The future wasn’t clear, but it appeared that Max and the people he cared about were going to have a safe haven at least for a little while. With everything they had been through, that was like paradise.
Chapter 18
An Intriguing Proposition
Troy Leland showed Max to a back room where they could talk about his brother. Before he could ask any questions, Max filled him in on their situation.
“The boy is injured. He had a small hole in his intestines. I managed to close it, but I suspect that at least some of the contents might have leaked out. If so, that means he’s going to need antibiotics. I don’t suppose your people have any, do they?” Max asked.
“We have all the medicine the boy will need and even a doctor.”
“How did you manage to . . .”
“I’ll answer all your questions shortly, but I want to ask you some things first. Tell me what happened to my brother from the start.”
Max was nervous, and he didn’t know what to tell Troy. Should he tell the truth? That could completely destroy any chance they had of gaining him as an ally. Then again, if Troy saw through his lies, it could drive a wedge between them.
“You look worried. Just tell me the facts, and we’ll be fine,” Troy said.
“All right. You might not like them, but I’ll tell you the complete story. Jerome was my cellmate, and I was lucky for that to be true. As you know, he was a massive man. He protected me more than a few times while I learned how to survive in prison. Within a few weeks, we were looking out for each other. It’ll probably sound odd by the end of the story, but he was my best friend.
I was in the medical bay when all hell broke loose. We had just been in a fight with some of the more troublesome inmates because Jerome was being released. Some of them wanted to try to make sure he didn’t leave the prison alive. When the disaster happened, I ran to our cellblock and freed him, along with two more guys. We took one of the prison transport vehicles for ourselves and drove until we found a house that had smoke coming out of the chimney. I couldn’t have been prepared for what they were going to do once we were inside. They killed the man of the family and raped his wife before killing her. Then Jerome raped and killed their little girl. Zoe, the girl with me now, was her friend. She had spent the night there, and I had already allowed three people to die. I couldn’t let them take her, too. To make a long story short, Jerome killed the other two men we were with because we viewed them as threats. I thought I could control him from there, but he was sick in a way I didn’t fully understand. He tried to hurt Zoe, so I did what I had to.”
“And what was that?”
“I shot him. I killed the man who was supposed to be my best friend. If you want me to leave, I will. I’m asking you to look after my friends, though. Liam will die without medicine.”
Troy sighed and looked down. He should hate Max for killing his brother, but he had seen the sickness in Jerome many times. Rather than watch his brother hurt a little girl, he might have shot him, too. That still didn’t stop him from feeling like he should kill Max. Even if he had a good reason for taking Jerome’s life, Troy’s brother was still dead.
“Is there any way you can understand why I killed him?” Max asked.
“I understand perfectly. I knew my brother had his demons, and before I let him hurt someone else, I would’ve put him down, too. Understand that this is hard to take in, though. You’re in my house asking if I can help you after you killed the man I looked up to as a child. That’s hard to swallow, even if I can see where you’re coming from. How did you even know who I was?”
“He used to talk about you all the time. He said you two discussed what was going to happen with Ira. Jerome told me you had been stocking up on food and gasoline for weeks. I figured if there was a safe place in this world, it was with you. I just hate that Jerome couldn’t be here with us.”
“Me, too.”
“Let me ask you something. I expected you to be well stocked, but this is more than I ever thought I would find. You have food, medical supplies, full electric capabilities, and a doctor. You even have guards. How is that possible?”
“I had a large stock of everything we could need from the start. My family and I were going to be okay. Our neighbors were a different story, however. After the first day, they came to us. We could’ve turned them away, but I had a better idea. My supplies weren’t going to last forever, and if I could get them to work with us, we might all have enough for a long time. I supplied them with guns, and with a little leadership from me, they were able to take two places. We took the hospital and the gas company. Most people raided the grocery stores after the disaster, but I knew those were the places people would forget. When anyone needs medicine or gas, they have to come to us. We trade for food, and given that we have the only supply of medicine for miles, we’re able to ask a fortune for it.
Over the last few days, we’ve been taking on new members. Most people in the surrounding area have decided that given we have control of some of the most important places in this town, it might be easier to join us than fight. It’s happening slowly, but we’re developing a way to live in this new world. Everyone is given a job, and in return, we get all the food, medicine, and gasoline we need. We have people who scavenge, work security, and even planners.”
“Planners?”
“Yeah, that’s mainly my area. I decide on the operations we’ll undertake. Right now, it’s all theories, but I know it’s going to amount to something.”
“What do you mean? What exactly are you planning?”
“Some simple things and others that could be very complicated. The most pressing thing we have to do is take ground in the next town. We need a bigger supply of medicine and gasoline, or we’ll lose the power we hold over the people here. We might even be able to spread our influence to more people if we have a foothold in other places.”
“That doesn’t sound simple at all. It sounds like the beginning of a war with neighboring towns.”
“You could call it that, but it’s different than you think. The world is in chaos, and people are looting everywhere. People will kill you for a day’s worth of food. That’s not a society. It’s a regression back to cavemen days. What I hope to do is establish a trade system throughout the area that keeps people from having to steal. If there’s a clear way to survive humanely, then I think people will take it. We might be taking supplies by force, but what we’re really doing is giving people stability.”
“I can’t argue with that, but who were you before the disaster? It doesn’t sound like you were just a normal guy, considering you’ve been able to do all this in such a short time.”
“We haven’t actually done anything yet. Everything I’m saying is just one big theory. We only have fifty-two members right now. It’s expanding quickly, though. I was the mayor of this town, and before that, I worked in architecture. I know how to get people to follow you, and I can build things and societies that will stay together.”
“So what’s the complicated part of your plans?”
“It’s all theoretical right now.”
“That’s not a problem. I’m intrigued.”
“All right, but I’m not even sure if it would work,” Troy said and stood.
He retrieved some blueprints from a closet and spread them out over the table. It took a second for Max to truly understand what he was looking at. When it became clear, he thought it was genius, however. It was an enclosure that stretched for a little over a mile. He didn’t know how actually building it would work, but it could be the answer to a lot of people’s problems.
“This is the structure I’ve been thinking about over the last few days. Picture building a stadium with no seats, and now multiply that by about fifty. Obviously, it wouldn’t be one structure because the roof would crumble in the center if it were, but we could build fifty separate structures side by side that were then connected to one another to act as one big area. We would then install lighting at the
top that would allow grass to grow within. We could build an entire city with a controlled environment inside. It’s just a pipedream right now, but I know this can be built. It would take a huge group of people to do it, though, and even then, it might be too ambitious.”
“What about electricity? How would you power a city that big?”
“That’s the simplest part. We would build the covered city just south of this town. There’s an area with nothing around for miles out there. We can have our scavengers go out and collect any solar powered products, like windmills and solar panels, and use them for ourselves. People aren’t exactly raiding the factories for things like that at the moment, so it’ll be easier to obtain than you might think. From there, we’ll see just how much power we can generate. The last step will be creating a source of food for everyone. It’s nearly impossible to get anything to grow in this new world, but we can create enclosed gardens with electricity generated by solar power to make enough food to feed the people of our city. At the same time, our hunters can find fresh meat for us. By my calculations, it would take nine to thirteen years to accomplish it all, and that’s if we had over five thousand people working to make it happen. That’s the main reason why I’m trying to recruit new people. Maybe I’m crazy, but I think there’s still a place where human society can flourish. We just have to build it.”
“You’re not crazy. All we’ve been looking for since this happened is a place that resembles what we used to know. With a plan like that, it’s not going to be a problem finding people to follow you. I don’t know if what you’re planning is actually possible, but if it is, we’ll be able to get it done. People will do anything to get their old lives back. Promise them a place that resembles the old America, and they’ll do whatever you say. I’ll help you do it, if you’ll have me.”
“How would you help?”
“Right now, you recruit people by taking key locations that hold supplies and then using those to gain their cooperation. That works, but it also makes enemies. Give me a vehicle, and I can travel all over the region. I’ll tell people what you’re building here. Most won’t join our cause willingly, but a few will. If I hit enough places, maybe I can get your five thousand. Just make sure you have enough supplies to support them by then.”
“We would have to move slow, but I like your approach. We could devote an entirely new group of people to just getting others to join us. It would be risky on the road, though. Are you sure you’re up for it?”
“You don’t know what I’ve already gone through to get here.”
“I noticed the wound on your arm. What happened?”
“What didn’t happen is the better question. I’ll tell you everything in time. Our trip here was filled with more than I can tell you in one conversation. What do you say? Can we stay here and recruit for your vision of the future?”
Troy looked away for a moment. In his heart, he knew that what happened to Jerome was of his own doing, but something was still holding him back. This man killed his flesh and blood. Then again, he was the first person who hadn’t looked at him like he was nuts when he mentioned the possibility of building an enclosed city. Max could be a valuable ally, if he could ever learn to live with what he had done.
“We’ll do a trial run. You and your people can stay here for now, and we’ll review this again at the end of the week. That should give the kid time to get the treatment he needs and you a chance to see what you’re getting yourself into. How does that sound?”
“Like a dream. Thank you. Can I see how Liam’s doing now?”
“Yeah, he’s upstairs with the doctor. He’ll need to stay here to be monitored. We’ll get you and the others a house close by to stay in temporarily, and he’ll join you when he can.”
Max agreed and walked upstairs to find everyone in a room that was filled with medical equipment. It looked more like a hospital than an old bedroom. Still, Max was impressed. They had everything they would need to get and keep Liam in good shape. This was a place where they could make a future, and despite his makeshift surgery job on Liam, he had hope that he was actually going to pull through.
“How is he doing?” Max whispered to Rebecca.
“He’s sleeping right now, but the doctor seems to be confident that he can get the fever down. I think he’s going to be fine. How did things go on your end? Are we staying?”
“It’s a long story, but we’re doing a trial run. They’re giving us a place to stay that’s close to here, and I’ll be doing a job for Troy in the meantime. Hopefully, that will be enough to keep us here.”
“What about Liam? He can’t come with us in his condition.”
“He’ll stay here.”
“Do you trust these people that much?”
“What could they do to him that hasn’t already been done? Besides, I don’t think they would waste medicine on him if they were just going to hurt him. These people want to help, and I think we should let them. We deserve this.”
“That’s the best news I’ve heard in days. It’s hard to believe, though. After everything that’s happened, I’ve started to assume the worst in every situation.”
“Things are going to get better starting today. Trust me on that.”
“You really can trust us,” the doctor said.
He had overheard them, and he could understand why they were skeptical. Before Troy’s group found him, he went through his fair share of trials, but he was convinced that the people he was with now were truly trying to do the right thing.
“I’m sorry. I must sound horrible doubting you after everything you’ve done for Liam,” Rebecca said.
“Not at all. If you weren’t suspicious, I would be worried. You’re going to see soon that we’re trustworthy, though. Leave Liam to me, and go see your new home. He should be doing ten times better by tomorrow morning.”
“I don’t want to leave him,” Zoe whispered to Max.
“We’ll come back in the morning. Right now, we need to see where we’ll be staying. I have a good feeling about this place, Zoe. Just come with us. Liam is going to be fine,” Max said.
She agreed to go but not without some reservations. Zoe had seen the world completely go to hell over a few days, and in that span of time, she had seen the truth about human nature. No one was out for anything but themselves. Taking these people’s help would come at a price, and she just had to hope that it would be one they could bear.
One of the guards at the front led them to a house across the block that was equipped with a generator and gas heat. After he was gone, Rebecca opened the pantry to find that it was fully stocked. Never had they been so happy to see canned food and bags of rice. That night, they feasted like there was no tomorrow. During dinner, Max told them all about what Troy was planning and his role in it.
“Are you sure that would actually work? You’re talking about making an indoor city with people who probably have no experience with construction,” Rebecca said.
“I’m with her. It sounds like a dream, but it’s a crazy one. As a matter of fact, I don’t know if any of this can last. If these guys have so many supplies, all that means is that this place will be attacked soon,” Zoe said.
“They have guards, and they’re constantly recruiting new members. If we can help these people grow in numbers, then it won’t matter when they’re attacked. This can be the beginning of something new and maybe even normal for us. I know it sounds like a long shot, but it gives us a chance at getting back the lives we had. Isn’t that worth it? I don’t see any other options.”
“I’ll follow your lead, but I’m telling you that I don’t think things are going to be as simple as you think. We should gather as many supplies as we can and go right after Liam is better.”
“We’ll think about it over this week, but I really do think this place could be the real deal.”
As the night went on, they took their showers and went to bed. When Max lay down, he had a visitor, however. Rebecca stepped into the room and sat on t
he bed beside him.
“I think you’re right about this place, and I’m worried about Zoe. She sees everyone as a threat. That’s not normal for a child. She should be jumping for joy. We’re finally safe,” Rebecca said.
“I agree, but it can’t be helped. She saw a lot of bad things on the way here. Her best friend and family died before we even met you. In her experience, people are only looking to kill, rob, or rape you. Sometimes it’s all three things. She’s not that far off either. This world is seriously messed up. That’s why this place could be special. We’re trying to bring order back to the world.”
“I agree. What can we do to make Zoe see that, though?”
“I think time will do the trick. As she gets to know people here, her doubts will fade.”
“I hope you’re right. I’m just glad we have a second to breathe. I really didn’t feel like we were going to make it,” she said and looked down.
“Hey, I was always going to get us here, no matter what I had to do. You’re safe now, and you always will be with me,” he said as he leaned up and wrapped his arms around her.
Rebecca turned and kissed him. Then they lay back on the bed. After everything that had happened, a night of love and passion seemed like exactly what they wanted. In each other’s arms and in a place that might just be home, they found all the love and comfort they ever needed.
Chapter 19
Powerless
Six Months Later
Max and Zoe were sitting in the weeds several yards away from a gas station about twenty miles outside of town. They had been to this place before. Back then, they had another person with them. He had been shot on sight by the men who held control over the station. Their job was normally simple. They would approach people and offer them a chance to join their society. When people heard that they had electricity and food, it didn’t take much else to convince them to join Troy’s group. Over the last six months, they had grown in number by an enormous amount. They had just over a thousand members in their community now. At the pace they were growing, Max was hoping they would have the necessary people to start talking about breaking ground on their indoor city within the next year. First, they had to deal with these guys, though. It was a rare event, but when someone didn’t want to join them or at least cooperate, they were told to put them down. Max and Zoe would take them out from a safe distance with their sniper rifles, and then they would hold control of another supply of gas and quite possibly food.
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