“Get back here!” he ordered.
She glanced back at him and then took a step toward Ryder.
Ryder was watching, still motioning to her. “Don’t be afraid. We’ll take care of you,” he coaxed. “You’ll be safe here.”
A thought suddenly came to Uncle Don. Perhaps she was just looking for a way to get close enough to use the explosive. He wished he’d thought of it first. It was less likely that they’d shoot a girl. He tried to see whether she had the dynamite with her, but couldn’t see it. Perhaps it was inside her shirt. He began to get his hopes up, convincing himself that she would never betray him. He had Jenny tied up and thrown into the back of one of the wagons. “Spread out! Be ready to charge the door!”
Amy began to run to Ryder. Uncle Don smiled. Good girl. She was going to do it, if they didn’t catch on and shoot her first.
Ryder watched her carefully as she came towards him. Unlike the others, there didn’t appear to be anything in her hands. As she reached the door, he moved aside and opened the door wide enough for her to enter.
“She’s trouble,” stated Jeremy into Ryder’s ear.
Amy reached inside her shirt and pulled out the stick of dynamite. Jeremy jerked his pistol up but Ryder placed his hand over it. She handed the explosive to Ryder. He was as relieved as Jeremy was surprised. He could see that she had been crying, but her head was held high.
“How did you know my name?” she asked.
“Jenny described you.”
“So, what are you going to do with me?” she asked.
“Nothing. You’ll be safe here,” said Ryder.
Jeremy sighed and rolled his eyes. It didn’t escape Ryder’s attention.
“I don’t want to go back,” she stated adamantly.
***
Uncle Don anticipated an explosion to occur at any moment. He had re-situated his people behind the concrete barriers, telling them to rush the compound as soon as it went off. Not only would it breach the door, it would clear out all people in its immediate area. Amy would be remembered for her sacrifice.
The sun was beginning to set below the top of the trees. Uncle Don’s people would soon have the advantage as the sky turned darker. The New Eden people wouldn’t be able to see them coming until it was too late. Uncle Don passed the word again for them to get ready, as they continued to wait. He had expected an almost immediate explosion, but nothing was happening. Perhaps they had discovered Amy’s intentions before she had a chance to do anything.
Five minutes passed and he was growing impatient, beginning to wonder if he’d been wrong about her. Something had happened, but there was no way to know what. But he wasn’t ready to give up. He still had another plan to get inside.
“Bring the woman to me!” Uncle Don yelled to no one in particular.
***
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Peck came across another country dirt road. More signs were posted along the road, similar to those Stan had placed south of the farm. Anyone ignoring them would pay the price, as Davis had. Peck had been lucky, not sure why the couple had decided to spare him. They had had the opportunity to kill him while he slept.
Alone, he rode cautiously into the unfamiliar territory, heading for the ditch and cover every time he heard a peculiar noise. He was defenseless without a weapon. So far, fortunately, he hadn’t encountered any other people.
The road was beginning to become cluttered with random abandoned vehicles more frequently. Soon he had to leave the road completely as the pavement became too buckled and deteriorated to ride on. A faint trail followed the ditch, evidently not used for some time, based on the number and height of the weeds that had taken over. The further he traveled north the more congested the road became. Peck knew it meant he was getting close to a town or major crossroads. He wasn’t sure where he was exactly, but had a general idea.
The city limit sign for Clinton confirmed what he’d thought. He knew better than to go through town. More than likely there were one or more groups just waiting to jump travelers that wandered in and he preferred not to be one of their victims, skirting around the west side along the side roads. The homes and convenience stores he passed were in much the same deteriorated condition as he’d seen elsewhere. He didn’t know of any area of this region that had escaped the devastation of the earthquakes. As for the surrounding regions, without any form of communication, he could only assume it was the same.
Even though he expected everything to be picked over this close to town, he searched the skeletons of random houses in the suburbs in hopes of finding food. He still had some of what Terri had given him, but it wouldn’t last much longer and that made it worth the risk. After coming up with very little, the phrase ‘slim pickins’ turned out to be appropriate but not unexpected.
He kept on the move, staying with his plan to continue north to Alabaster Caverns. He was sure there would be people there since the cool air of the cavern was a natural place to keep and preserve food and it would provide a strong shelter. He wasn’t looking for a place where he could take over, just to fit in and survive. He’d given up on the idea of a leadership role. He would have to be careful though, chances were that they’d be leery of any stranger, possibly shooting first and asking questions later. He wasn’t going to worry about it until he got there though.
The next day Peck came to his next obstacle, the Canadian River. He could see from a distance that the bridge had collapsed. He would have been surprised if it hadn’t. Again, abandoned vehicles filled the road where they could go no further. He weaved in and around the vehicles until he reached a place where he could see the river ahead, still flowing. It had been a while since he’d been there, but seemed to remember the main channel being deep, perhaps too deep. He wondered if he should search for a better place to cross.
He found a trail that followed the road ditch and then down the slope to a sandbar at the river’s edge. He stopped at the top of the slope, smelling smoke. Straight ahead a thin wisp of smoke rose in the still air. The smell wasn’t just wood burning, food was cooking. He thought he smelled fish. His food had run out and he was famished. He looked upstream and downstream. He had to be cautious, not knowing how he’d be treated as a stranger. Even though he didn’t see anyone, someone had to be nearby. Cautiously he edged his horse down the sandy slope.
At the toe of the slope, where the ground leveled off, he was on a sandbar and could see a small fire near the water’s edge. The bridge had collapsed leaving only the first support columns, leaving an overhang with a number of pieced-together shacks crowded underneath. Still he saw no people. He dismounted and led his horse to the fire, keeping his body on the river side of his horse, using it as a shield. Footprints were all over the sandbar. Two fish were cooking over the fire. The smell made his stomach rumble. Looking around once again, he saw no one. He couldn’t help himself as he took one of the fish, picked at its flaky flesh and began to eat. Quickly it was gone, leaving only its skeleton. Eating one only made him hungrier. Looking around, there still wasn’t anyone around. He grabbed the other fish and ate it too.
No one appeared and it was eerily quiet. He knew he would be pressing his luck to stick around any longer. Listening, the only sound was the low soothing movement of the water as it flowed by. Gulls were usually seen feeding along the water’s edge, but he saw none. Placing one foot in the stirrup, he swung up into the saddle. With one last look around before attempting to cross the river, he spotted a line of children, grade school age to young teenagers, along the top of the overhang, looking down on him. They all carried crude hand-made spears. There didn’t appear to be any adults. They watched him in silence. He didn’t feel threatened by a bunch of children, but it was probably best if he moved on anyway.
He didn’t see any other horses either and hadn’t seen any hoof prints in the sand. If they had a mind to follow him, they wouldn’t be able to keep up with him on horseback. He slowly rode into the shallow water of the river’s edge. He stopped abruptly.
On the other side of the river was another group, still young, but older, each one also carrying a spear. They appeared a bit more threatening, postured as though ready to use their spears. Neither group made a move to attack.
“I don’t want any trouble!” he yelled out. “I was hungry!”
Two boys from across the river waded toward him. The water wasn’t as deep as he’d thought. Both appeared older than any of the others. One stopped mid-stream while the other continued toward him. Peck assumed he was the leader.
Peck wasn’t overly concerned. After all, they were still only kids. He stole glances around, thinking he might see an adult appear, but saw none. Perhaps they were away with a hunting party or scavenging for supplies, leaving their kids to watch the camp in their absence. But it seemed odd that both men and women would have gone.
The rest of the group across the river were moving closer, spreading out, some crossing to surround him. As a last resort, if he felt his life was in danger, he could always gallop away on his horse. Time and opportunity were slipping away. He decided to hold his ground.
The presumed leader stopped a safe distance from Peck with the water flowing by just below his knees. His friend moved to his side. He motioned for the others to hold their position.
“I’m sorry,” offered Peck. “I would have asked permission if I’d seen anyone.”
They remained silent, their eyes fixed on him, jaws tightly clenched shut.
“Let me go and I’ll never come back,” persuaded Peck.
The leader looked over at the small group of shacks under the overhang. Peck followed his eyes to a woman that had emerged from one of them. Soon, other women joined her. Still, he saw no men. She nodded to the boy nearest him. The boy motioned for him to get down from his horse while the other boys moved closer, tightening the circle. Without a word, one of the boys took the reins from Peck’s hand. Cooperating was all he could do. The boy leader motioned with his head for Peck to go to the woman.
Peck, nudged along with a spear point, was beginning to be concerned. “What happens now?” he asked the leader, trying to make small talk.
There was no response. It was becoming painfully obvious they weren’t going to interact with him.
A hand reached out and grabbed his arm from behind, forcing him to stop before reaching the women. The boy leader said, “Don’t move!” while patting him down, checking for weapons.
The woman took a step forward. “Hello, my name is Dorothy. Welcome.”
Peck thought she sounded sincere as she warmly smiled at him. He was firmly held in place as he attempted to step toward her. “I’ll be glad to work for the fish I ate.”
“That won’t be necessary. You must have been hungry.”
Peck nodded as he took a long look around. “I don’t see any men?”
She smiled and ignored his comment. “Where are you headed?”
“North.”
“Anywhere specific?”
Peck shrugged.
“Alone?” she asked.
“I am now.” He could see from her expression that she understood.
“I’m sure you’re tired from your travels. We have a place where you can rest.”
“And then?”
One of the other women came forward and whispered in Dorothy’s ear. Dorothy looked Peck over and nodded to her. The young man let go of Peck’s arm.
“I appreciate your hospitality, but if you don’t mind I’d like to keep moving while I still have daylight.”
“Oh, we wouldn’t feel right letting you leave until you and your horse have had a chance to rest and have something more to eat.”
“Really, we’re fine.”
The young man standing behind him stepped up and whispered into his ear, “Dorothy is offering you an invitation. Don’t make the mistake of being rude.”
Dorothy was still smiling.
“I guess I could stay for a little while.”
Her smile grew even larger, obviously happy. “Wonderful. What do you go by?”
“Peck.”
“Okay, Peck, first come with me and we’ll give you a proper meal. Joshua,” she said to the boy behind him, “see that someone takes care of his horse.”
Peck watched as his horse was led away. Dorothy took him under the overhang where the women had gathered near a small cook fire. “Have a seat,” she said, motioning him to a piece of driftwood.
A pot hung over the fire. It smelled good, whatever it was. One of the women scooped a stew-like mixture into a bowl and brought it to him. Peck accepted it with a nod and a smile. The truth was that he’d lost his appetite and didn’t feel like eating anymore. The two fish had been plenty. Since leaving Sector 4 with Davis and Damon, there had been few meals. The food he’d been given at Stan and Terri’s had been the first real meal in a long time. He knew he’d lost weight and now it didn’t take nearly as much for him to feel full. He ate anyway to avoid appearing rude and to maintain good relations, especially if they really intended to let him go. He also didn’t know where his next meal was coming from.
While eating he became aware that everyone was watching him. The small group of women stayed behind Dorothy. The older children had moved in closer, grim expressions on their faces, weapons still in hand. Other than the warm reception he’d received from Dorothy, he didn’t feel very welcomed.
Peck couldn’t help repeating, “I haven’t seen any men.”
Dorothy made a sweeping motion with her hand to Joshua and the older boys. These are our men.”
He didn’t understand why she was being so evasive. “And what happened to your husbands?”
Her smile faded away and she stared at him with sadness in her eyes.
He could see that he had forced her to remember something painful. Had he asked the wrong question? “I’m sorry, it’s none of my business.”
Dorothy sighed and stood, looking back at the other ladies, looking for some indication as to whether she should confide in their guest. The women were whispering to each other. She saw a few heads nod. One of the women came to her and whispered something in her ear. Dorothy looked at Peck from head to toe. She nodded back to the women.
She sat back down and leaned forward, making eye contact with Peck as though they were having a private conversation. “All our men are gone and we don’t know what happened to them. They went out in two different groups in different directions to look for food and supplies. That was six months ago.”
Peck sat silent for a moment. “You’ve been on your own since then?”
“Don’t feel sorry for us or underestimate us. We can take care of ourselves.”
Peck looked over the boys behind him. There were only two or three of them old enough to have made a difference if any danger came around. He had to assume they hadn’t faced any real threats.
“Have you been attacked?” asked Peck.
“Just by a few small groups, but none seemed interested in fighting.”
If their husbands and dads had been killed or taken by scavengers, reason suggested that they would come for them too, eventually. It was probably just a matter of time before they were all taken and this place would disappear. Peck doubted that there was much of anything of value in the camp worth taking, except for the people to be used for labor or in an extreme case – food.
He couldn’t eat any more, setting the bowl on the ground. Dorothy reached out her hand, asking for it. She then handed it to one of the other women who scrapped the remains back into the pot.
Dorothy offered an explanation after seeing his puzzled look, “We can’t waste even a little bit.”
He then realized how they must have really felt when he took the two fish. So, why were they treating him so well? He was becoming suspicious. “Thank you for your hospitality, but since there is still some daylight, I should be on my way.”
As he stood to leave, the boys moved in closer, showing their spears aggressively.
Dorothy stood, shaking her head and motioning for the
boys to stay back. “Before you leave, we have something important to ask you.” She paused. “Would you be willing to stay with us?”
It was the last thing Peck expected. He was slightly confused and wasn’t sure how to answer. It was obvious the boys resented his being there. If he said yes, what would he be agreeing to? And if he said no, would they actually let him leave, or force him to stay. He knew he could handle one or two of these boys at a time, but together he was at a distinct disadvantage.
She continued while he thought about his response, “We noticed your uniform. Were you in law enforcement?”
He hadn’t thought about his clothing, looking down at himself, realizing he was wearing what was left of his Guard uniform. “Something like that.”
“I’m sure there are things you could teach our boys.”
“It looks like you’re doing fine,” said Peck.
“Then you won’t consider staying?”
“I told you, I have plans to go north.”
“Why north?”
“There’s a place I have to check out.”
“It doesn’t sound like you have a real reason to go. You could be a leader here.”
Being a leader was something that once appealed to Peck. That was why he had put up with Damon and Davis for so long. And it had paid off when he was made Master of the Guard. The downside was that he had reached as high as he could go in the hierarchy. He had since given up on the dream of being any more, satisfied to find where he could just fit in and lead a normal life. But now, that desire was reemerging as Dorothy lured him to stay. She was obviously their leader now, but in time he could change that. Alabaster Caverns was only a possible place to restart.
“I suppose I could stay for a while.”
“Good. Come with me and I’ll show you where you’ll stay.”
Peck stood when she stood. “I have my own place?”
“We were praying for someone to come and help us, and here you are.”
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