by Summer Lane
“Everything happens for a reason.” Cheng laughed. “Even the end of the world.”
Elle raised an eyebrow. She wasn’t particularly enthused with Cheng’s sense of humor. In fact, she didn’t know why he was talking to her anyway. What did he want?
She stood.
“Nice chat,” she said. “But I’ve got to go.”
She motioned to Bravo and he followed her down the steps.
“Elle,” Cheng called.
Elle paused and turned around.
“Nice blade,” he said, gesturing to her katana.
There was a mischievous spark in his eyes.
Elle wanted to like him, but she knew better. She kept her face expressionless and headed toward the Civilian Ward on the edge of the camp. She never looked back, but she could feel Cheng’s eyes on her until she disappeared around the corner.
“I don’t trust him,” she whispered. “What do you think?”
Bravo trotted ahead.
He smelled trustworthy.
“So not helping.”
He did!
Elle rolled her eyes.
She would worry about Cheng later. Right now, she needed to decide what their next move was. She needed a place to live. She couldn’t keep wandering aimlessly for the duration of the apocalypse. She couldn’t keep chasing her uncle around, hoping to catch him at some point in the state. She needed stability and shelter, not just for her, but for Bravo.
He deserved that much.
After everything, they both did.
The Civilian Ward was noisy. There were lots of children. Mothers nursed sickly infants while toddlers whined and cooed. Elle curled up on a cot in the corner, her back to the wall. She watched everyone wander around. The wall of noise was deafening to her – loud and annoying. It was enough to drive you crazy.
Bravo didn’t look too happy about it either. He lay on his stomach, his head between his front paws, a distressed expression on his face.
“I know,” Elle muttered. “Too loud.”
She and Bravo were used to the silence of abandoned landscapes and empty cities. There was none of that here. All of these people, crammed into a small space, most of them unwashed and sweaty.
Elle sat on the edge of the cot. Skylights in the high ceiling allowed sunlight to filter into the building. She stood up. She didn’t want to be here anymore. She walked through the crowd of people. Bravo followed, eager to make his escape, too.
As soon as she walked outside, she took a deep breath of pure, cold air. It felt good. The military compound was still as busy as ever. Civilian survivors were being checked in at the front gates.
Something about seeing these people affected her. It was rare to find a place where people helped each other these days. This was a treasure. A diamond amidst the callous ashes of the apocalypse.
“Bravo, come,” Elle said.
She moved forward, walking through the camp. Bravo trotted beside her, his ears pricked up. He was happy to be out of the Civilian Ward. Elle reached the main building and walked up the steps, pushing through the heavy metal doors. The guards near the front desk paused. A woman with gray hair and a dark jacket looked through her glasses as they walked inside.
“Miss Costas,” she stated. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in the Civilian Ward, according to Lieutenant Felix.”
“I’m here to talk to him,” Elle replied.
The woman sighed dramatically and stood.
“He’s in his office,” she said. “Wait here.”
She walked through the busy room. When she appeared again, she said, “Go ahead.”
Elle nodded and walked through the building.
“Hold it,” the woman said.
Elle turned around.
“Leave the dog here. We don’t want animals inside Headquarters.”
Elle raised an eyebrow.
“Bravo comes with me,” Elle stated.
She kept walking. The woman must have seen something dangerous in Elle’s face, because she dropped the subject.
They reached the Secure Room, where they had met last night. Felix was standing at a table, tracing his finger along a map. He looked up and smiled broadly when Elle walked in.
“Miss Costas,” he exclaimed. “Have my men been taking good care of you?”
“Yes.” Elle motioned to Bravo with her left hand, and he sat. “Bravo and I appreciate your help – and the food.”
“That’s what Bear Mountain is here for.” Felix splayed his fingers on the table. “Have you met Cheng?” He gestured to the back of the room. Elle turned, alarmed to see the tall Asian boy on the far side of the room, leaning casually against a map nailed to the wall.
He smiled.
“We’ve met,” Cheng said, a languid expression on his face.
Elle looked away.
“Good.” Felix walked around the table and reached his hand toward Bravo.
The dog released a warning growl and Felix drew his hand back quickly.
“Ah, I see he’s not the friendly type,” Felix commented.
“He’ll warm up to you,” Elle replied.
“Cheng and I were just having a chat about you two,” Felix went on, clearing his throat. “We believe you could be valuable to Bear Mountain. You’re a survivor, and a fighter. You’ve got a bomb dog. That’s an asset. You could help the operation here. Bring in survivors, save lives. How does that sound to you?”
Elle looked at the floor.
And there it was. A chance to start over – to do something with her life, to be helpful. She could have food and protection. She would be doing something good.
“We could really use your help, Elle,” Felix said.
The smug expression on his face was gone. He looked tired in that moment – just as tired and scared as everyone else was during these terrifying times. He took a seat in a metal chair and folded his hands.
“The truth is, Elle,” he went on, “is that this base’s survival depends on volunteers like you. We are not an army. We’re not technically military, either. We’re different. We don’t attack military targets. We stay hidden and hope to stay off Omega’s radar. That’s how we operate.”
Elle pondered this.
She really had no way to find her uncle at this point. Sure, he was in Sacramento, but that was a long journey, and by the time she got there, he could be gone again. If she stayed here, she could survive in the seclusion of Bear Mountain, helping survivors of the Collapse.
“If I stay,” she said, “Bravo is with me. He will be treated just like any other volunteer. Same rights, same treatment.”
Felix nodded.
“Of course,” he agreed.
“And I want privacy,” she continued. “I don’t want to stay in the Civilian Ward. I don’t care if you give me a cardboard box to sleep in, I just want to be alone.”
Felix smiled.
“Absolutely,” he said. “You won’t regret this. We’ll be able to help you as much as you’ll be able to help us.”
Elle wasn’t so sure.
But something was bubbling up in the pit of her stomach, rising through her chest. Was it…excitement? Was she happy? She shook herself. It didn’t do any good to get her hopes up. This arrangement might not work out. She might have to leave tomorrow. She couldn’t get comfortable here.
Still…she allowed herself to smile. Barely.
“Welcome to the team,” Cheng said.
Bravo rested his chin on Elle’s knee.
So. We’re playing on a team now?
“Thank you,” Elle said.
Felix shook his head.
“Thank you,” he answered. “You won’t regret this.”
Elle licked her lips. Between Felix’s enthusiasm and Cheng’s grin, it was hard to believe that anything was wrong with this arrangement. Sure, she knew better than to trust them completely, but this was the best option they had right now.
Survival was a game. Play it right, and you get to live.
Elle was go
od at playing this game.
This looked like the right move.
“You can stay with Cheng’s division in the back of the compound,” Felix said. “He can show you where it is.”
Cheng nodded, pleased.
“This way, little ninja,” he said.
Elle clicked her tongue and Bravo followed her out the door, right behind Cheng. They exited the Headquarters building and moved outside.
“So. You’re working for them now.” Cheng tilted his head, each of his steps the length of two of Elle’s. “How does it feel?”
“I don’t know. How should it feel?” Elle replied.
“That’s a question only you can answer.” Cheng led them across the compound, past the Civilian Ward and the Chow Hall, to a smaller concrete building with the number one painted in red on the door. “This is where people like us stay.”
“People like us?”
“Hired help.”
She stepped inside. The building was mostly empty right now. It was dark. Strips of sunlight slipped through cracks in the wall. There were canvas cots. Four or five people were asleep, huddled under blankets.
“You can have the cot in the far corner,” Cheng said. “Mine is here by the door.”
He gestured to a perfectly clean cot with one blanket and pillow.
Elle dropped her field pack onto the bed.
“Come on,” Cheng continued, “I want to show you something.”
They closed the door and Elle and Bravo followed Cheng to the very back of the compound, behind the building. A concrete wall separated Bear Mountain Military Base from the side of the mountain. Metal stakes had been driven into the ground. There were punching bags, targets and a makeshift wrestling mat.
“What is this supposed to be?” Elle asked.
“Training.” Cheng playfully punched the black bag. “We aren’t soldiers, so we find our own ways to stay sharp.”
Elle looked around, impressed.
“How many volunteers are there?” she asked.
“Like us?” Cheng shrugged. “You’ve got the regular militia volunteers, the ones with the guns who run around in the convoys and keep Omega out of our hair.” He wiggles his eyebrows. “But we are the crazy ones, Elle. We are the ones who go into the burning buildings to save the babies. We are considerably fewer. There are four of us now.”
“Just four?”
“You, me, the dog, and-”
“Me.” A stern female voice rang across the training yard. Elle watched a trim, tall girl with chalky white skin cross the distance. Her hair was white. Her eyes were pale and colorless. She, like Cheng, was also Asian.
“Who’s the fresh meat?” she demanded.
“This is Elle,” Cheng said. “Elle…this is Luli.”
Elle nodded.
“What’s with the dog?” Luli demanded.
“His name is Bravo,” Elle said.
Luli was dressed in different shades of brown. A long leather jacket fell to her knees. A pair of sunglasses sat on her head, a stark contrast to the startlingly white shade of her hair. Her eyes were smudged with what looked like grease or tar – she looked like a steampunk poster child.
“Elle and Bravo are part of the Wolf Pack now,” Cheng said.
“The Wolf Pack?” Elle smirked.
“It’s our official name,” Cheng explained.
“No. It’s what Cheng wants our official name to be,” Luli corrected, rolling her eyes. “We don’t actually have a title outside of volunteers.”
“Volunteers just doesn’t have the same ring to it,” Cheng said, feigning hurt.
“Sorry, but not that sorry.” Luli studied Elle’s appearance. “You carry a sword, kid? What for?”
“Killing people,” Elle replied, flat.
At this, Luli flashed a cunning smile.
“Have you seen Cheng use his sword?” she asked.
“No.”
Luli looked at Cheng.
“You should demonstrate to the newbie,” she suggested. “So she knows what she’s dealing with.”
Elle glared. She didn’t take kindly to being pushed around, and she didn’t appreciate Luli’s superior attitude.
Luli took Cheng aside for a moment and whispered in his ear. It was an intimate gesture, and for some reason, Elle blushed. She wondered if Luli and Cheng were romantically involved, and then she scolded herself for even caring.
The girl looks sick, Bravo observed
“She’s albino,” Elle whispered.
Albino?
“She can’t go out in the sun.”
Bravo tilted his head.
I’m glad I’ve got fur.
“Elle,” Luli said, folding her arms. “Let’s see what you can do with the sword. If you’re going to be a part of this team, we’ve got to know where your skill level is.”
Elle said, “I don’t need to prove myself to you.”
“We’ve got an important job,” Luli snapped. “We go out and find civilian survivors and bring them here – most of the time, it’s pretty dangerous. So. Test. Your. Skill.” She paused. “Now..”
Cheng smiled half-heartedly at Elle, as if to apologize for Luli’s behavior.
Elle sized Cheng up. He was tall and lean. The way he carried himself told her that he was quick and alert. She took a couple of steps back and waved Bravo to the side. He hesitated, hovering near the edge of the wall, watching closely.
Elle drew her katana. The light metal was a familiar weight in her hands. She held it defensively as Cheng walked to the side, drawing his own katana. His had a green jade handle.
“Two minutes,” Luli said. “Go.”
Elle didn’t move. Cheng studied her like a cat before springing forward. But he did not take Elle by surprise. Her heart beat a little faster and the blood rushed through her veins as she stepped aside, whirling in a neat circle and bringing her blade up, meeting Cheng’s steel with a clang. He smiled and laughed aloud, color flushing his cheeks. Elle felt a rush of adrenaline.
Cheng deftly stabbed toward Elle’s abdomen. She danced aside, as quickly and as lightly as a ballerina. She parried and blocked, spun and charged. She and Cheng sparred with each other until Luli yelled, “It’s been two minutes!”
Elle jumped backward, panting, sweat dripping down her face.
Cheng wasn’t breathing quite as hard, but his eyes were sparkling.
“Well,” Luli said, hands on her hips. “Not bad. Not good, but not bad.”
Cheng added, “You have skill, little ninja.”
Elle sheathed her sword.
“Thanks.”
“But you could be better,” Cheng went on. “Your techniques are good, but they’re not fluid. You taught yourself to use this sword, didn’t you?”
“I was surviving,” Elle answered.
“Your movements are jerky,” Luli stated, monotone.
“I took this sword from a dead man in Santa Monica,” Elle replied, deadpan. “It’s not like I was some great warrior before the apocalypse. I’ve learned on the job.”
“I can teach you,” Cheng said. “You can be better than good. You can be great.”
Elle didn’t say yes. But she didn’t say no, either.
She looked at Bravo.
Do it, his eyes said. Learning is good.
“When can we start?” she asked.
Cheng’s lips curved upward.
“Right now,” he said.
“The most important part of using your sword,” Cheng said, “is in acknowledging that it is a part of you. It should be an extension of your body, a piece of your soul.” He twirled his katana around, the late evening sun burning blood orange against the concrete wall.
Elle sat cross-legged in the dirt. Her jacket had been tossed aside. She was flushed and sweating, her dark T-shirt sticking to her back. Cheng kneeled down, pointing at the red scar on her cheek.
“Where did you get that?” he asked.
Elle stood up.
“Unfortunate circumstances,”
she replied.
Cheng’s mouth twitched into a smile.
“So mysterious,” he commented. “I like it.”
“I will stab you with this sword.”
“Please try. I would welcome the entertainment.”
Elle wanted to be angry, but Cheng’s lighthearted tone made it difficult. She almost laughed as she rolled forward on the balls of her feet, lifting her katana. Cheng blocked her attack and dove right, pressing the tip of his steel blade against the nape of her neck.
“You’re dead, little ninja,” he said.
Elle dropped her arm, frustrated.
“You’re not focused,” Cheng told her, facing her.
“I am.”
“You’re not.”
“I am.”
“No, you’re not.” He stepped closer, inches away from Elle’s face. “When you fight, Elle, you are not focused on your opponent. You should live and breathe the fight – become the fight. But you are distracted by your environment. I’ve watched your eyes. You’re trying to watch everything around you. Don’t.”
“If I don’t watch my surroundings, somebody else could sneak up behind me and cut my head off,” Elle deadpanned. “I can’t let my guard down.”
“You won’t.” Cheng made a circular motion with his finger. “When you are focused like you should be, nothing will escape your attention. Nothing.” He sheathed his sword. “I suggest taking time to relax.”
Elle rolled her eyes.
She said, “I’m here to practice with swords, not relax.”
“One helps the other.” Cheng sheathed his sword, too. “We have been practicing for a long time. You’re good, Elle. But you won’t get any better until you can focus your mind and calm down.”
“Sure, sure,” Elle replied. “Where did you learn all of this?”
“Ah, now it’s my turn to be mysterious,” Cheng said. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
Elle was tired, even though she didn’t want to admit it. Her stomach growled, aching for food. “Bravo,” she called, “come.”
The dog shot to his feet and trotted to Elle. He had been watching Cheng and Elle train all day, occasionally napping in the shade.
He’s got a point, Bravo remarked, his eyes dancing. You’re not focused enough.
“Don’t start with me, too,” Elle huffed.
Cheng raised an eyebrow, but he said nothing.
Elle kept a comfortable distance between her and Cheng as they walked toward the Chow Hall. The boy was incredibly skilled and dangerous – and Elle didn’t trust him. Not yet. She trusted no one but Bravo.