with him. Don glanced back to see her by one of the wagons. She wouldn’t approve of what he was thinking. Uncle Don had been impressed with how Chris and Amy had successfully performed their spy mission. Even though Chris was young and inexperienced, he was eager to please.

  There was a lull in gunfire. “Chris!” yelled Uncle Don.

  Those nearby looked to see why their leader wanted him. Chris raised his head just enough for him to be seen clearly. Uncle Don waved him over. Chris knew he could get shot as he crossed the open area between barriers, but he was willing to take the risk. Uncle Don had specifically wanted him and he wouldn’t let him down. Chris darted from barrier to barrier, safely reaching and kneeling next to Uncle Don. His huge smile reflected his eagerness.

  “Yes, sir?”

  “I have another very important mission for you. I need you to take this,” showing him a stick of dynamite with a fuse, “and get close enough to those doors to blow them open. Can you do it?” He never forced any of his people to do anything they didn’t want to do, but he had a way of making it hard to say ‘no.’ “You know I’m looking to replace Mark with a new right-hand man. If you do this, you can have his job.”

  Chris hesitated briefly, knowing it could be a suicide job, but he didn’t want to appear weak. He looked back at Amy, standing by one of the wagons, looking on. He wanted her to be proud of him. “I can do it.”

  Uncle Don smiled and slapped him on the back. “I was hoping you’d say that.” He handed Chris the dynamite and a book of matches. “Don’t run for the door. Run directly to the wall, the shortest distance and the safest. Then make your way along the wall to the door, light the fuse, toss it next to the door, and then get back.”

  Chris wasn’t sure this was such a good idea. He would be out in the open for approximately fifty yards.

  Though Chris had appeared eager at first, Uncle Don could see the doubt in his eyes. “We’ll give you cover fire.”

  It didn’t make Chris feel much better, but it was something. He forced a weak and unconvincing smile as he moved to the edge of the barrier.

  “Give Chris cover. Pass the word,” Uncle Don said to those lined up to his sides. His voice remained even and low, not wanting to alert those inside the compound walls. Don saw nods up
and down the line, weapons aimed and resting on top of the barriers. “We’re ready,” said Uncle Don. “Let me know when you’re ready. You can do this.”

  Chris placed the matches in his pocket and tucked the dynamite inside his shirt. He nodded to Uncle Don.

  Don raised his hand into the air for all to see. “Good luck,” he told Chris with one last bit of encouragement and then dropped his arm. A volley of shots loudly began and Chris took off in a sprint for the wall.

  ***

  At the sound of a sudden increase of shots, a volley of bullets riddled the front door. Ryder yelled for everyone to duck down. He leaped over the wall of desks and ran to the wall next to the door. Taking a chance, he peered through one of the bullet holes to see a single man sprinting toward the building. His hands and arms were empty, and it confused Ryder. What was he trying to do? There had to be a reason.

  It didn’t take him long to figure out that the man must have some form of explosives with him. It appeared that he, single-handedly, was going to attempt to blow a hole either in the wall or the doors. The cover fire prevented Ryder from getting off a clear shot. The man was going to make it.

  ***

  Amy had been watching from outside the fence. She couldn’t believe it when she saw Chris jump up and run toward the prison wall, and all alone. Half-way across the open area his arms flailed the air as he sprawled to the ground, evidently shot from behind. “No!” she yelled. The others had to restrain her as she attempted to run to him.

  Uncle Don was stunned. He abruptly stood and stared at his people. All gunfire had stopped. There was total silence. “Who did that?!” he screamed.

  No one answered Uncle Don, who remained silent and motionless. His people knew what happened if they did anything to draw attention to themselves when he was angry.

  Ryder saw Uncle Don stand. The shooting had stopped. He risked moving to a fist-sized hole in one of the double-doors to get a better look at the outside. The man remained motionless on the ground. The people of New Eden had been very lucky. If someone out there hadn’t shot the runner, the attackers would already be inside.