by Hannah Ross
Finally, someone fumbled with the lock and Kate appeared at the door, tousle-haired and wearing her bathrobe. Tony, in old sweatpants and a t-shirt with torn-off sleeves, stood close behind, suppressing a yawn.
"Goodness, Charlie, what happened?" Kate's eyes were open wide with apprehension. "It's one o'clock in the morning."
"I'm sorry, but this couldn't wait until morning. We've been discovered. They're on your tail."
Kate appeared stupefied with shock. "But how... how do you know?"
"I have some friends from medical school who are pretty well-connected. Someone from the high echelons who owes me quite a few favors called and said that if the rumor is right and I'm treating Illegals within the Boundary, I had better get them away before the White Tower lays hands on them and makes them disappear, along with myself. I was also warned that the government people know who smuggled Illegals with no IDs across the Boundary. It's enough to get you in prison for a good long time, guys. You must make a run for it."
"But the people," Kate insisted. "What about them? If your clinic is being watched…"
"Don't worry, I've them split up between safe places. They should be fine. You and Tony are quite another matter. You have to clear out right now if you want a shot at making it to the crossing point before they catch you."
"Alright," said Tony, coming to grips with the situation and throwing phones, a battered laptop, some clothes and shoes into two backpacks.
"Wait," Hill said. He pulled two thin, metal cases from his pocket. "Turn off your phones and put them in these."
"Why?" Kate asked.
"Because until you're far outside the Boundary, they can use triangulation to track the location of your phone."
"Damn, he's right," Tony said. "I can't believe I forgot that. Thanks, man." A minute later, he returned the encased phones to the backpacks and zipped them shut. "Leave the rest of the stuff, Kate. You heard the man. We have to get away from here."
Kate's hand got stuck on the zipper of her jacket. She tugged on it until finally, it was zipped up.
"Let's get going," Tony said as he pulled his car keys from his pocket.
"You might as well put those away," Charlie said. "You can't use your car, Tony. I'll eat my hat if they don't have it in their database."
"Damn! You're right again! I must still be half-asleep." Tony frowned, putting the keys back into his pocket. "But what are we going to do? Hitchhike all the way to the Boundary? It would hardly be safer."
Dr. Hill gave a small smile. "I'm driving you, of course."
Kate's eyes widened. "You're taking an awful risk there, Charlie."
"Am I, now? I'm not doing anything illegal. Not yet, anyway. Tomorrow morning, when your faces will be plastered all over huge 'Wanted' posters across the Islands, assisting you might well be a federal crime."
The three of them got in Charlie's car, Kate and Tony both in the back seat. "Keep your heads down as much as possible. Ready?"
The car made a sharp U-turn. Not long after, they were already speeding down the highway leading away from the Country Island. Two police cars with sirens blaring and lights flashing passed them in the opposite direction.
"Are they going after us?" Kate asked. Only the top of her head was visible above her seat.
"I don't know, and I doubt it would be a good idea to turn back and try to find out," Hill said. "In the meantime, why don't we keep up to date with the news?"
He turned on the radio knob, and the rushed, urgent voice of the speaker filled the car. "...been told the two suspects apparently belong to a terrorist group that aims to overthrow peace and stability within the Boundary. The most recent addition to the arsenal of their biological weapons is the usage of Illegals infected with various diseases the people of the Boundary might be susceptible to. The suspects, Kate and Anthony Wayne, are highly dangerous and must be apprehended at once. We urge the public to assist in locating them, but strongly advise against attempting to capture them single-handedly, as these terrorists will balk at nothing to have their way. Now, Earl Newman, our criminal reporter, would like to add..." Charlie turned the volume down, and the reporter's voice was reduced to an indistinct murmur.
"We got the gist of it, don't you think?"
Kate looked sick to her stomach. "Oh my God. You came not a moment too soon, Charlie."
"I'll bet the guards at the crossing points have been warned as well," Tony said.
Dr. Hill nodded. "I'm sure of it. Still, I have a pass and my license, and I hope my authority can help a little." He stopped the car at a dark and desolate roadside, got out, and took a couple of pillows and a canvas sheet out of the trunk.
"I'm sorry - you're going to be a little uncomfortable for a while, but we don't have much choice," he said. "Unbuckle your seat belts and get down to the floor. Keep as quiet and still as possible."
Once the two complied, Hill arranged the pillows and the canvas sheet above their heads. Kate and Tony remained in utter, stifling darkness.
"Can you breathe?" Charlie asked anxiously.
"Uh-huh," said Kate's muffled voice. "We're OK, Charlie, just drive on."
After a while, the pitch darkness and the swaying motion of the car lulled Kate to fall asleep, her head against Tony's shoulder. She was jerked awake by the gust of cold air that entered the car through a rolled-down window. Two voices, one belonging to Hill, the other to someone they didn't know, were talking.
"Dr. Hill, huh? And what takes you across the Boundary at such an hour?"
"Registry business," Charlie made his smooth reply. "Pretty urgent, actually, so I'd appreciate it if you could speed this is up a little."
"All in good time, all in good time," the guard said. His seat creaked as he got off it. "Could you open the trunk, please? Hmm. Nothing interesting there, I see. What about the back seat? What's that canvas for?"
"Yesterday, I drove contaminated cargo in this vehicle. The seats are covered as a preventative measure. I can open them if you want, but the biohazard..."
"No, no need to, doc," the guard said, hastily backing off. "You go on. Let me just put a stamp on this pass of yours."
Once the crossing was left well behind, Dr. Hill let out a long sigh of relief. "We have to thank our lucky stars that guy was so thick. I didn't really have time to think of a decent cover story."
Kate and Tony, who had pushed back the stifling cover of the canvas and pillows, were gradually recovering. A faint pink line of dawn appeared behind them in the east.
"That was a close call," Tony said. "I'll bet they're going to interrogate you, Charlie."
Dr. Hill shrugged. "Let them. I'm well-connected enough to make it worthwhile for them to treat me gently. They can't just make me disappear and expect to get away with it. You, on the other hand... You can't stay in Resurrection Town or at your parents' farm, Kate. It's out of the question. In fact, I would advise you to not even appear there, so your family isn't implicated. More than it already is, I mean."
"You're right, Charlie," Tony said. "We can no longer play at abiding the law of the Boundary in any form. We've burned our bridges. We'll get right to the heart of the Resistance. But first we'll have to make it to the lands of the Freeborn."
"Maybe we'll meet my brother again along the way," Kate added.
The morning had already dawned bright and golden when they said goodbye to Hill about a mile outside Resurrection Town. "Take care of yourself, Charlie," Kate said, giving him a hug. "And of the survivors, too. They've been through enough. Don't let the TIO or any other of the White Tower bastards get their hands on them."
"Don't worry," Charlie said. "If there's need to, we'll smuggle them out of the Boundary, but in the meantime I want to keep monitoring them. Some of the people, sadly, will be in need of medical care for the rest of their lives."
"Thanks for everything, Charlie," Tony said, shaking hands.
"It's a long walk," Charlie said, looking at the crumbling road stretching off to the west. "Are you sure you'll
be alright?"
Kate smiled. "Don't worry. I'm sure that soon enough we'll meet someone to speed us along."
15
________________________________
Ben and a few others looked down from a clump of tall rocks at the work carried on in the valley below, where men were busy assembling some pre-constructed buildings. A large sign saying "Breakthrough Point: Federal Property" was mounted at the end of the newly laid gravel path.
"I'm not sure we ought to do anything about this, Thunder Cloud," Ben said in a whisper. "These are men from the Boundary, not Freeborn. And it doesn't look like they're setting up a Registry camp. I think it's a new settlement. We could just leave them alone as long as they aren't bothering us."
Thunder Cloud, however, shook his head. "Why should they come to settle so far south? This is a statement, Ben, make no mistake about it. Do you think just retreating, and defending ourselves, and trying to save the refugees will be enough? They will come to get us in the end. No, if we really want to push back, we must attack. We have always known this."
Ben thought about this for a moment. "Alright, then. But let's try to avoid hurting anybody unless we have to."
"Don't worry. We place a far higher value on human life than they do."
They waited until sunset, when they knew the construction workers would all gather in the hastily built mess hall to have their supper. Only a few guards, none too vigilant, were left to pace to and fro on the fringes of the site. Once Thunder Cloud had given the signal, the Resistance fighters swooped down upon the flimsy little outpost.
"This is not a game," Thunder Cloud declared. "Weapons down and hands up, or you're dead!"
The surprise attack left the Boundary men no chance. The guards, trembling and almost speechless with shock, obeyed at once. People began to filter out of the mess hall, their hands held up, palms open, under the pointed rifles of the men who came as if crashing down from the sky.
All of a sudden, several gunshots reverberated from out back and, with a jolt of horror, Ben saw Morning Sky slide down to the ground with no more than a weak moan. A group of armed government scouts the Resistance men hadn't known about, and therefore couldn't have taken into account, returned to the settlement from a terrain survey.
"Find shelter!" Thunder Cloud called out, leaping behind an empty barrel and raising his rifle. A bullet whined by Ben's head as he plunged down, crawling on his stomach and attempting to find a place of relative safety in the hell that suddenly opened all around him. Another of their men fell, and Ben was afraid to even look back and see which one it was. Two government guards were taken down by Thunder Cloud as several breeched their line. Another one, who was out of ammo, grabbed Ben in despair, trying to wrench the gun out of his hand. Ben was losing his hold on the handle, his sweaty fingers were slipping off one by one, when almost without thinking, he plunged his left hand into his moccasin and drew out a long thin knife that he kept there for emergencies. A lightning-sharp movement, and Ben was nearly crushed by the weight of the attacker, who sagged with a groan, pinning him down.
With great difficulty, Ben extricated himself and, with a sick and lost feeling, saw his opponent vanquished in a pool of his own blood. The man twitched for a few seconds and lay still, his eyes unseeing and glassy. Ben fought the urge to vomit, and managed to suppress it. I can't give in. I must hold on.
All around, the battle was being wrapped up, with the surviving government men disarmed and tied up. They had received unexpected aid, Ben realized, from a tall, stocky blonde stranger who was now conferring with Thunder Cloud. There was something familiar about him, but Ben couldn't quite pinpoint it at the moment. He assumed the stranger was from another Resistance troop, called over by a signal fire they had made the evening before.
Ben was still staring down, transfixed, at the man he stabbed. Just in case, he checked for a pulse. There was none. He never killed a man before, and never thought he would have to, prior to this campaign. Killing was anathema to the Pact, which valued human life, scarce and precious, above all else. His hands were shaking.
"You alright, Ben?" a familiar voice asked as he felt a hand on his shoulder. "I know what you're thinking," Thunder Cloud said, "but we had no choice. Absolutely none. As it was, we were hanging on a very thin thread for a moment there. We lost Morning Sky." Despite his efforts, there was a momentary catch in his voice. "But if it hadn't been for this fellow, things would have been worse still."
Ben turned toward the stranger who was standing a little behind Thunder Cloud, arms crossed. He made himself focus on the scene, mostly to delay the numbing pain. But a careful look at the man's face made him jump.
"Barry!" he gasped.
Barry the Bear was a little thinner and looked considerably older. His blonde hair was peppered with grey and a neatly trimmed beard softened the lines of his chin, but it was impossible to mistake him for anyone else. Shock kept Ben silent for a moment or two, to be replaced by a flash of indignation and clenched fists.
"Me," nodded Barry, calmly. "You must be wondering how I got here, Ben Grey."
"No. I'm more interested in understanding why you think you're allowed to show your ugly face around here. When we said we never wanted to see you as long as we live, we meant it, Oso."
Thunder Cloud was frowning at the big blonde man. "You aren't from one of the other Resistance camps, then?"
"You've never lived in the city area where the Eagles set up camp for a few years, Thunder Cloud," Ben said, "and never had the misfortune to meet this piece of shit here. I could start telling you about all the things he was responsible for, but..."
"But we don't really have any time for this," Barry said as he turned to Thunder Cloud. "Yes, we had some... misunderstandings in the past, and I went to Mexico and then South America, where I made a pretty good life for myself. But I grew homesick as the years passed. I heard the White Tower was stirring up trouble again so I came north to see if there's anything I can do to help. If you'll accept help from me, of course."
Ben snorted. "You really expect me to buy this, Barry?"
"I don't know, Ben," Thunder Cloud said. "This man just saved all our lives. We can't simply dismiss him. And we need every capable fighter, no doubt about that."
Ben looked square in Barry's face. "Give me one good reason why you showed up now. And none of that crap about wanting to help us. What's in it for you?"
"What's in it for me? I hate the White Tower. I hate the Boundary and what it stands for – the good enough in, the rest out. I've wanted to get back at them for ages. You remember that, Ben. It was you and your little girlfriend Raven who stopped me under the pretext that it isn't sensible. Or have you forgotten? You wouldn't fight the government then. Now you're forced to do it. So who was right?"
"Not you, Bear," Ben said, but he realized he would have to let this go for the moment. Thunder Cloud's people didn't know Barry and didn't feel the same aversion towards him as Ben did. They were inclined to give the newcomer a chance so Ben resolved to keep an eye on the Bear at all times.
Two people approached the body of Morning Sky, their heads down. They covered the fallen warrior with a blanket. Thunder Cloud's jaw was clenched. "I don't know how I'm going to tell his woman," he muttered. "There is a little child, too."
"Barry killed a friend of mine many years ago, out of nothing but pure jealousy and spite," Ben said. "Michael had a woman and a child as well."
Thunder Cloud nodded, a crease between his eyebrows. "You haven't forgotten, Ben. I wouldn't have either. But we can't afford to push away this man, or any man who is willing to fight against the White Tower with us."
Ben had a lot more to say, but he bit his tongue. He realized arguing would be futile right now.
They built a funeral pyre for Morning Sky right outside the fence, with the captive government men watching with wide, horrified eyes, clearly wondering whether the savages with the feathers and the painted faces would make them jump in the flames as well. The plume
s of smoke rose high into the sky, making Ben's eyes water. He was grateful for that, however, for otherwise he would have had no dignified excuse for the moisture seeping from beneath his eyelids. Furtively, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
"How are all your friends?" Ben heard Barry's odious voice ask. "Still live at the same camp?"
He turned to face him. "Some do. Some have made their own households, though. Like Jen and Enzo, for example." Ben felt a thrill of savage pleasure at informing Barry his secret love had chosen another, one who used to be Barry's second in command.
The Bear chuckled. "Enzo and Jen? Who would have believed it? I'm pretty sure she would have had you, Ben, if you had the sense to try for her rather than chase after that obnoxious Raven, and then that other woman I heard you have now."
"You leave my wife out of this," Ben hissed through clenched teeth. He had not the least wish to discuss his personal life with Barry.
* * *
After the flames died down, Thunder Cloud gestured toward the government men and asked, "What are we going to do with them, I wonder? We've disarmed them, but they aren't likely to make it all the way to the east on foot without even the means to hunt."
"Who cares?" said Darren, who was Morning Sky's friend and in a pretty savage mood.
"I wouldn't let them go, if I were you," Barry said.
Thunder Cloud raised his eyebrows. "What do you suggest, then?"
"Take them with you, or dispatch a few men to take them to a more secure camp. These men can come in useful as a bargaining chip if you're ever trading captives."
Thunder Cloud considered this. "We have never tried that. I don't know if we have enough food to spare for captives."
"Make them earn their keep, then. Set them to fish or lay traps or do whatever jobs you need."
Ben looked at Barry with distaste. "I know you've never grasped this concept, Bear, but we don't keep slaves or threaten people to work for us."