by Hannah Ross
"Yeah, it has, hasn't it?" Barry walked her to the gate of the camp, then surprised her by walking her to the border of the Fat Bears' district.
"You can head back, Barry. I'm almost home anyway."
"You know, Jen." He paused for a few seconds. "I'm not sure how to put this…but…if you ever feel like you want a different camp, well, you can always find a home with us. You see how well we're doing. We're all nice and settled now, and have plenty of supplies. You'll be taken care of, and your little girl as well."
Jen tried to sound polite and friendly. "That's an unexpected offer, Barry. I'll have to think about it."
He looked pleased. "I hope you do. You know where to find us. Remember, you are always welcome. Always."
As soon as she turned a corner, she sped up and hurried in the direction of home. Ben and Enzo caught up with her a minute later.
Ben looked anxious. "Are you all right? You were in there for ages. We were wondering whether we should go looking for you."
"I'm OK, though a few times I came this close to punching that slimeball in the face. Never mind that, though. Andy was right, Ben. He's got weapons, I'm almost sure of it."
Ben and Enzo exchanged a dark look. "I'm not surprised," said Enzo.
"You know Barry better than any of us," Ben told Enzo as they all started walking toward camp. "What do you think he intends to do?"
"You must understand," said Enzo, "I was never really Barry's friend. I'm not sure he has any friends, or even wants any. He's too fond of bossing people around. But…what does he want to do with weapons? Nothing good, if you ask me. Perhaps he just keeps them just so he can intimidate people. Perhaps he has something worse in mind."
A hurried council was held as soon as they got back to camp.
"Barry can't be trusted with a warehouse full of weapons," declared Andy. He cracked his knuckles in a menacing sort of way.
"Good luck with that, Andy," said Tom.
"Where do you think he got these weapons, assuming he really has them?" asked Sidney.
"From his Mexican friends, I guess," said Ben. "They brought a very impressive supply last time, with the idea of using it against the people in the Boundary."
"That's just crazy. The Tower's army would slaughter them. You know, it's funny how little the people in the Tower think about what's happening beyond the Boundary. It's like they believe nothing is left from the old world but their own enclosed limited space. That's a very dangerous illusion."
"So what do you think we should do, Ben?" asked Enzo.
"I'll tell you what," said Ben. "We'll wait until morning, then go and visit all the camps in the city. We'll talk to everyone and make them understand how dangerous this is. I doubt it'll take much convincing since no one really trusts Barry. Then we'll go to the Fat Bears' camp and make him hand over the weapons. We'll split them between us and make a commitment to only use them for hunting."
"Barry's not going to like it," warned Enzo. "Not even a little bit."
"I know, but if all the camps are united against him, he can't hope to stand alone. I think…I hope he'll realize that and not start something."
Most of the faces around him looked doubtful, but since nobody could come up with anything better, they agreed to proceed with this plan first thing in the morning.
Ben woke in the middle of the night with the surreal feeling his bed was shaking. For a moment he was sure it must be a dream, until he heard Jen's scared voice behind the partition.
"What's going on?"
"I have no idea."
"What's the matter?" Jimmy asked through a yawn. "Who's rattling my bed?"
Leslie woke up and started crying. Edeline's anxious voice could be heard soothing the child.
"Come on," Sidney yelled, his voice, sharp and alert. "We have to get out of here, quick."
"What? Why?" Jimmy asked. "It's the middle of the night."
"It's an earthquake. We must get to an open area. Don't take anything, there's no time. The roof might cave in on us. Just go. Get out now!"
Edeline took Leslie and Andy hoisted Ryan on his shoulders as everyone hurried out of the camp. With the ground shaking under their feet, they ran as fast as they could to the east, because it felt as though the vibrations of the earth were coming from the west. Several buildings collapsed into a heap of rubble just after they passed them. Jen looked back, shuddering.
"Come on, Jen!" gasped Edeline, balancing Leslie on her thigh with one hand and clutching a stitch in her side with the other. "We have to keep moving!"
Sidney, who ran at the head of the group with Ben, turned back and took the child from Edeline. Though the full moon was low in the sky, it provided enough light so they could all move quickly. Still, there was a great deal of confusion, but the worst part was hearing the distant, terrified screams and shouts from others who woke in terror as they had, but were too deep in the city to easily avoid collapsing buildings. Some were calling for help, but Ben, Sidney, and the other men knew there was nothing they could do until the women and children were safe.
Shaking from the quake and a few small aftershocks had stopped by the time they reached Sidney's Explorer sitting indifferent and motionless in the pale moonlight.
It was decided Sidney would drive Jen, Lauren, Edeline and the children back to the farm, while the men would turn back to the city and see what could be done to help the other camps.
Jen's face was wrought with anxiety as she climbed into the front seat next to Sidney, who looked impatient to be off. "I wonder if they felt the quake at the farm," she whispered. "I hope everyone's OK."
"Don't worry," Ben told her. "They probably didn't feel it there as much as we did here. And besides, it would be a lot easier for them to get out in the open. I'm sure they're safe."
Silent tears streamed down Edeline's face as she threw her arms around Andy's neck before sliding into the back seat with her children. Lauren, next to her, was saying an equally tearful goodbye to Ron.
"It's OK, Edie," Andy said in a low voice. "Go take care of the children and I'll join you all soon."
"I'll be back as soon as I drop them off at the farm," promised Sidney, revving the engine.
Once the car disappeared, Ben heaved a great sigh and turned to his companions. "We have to go back to the city. The worst of the earthquake seems to be over, but there's no knowing what damage has been done."
"We should stop by the camp first," said Andy, "to see if it still stands."
"Right," said Ron. "Then we can go to the other camps. There might be people who need help."
They were all relieved to find the Eagles' camp standing undamaged. Inside, things were all jumbled, and partitions lay in crumpled heaps upon the floor, but all that was necessary was a thorough tidy-up.
"At least we haven't lost the camp," Ron said.
Andy nodded. "It'll be one heck of a job, putting it all right again, but we can manage that. Come on, Ben. Help me find Edeline's first aid kit."
Once they found the kit, and gathered all the extra bandages, plasters, iodine, and cotton wool, Ron said, "We should split into two groups. Each take half the first aid supplies. We can cover more camps that way."
"Good idea," Andy said. "Ben and Tom can come with me and Enzo and Jimmy can go with you."
They divided the first aid supplies and set out into the city to survey the extent of the damage. The effects of the earthquake were immediately visible.
Tom gave a low whistle as they passed what used to be a handsome building bearing the sign Hartman, Hartman and Bond, Law Office, and now was a heap of rubble. "The earthquake seems to have done as much damage as the bombings."
Ben nodded. "We have to be careful. Some buildings might still be unstable. Don't go near any that look newly damaged."
The next hours were spent walking from camp to camp, offering what medical help they could. The first two camps they reached were both hit hard though injuries were limited to cuts and bruises, but when they reached the third, th
ey learned two couples who chose to live on the third floor of the camp building for privacy all perished when it collapsed. Thankfully, the other seventeen Tigers escaped with minor injuries.
As they carefully made their way down the middle of a narrow street, a hubbub of anxious voices nearby drew their attention. "The Spotted Cats," said Andy. "Their camp is right here. Take that left."
It would have been more correct to say the camp of the Spotted Cats was right here because when it came into view, they saw nothing but a heap of rubble and a group of people, all in disarray, around it. Small children were crying. Some people, apparently wounded, were lying on makeshift beds under an awning, attended by others who looked relatively unhurt.
A short, stocky, very freckled young man with his left arm in a sling strode forward, looking worried. "Ben, Andy? Good to see you're OK. Where's Edeline and the kids?"
Andy shook his hand. "They're alright, Carl. We were afraid there might be another earthquake and got them out of the city."
Alarmed, Carl asked, "You think there might be another one?"
"I hope not. But Sidney said aftershocks can happen for days after an earthquake."
"Then we should be on the watch. If we feel any vibrations, we get out fast."
"Any of yours seriously hurt?"
"Could have been worse. At first I wasn't sure we'd be able to get everyone out before it collapsed, but we did. Some injuries, one kind of bad, but at least no one's dead."
"Same with the Hawks and the Moose but the Tigers lost four, two couples."
"I'm sorry to hear that. Makes me even more thankful we're all alive."
"What happened to your arm?" asked Ben.
"Got cut on a shard of glass while I was getting the kids out of a window. The door got jammed. But this is nothing. Tim got it a lot worse."
He led them to one of the makeshift beds, on which a pale, semi-conscious young man was lying, covered in cold sweat, and in a lot of pain. Ben recognized him as the guy with the cleft lip who spoke in the meeting with Barry and the Mexicans.
"Hanging in there, Tim?" Carl asked. Then, in a low voice, told Ben and Andy, "We think his leg is broken and we aren't sure what to do. We're trying to keep him as still as possible, but apart from that…" He shrugged. "We don't know how to set bones."
Ben, Andy, and Tom exchanged worried looks.
"Wish we had Elisa or Gabby here," Ben said quietly. "They'd know what to do."
"We could go to the farm and bring Elisa back," Jimmy said.
"It would take days," said Andy, "even if Coleridge could drive us back."
At that moment, something happened, something, Ben later thought could only be described as a miracle. A familiar voice behind them called out, "Ben! Tom! Andy! Are you alright?"
Ben whipped around, not quite believing his eyes when he saw Sidney and Elisa, with her medicine bag in her hand, standing at the street corner. He waved and they hurried over. "What are you doing here?"
"As soon as Sidney arrived, I made him drive me here," said Elisa as she knelt next to Tim's bed and felt for his pulse. "First we stopped by the camp, but nobody was there. We figured you'd all be helping other camps, so we went to Hawks camp, since they were closest, and found we missed you by an hour or so. Then we went to the Moose, found we missed you again and headed to the Tigers." Sorrow filled her face. "It's so sad what happened there."
Sidney laid his hand on her shoulder. "We missed you there by just ten or fifteen minutes, and she figured you'd come here next."
"Did you feel the earthquake on the farm?" asked Ben.
"Hardly," Elisa said. "Just some vibrations. It seemed to come from the west, though, so we were pretty worried about you all until Sidney came." She used both hands to gingerly probe the extent of the injury which elicited a low moan from her patient.
"Will he be alright?" asked Carl, his brow creased with worry.
"The bone needs to be set and the leg needs to be put in a cast. I've done this before, but I'll need two people to help hold him down."
Reassured, Carl nodded and surveyed the heap of rubble that had been the home of the Spotted Cats. "The camp's in shambles, and all our stuff's in there."
"You can stay at our camp until you figure something out," said Andy. "The place is mostly intact, though it needs a lot of cleaning up."
It was afternoon by the time all the injured were attended to, and Tim, his leg set and bound, was transferred on a makeshift stretcher to the Eagles' camp with the rest of the Spotted Cats.
"We owe you," Carl said with a sigh of relief as they all settled down to a cold late lunch.
"Do you think anyone else in the city might need help?" Elisa asked as the door to the camp opened.
"Ron!" Andy said. "I was beginning to think you three got lost."
"Not lost. Just busy. The camps on the west side were hit pretty hard. Every camp lost people and lots more were injured. I left Enzo and Jimmy with the Elks hoping you'd be back and still have some first aid supplies left. We've all but run out."
"We have some," Ben said, "But Elisa asked about other camps needing help. Think we should go back with you to the west side?"
"No. We've got it covered. But you might want to check on the Fat Bears."
Tom almost choked. "You're suggesting we offer help to Barry?"
The rest of the Eagles exchanged glances. "I don't think we're welcome there," Ben said.
"I know. I wouldn't normally go there myself. But this is different. There's lot of people there. And after that, you can continue on through the east side. You might even get some of the Bears to come along."
"Okay. Andy and I will go check things out there. If they really need help, we'll send word back to the others."
The sun was low and the sky glowed ruby red and orange and purple when they reached the Fat Bears camp. It was clear the camp suffered great damage. The surrounding fence had fallen in places, and the apartment building that had housed the Fat Bears was half-ruined and obviously not fit to live in anymore. A few makeshift tents were erected around it, and Ben saw a couple of cooking fires. He could hear people talking in quiet, distressed voices. Once they approached, the talking died down and a young man came forward to meet them
"Luc," said Andy.
"Why, it's Ben Grey and Andy Steel," said Luc. "Can't imagine what you might want here."
"We've come to see how you're doing," said Ben.
"That's mighty nice of you, considering everything," said Luc, "but you needn't be concerned… not about us, anyway."
Andy frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Why, just what he said," Barry's drawling voice said as he stepped out from the corner of a building. Despite a few scratches on the side of his face, he looked unscathed and unshaken. "We're fine. Still have all our people and almost all of our supplies. Of course, the camp itself will need some major renovations."
"Well, good luck with that," Ben said, his voice cold.
"It's really kind of you, to drop by and offer your help with rebuilding."
Ben and Andy exchanged a glance. "We didn't offer you anything, Barry," Andy said.
Barry arched an eyebrow. "Oh? Wasn't that why you had come? To say you'll be happy to pitch in and work on fitting up a new house for us? Well then…" He shrugged. "I guess you'll do it anyway."
"What are you talking about?" Ben snapped.
"Plain and simple, Ben Grey. Either you lend a hand with rebuilding, or you never set foot in this city again."
Andy let out a derisive snort. "These threats won't get you too far, Barry. Now, if you really needed help and asked for it nicely… Well, never mind. Come on, Ben, let's get out of here."
They already turned their backs on Barry when his voice made them look back. "I mean it. You should have learned to take me seriously by now. Why don't you have a little chat with the Dirt Snakes, for example? I've just been around their camp to remind them to refill some of the supplies we lost in the earthquake."
Ben fel
t disgusted. "I heard the camp of the Dirt Snakes was damaged worse than yours."
"Yup, they got hit pretty bad. But that's how things work in hard times. Everybody helps each other out."
"Oh yeah?" Andy took a step forward. "And how are you going to help the Snakes?"
"Why, by allowing them to remain in the city."
"You've got some nerve, Barry," Ben said. "Let's go, Andy."
As they walked out of the Fat Bears' camp, Barry called after them: "Either you show up here and get to work, or you can expect a visit from us, and it won't be a friendly one. You have three days."
"This is unbelievable," Andy muttered through gritted teeth as they made their way home. "Unbelievable. Though I guess I shouldn't be shocked. Trust Barry to milk any situation to his advantage."
"Do you think he means it?" Ben asked after a pause. "His threats, I mean. Work for him or wish you had."
"I don't care," Andy declared. "He might bully the Snakes, but he won't bully us. I'm not taking any more of his shit."
A pleasant surprise awaited Ben when they arrived back at their home camp. From some distance, he heard the soft neighing of a horse. At first he thought he must be mistaken, but when they turned a corner, he saw horses tethered close to the camp entrance, including a beautiful black mare.
"Isn't that Ink?" said Andy, sounding as astonished as he looked.
Ben did not reply, but felt an immense swoop somewhere in the region of his stomach which had nothing to do with the rollercoaster of a day.
The camp was dimly lit by candles. As soon as they entered, they were hit by the roar of many voices shouting out with gladness and relief. Ben had never seen the place so packed. A small figure detached itself from the others and ran to them. It was Raven, and her face was screwed up with the effort of not crying as she flung her arms around Ben's neck.
"Ben! Oh, thank goodness you're OK…you're all OK. I didn't know what to think."
"How…how did you get here so fast?" he asked, stunned.
"We felt the earthquake. Only a bit, fortunately, and anyway, in our summer camp there's nothing to fall on our heads but tents. But it came from the direction of the city, and we knew people might have gotten hurt. I rode up with Fred, Tanya, and Dan, and we took supplies and bandages and anything that might be of help if someone is wounded. They spread around the city, and I went here to check on Andy and the others. When I heard you were here but had gone to see the Fat Bears I…I wondered what Barry might do."