Nixie nodded. “You could call it that.”
“You still shouldn’t have stolen it though, whatever it was,” Peyton said, but her tone was different this time. Before it had been accusing, and this time Nixie didn’t detect that earlier edge.
“We don’t steal because we’re bad people, Peyton. We have no other choice. When you’re desperate…” She offered a weak shrug. “My people need help.”
Peyton stared at her for a moment and the look was so intense Nixie wondered if she could see her deepest secrets, wondered if Peyton knew she had been there when her father was killed. She had to look away and cross her arms over her chest to hold in the weight of the horrible secret. After what felt like minutes, but could only have been seconds, Peyton spoke up. “When we get back from Static’s trip, maybe I can talk to the others. Maybe there’s something we can do for your people.”
Nixie whipped her head around to stare, wide-eyed. “Really?” She narrowed her eyes just as quickly. “Is this a trick?”
Peyton laughed and the pleasant sound sent a wave of chills down Nixie’s spine, the sensation not dissimilar to the tingles she felt when a heavy rainstorm approached.
“No trick”—Peyton held out her hand—“I swear.”
Cautiously Nixie took it. Peyton’s hand was rough from work and larger than her own. When their fingers closed and gripped, Peyton’s eyes flew open.
A wave of warmth flowed up Nixie’s arm and she involuntarily shut her eyes, lips parting slightly as goose bumps broke out over her skin.
What the hell?
What is this all about?
Their hands lingered much longer than necessary, but Nixie didn’t want to lose that contact. In the end, Peyton pulled her hand away first and Nixie was left with the loss of warmth. When she opened her eyes again, Peyton’s face, which she kept turned to the floor, glowed pink.
“So,” Peyton said, clearing her throat. “Truce?”
“Truce.”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Peyton surveyed the group before her with their packs of gear. It had taken nearly two weeks after she made her decision to rearrange schedules and get everything settled, but she’d made it work, and she was confident they’d only be gone three days. With Willow and Julian in charge, plus Graham backing them, Ryan would hardly have time to breathe, let alone cause trouble.
Dawn had just broken and light filtered softly through the trees, giving everything a dreamlike quality. Static was quiet, but he bounced on his toes, fingers clenching the straps of his backpack. Jasper had his fingers laced behind his head, stretching his legs and back as he yawned. He kept his eyes closed, barely awake, and knowing him, he probably hadn’t been awake for too long. A tuft of blond hair stuck up at an awkward angle and when he absently reached up to smooth it down, it just bounced back up. One of the foragers had decided to join them at the last minute, wanting to use the trip to update routes and mark new places on the maps. Cooper crouched near Jasper, rummaging through his packs, making sure he had everything he would need.
Nixie sat on a bench, her pack beside her. She looked calm, almost sleeping, as she stared up at the sky. It was hard for Peyton to tear her eyes from her. Since that moment in Nixie’s room when they shook hands, something had changed between them. Peyton struggled to identify it, but the words eluded her. The antagonistic feelings she’d sometimes experience around the girl had disappeared. She admired her, in a way, but that wasn’t the feeling. When they weren’t together, every time she caught a glimpse of her, her pulse raced and her hands grew sweaty. She’d never had that problem before. She’d even gone to Dr. Easton to make sure she wasn’t getting sick, but the doctor had just laughed and sent her on her way. And when they were together, planning this trip and mapping out where in the city Nixie had been to eliminate as much travel time as possible, she often found herself staring at the Scavenger, unable to keep her eyes off her. She couldn’t deny the girl was beautiful, especially when her eyes flashed in anger and her brows pulled down. Peyton had noticed, when Nixie concentrated, a wrinkle appeared between her eyebrows. Peyton didn’t regret much in life; she didn’t have time for it. But she did regret the way she’d treated Nixie during their first encounter and during the beginning of her stay. Yeah, she shouldn’t have stolen from them, but she was undeniably nice. She wasn’t what Peyton had thought a Scavenger would be.
Tearing herself from her thoughts, she stood up straight. “Everyone ready? We should move out. We need to make good time if we’re going to make it back in three days.”
Cooper stood up and shouldered his bag. “We’ll be fine,” he said as he buckled the straps across his chest and hips. He tightened the straps and Jasper glanced at him out of the corner of his eye.
Nixie stood and shouldered her own bag, adjusting it as Static turned, ready to march out. He continued to bounce on his toes.
Peyton rolled her eyes. She sure as hell hoped they had enough food to fuel his nervous energy, or he’d crash.
“I’ve got the route memorized, let’s go!” he shouted.
Jasper yawned for the twelfth time. “Keep your voice down. People are still sleeping.”
“Static, lead the way.” Peyton jumped in to keep the peace. The last thing she needed was an argument before they even left the grounds.
The group fell in step behind Static as he took off at a brisk pace. Jasper and Cooper walked side by side behind him, followed by Nixie. Peyton brought up the rear, constantly scanning the surroundings as she went. It wasn’t as if she expected danger, but she’d been trained to be hypervigilant, especially when away from the Mill.
After trudging up the hill and taking one of the side streets beyond the Mill grounds, Nixie fell back to walk with Peyton, and her heart thumped wildly in her chest. Peyton drew in a deep breath to try to calm it. It’s the strain from walking up the hill, that’s all.
Nixie breathed just as heavily and wiped her brow. “I hope it isn’t all hill.”
“Out of shape?” Peyton asked, trying to keep her voice light and teasing. “I’d have thought a Scavenger would be more fit than us.”
Despite the crack at her background, Nixie laughed. The sound was high and breathless and her pace slowed momentarily. “I’m not used to carrying large packs around.”
Peyton frowned. “But, as a forager, wouldn’t you have to?”
Nixie grew silent. Peyton wasn’t sure she’d answer and glanced at her, wondering what it was she’d said. She reviewed her words, but no—for once, she’d said nothing insulting.
“I didn’t carry much because of my size,” Nixie finally said, as they rounded a bend. An old stop sign tilted back on its post as if waving them ahead.
“Everyone pulls their weight at the Mill, size notwithstanding.”
Nixie shrugged. “I did as I was told. Not my place to question things.”
Peyton found that strange. Why wouldn’t everyone pitch in and do their share of the work? If Nixie were a forager, she would have carried heavy packs. Unless she rarely found food, which would make her a bad forager…
“Hey, are we taking the roads the whole way?” Cooper asked. “Because that’s cool and all, but if we do we’re going to directly pass Ogden and the Ox Farm.”
“What’s wrong with that?” Jasper asked. “They know us. Won’t be a problem.”
“Yeah, but we got a Scavenger with us. You know how they feel about Scavs. No offense,” Cooper added, with a nod toward Nixie.
“It’s still early. They might not be out.”
Static turned and walked backward, his fingers around the straps of his bag. “It’s not like they’ll know she’s different unless you say something. She could be new.” He turned back around and clipped the tip of his shoe on a chunk of gravel. He caught himself before he fell. “I’m okay!”
Peyton sighed. “Please tell me you have the first-aid kit,” she murmured. Jasper turned and nodded with a grin.
“Packed extra, just in case.”
; “How would they know I’m not from the Mill?” Nixie asked.
“All of the nearby settlements are familiar with each other. We trade with them frequently, so over the years we’ve gotten to know each other well. Don’t you know other groups of Scavengers?”
Again that noncommittal shrug. “Not really, no. I mean, we’ve met some of the leaders, but generally we don’t mingle. It’s too chaotic. Not safe. Best to just keep to ourselves.”
“Wow.” Peyton couldn’t imagine not getting to know anyone from other areas. It seemed foolish. There were so many resources the others had access to. Why wouldn’t they pool them and share?
“Things tend to go missing when two groups get together,” she added quietly, her voice pitched low enough for only Peyton to hear. Before she could respond, Nixie continued. “How many other settlements do you trade with?”
The group slowed as they turned onto what used to be West Street and trudged up a less steep, but longer hill. Static finally slowed his pace and fell back with Cooper and Jasper.
“We do most of our trading with Ellington. It’s just over a mile from us, and they’re a large livestock farm. We get our meat from them. They don’t have a doctor, so Dr. Easton trains their people in basic first aid and helps them out. We share maple syrup and honey, too. Ogden we’ll pass in a bit. The houses were newly built with sustainable technology right before the Collapse, so most of the families that live there have been there since Before Collapse. We don’t trade much with them, but we’re friendly and share a wheat field. We found it easier to maintain that way.”
“And the farm you mentioned?”
“It’s a one-family deal. Ox Farm is another Before Collapse family that stayed put. They knew what they were doing and managed to thrive. A lot of the original settlers at the Mill worked their land to learn about farming before they got the land around the Mill under control. We probably wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for them.”
“Are there any others?”
“Not around here. There are some farther out, probably a week or more of travel, but it’s too far to trade with. We get some items through trade with Travelers, but it’s usually not much. Most of the time we just give them a place to stay and some food in trade for their stories.” She raised her voice. “And that’s all most of them are. Stories.” Static waved a hand, signaling that he’d heard her but had chosen to ignore it.
Nixie nodded. “We take them in, too. Listen to whatever news they bring from other groups.”
The small group passed a field and a squat brick building surrounded by a high chain-link fence. “This is one of the wheat fields we share with Ogden.”
“What about the brick building? Do you use that?”
Jasper turned around and stopped walking, butting into their conversation. “Yeah, it’s perfect for meetings. It used to be some sort of barracks Before, or something like that. It goes deep—”
“Jasper,” Peyton barked out his name harshly and he stopped talking. As much as Nixie was growing on her, she didn’t want to reveal everything. Just in case.
Nixie looked at Jasper and he mouthed an apology. Peyton strode ahead to talk to Static. Nixie wanted to talk more but was grateful for the interruption. She knew this place well. She’d been with Ranger to these wheat fields once when he’d been sent out in the dead of night to harvest some of the ripened wheat. She’d thought nothing of it at the time, but now that she knew the people who relied on it, and that it belonged to multiple groups working together rather than just the one family who lived there, guilt tore at her stomach. Her people could just as easily learn to grow and harvest food rather than rely on stealing from others who did the work. She needed to get back to her people. They needed to know it could be different. Nixie felt energized, knowing she could be a force for changing things, making them better.
After I help Static find what he needs, I’ll go back and find them. Teach them what I’ve learned.
She smiled at the thought. With a new purpose, she picked up her pace, keeping the smile in place as she matched her stride with Peyton’s while Jasper dropped behind.
No one was out at the barracks, and when they crested the hill and started walking down, Ogden was quiet as well. They hadn’t been walking long, and Nixie wondered if they would make it to Hartford faster than Peyton and the others anticipated.
“We should stop for water at Ox Farm. Fill up, just in case we don’t run into any for a while,” Cooper said as they passed a massive greenhouse.
Inside the gates of the property Nixie could hear shuffling, and as they passed trees, she saw dogs lying out on the ground. They spotted the group and growled, letting out a series of sharp barks. Two of the dogs ran toward them, and Nixie let out a short yell, jumping back behind Peyton.
The girl laughed, resting a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, they won’t get you. They can’t jump the fence. It’s just to keep intruders out.”
“We should probably pick up the pace, though,” Jasper said, still coming up at the rear. “Don’t want to piss off their owners by waking them early.”
“Good call. Let’s be quick about it then. We can stop for a rest at the farm.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The family at Ox Farm was already hard at work by the time Peyton and her group arrived. One of the youngest children sat on the steps of the wide porch holding a chicken. The rest of the hens clucked about at her feet, scratching the dirt.
Peyton held up a hand in greeting as they approached, stopping just inside the old paved driveway. “Is your mama around?”
The little girl nodded and turned her head before letting out a shrill, “Mama!”
Beside her, Nixie jumped. A young woman, just a few years older than Peyton, ran out of the farmhouse, eyes wide. “What’s wrong?”
“People,” the girl responded calmly and went back to her chickens.
“Sorry to trouble you so early, Mrs. Burgoine. We’re heading into Hartford and were wondering if we could fill up our canteens.”
“Oh! Peyton, of course. Come in. The way Ada was screaming I thought something had happened to her.”
The group filed past the little girl onto the screened in porch. Mrs. Burgoine and Cooper brought the canteens in while the rest sat down on old wicker furniture.
“Mrs. Burgoine?” Nixie asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Some people still use last names,” Static said, speaking for the first time since they left the Mill. “Those who stayed in the same area and didn’t lose their families. Most of Ogden has last names.”
“Do any of you?” Nixie asked, and they all shook their heads.
“Graham remembers his, but he doesn’t use it. I can’t remember what it is. Dad’s was Gonzalez, but he stopped using it long before I came around.”
Mrs. Burgoine reappeared on the porch with Cooper and passed the canteens around. “Cooper tells me you’re looking for parts.”
Static nodded. “I’m going to fix the radios and get us connected.”
“Ah, so you’re the infamous Static,” she said with a smile. “Good luck. I hope you find what you’re looking for.”
“Thank you,” Peyton said before Static could launch into an explanation. She could tell by the way his lips quirked he was ready to explain everything. “Is there anything we can pick up for you if
we find it?”
“Actually, if you can manage it…if you spot any plastic bags.”
“Of course,” Peyton said.
“We have some netting we need to patch, and I’ve cleared out everything I can find in this area. I’m worried about our crops. Even with the netting some of them have started to burn. If things keep up, I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
“We’re having the same issues,” Cooper said. “And some of the places we usually forage aren’t yielding the amounts we need.”
“Mushrooms seem to be nonexistent.”
Before Cooper could continue on the finer points of mushroom cultivatio
n, Peyton interrupted. “Thanks again, Mrs. Burgoine. We better be on our way.”
“Anytime. Be safe.”
The little girl waved at them as they left. The road before them stood open, and they traveled down what had once been a busy main street. On the sides stood the shells of the former police and fire departments. In the lot sat the remains of rusted vehicles. Once the fuel ran out, people stripped the machines of any potentially valuable parts. Anything that could be used was repurposed.
Before the sun even hit high noon, the group was exhausted and had depleted almost half their water. Despite milder temperatures that morning, it had turned into a scorcher. Peyton tried to keep them in the shade as much as possible and they plodded on slowly, but soon they approached the old highway and she faced a dilemma: at the rate they were going, they would definitely run out of water and they didn’t even know if the river was still flowing. Time to brainstorm.
“Okay, we have a bit of a problem,” Peyton said as she turned back to survey her group. They had stopped to rest under an old oak tree. Static lay in the grass, his face already red from the sun. Nixie fanned herself with her hand, sipping carefully on her canteen.
“What now?” Jasper groaned, his back to the tree. Beads of sweat trickled down his hairline and stained the collar of his shirt. “Don’t tell me we forgot something.”
“Not that. I had planned on taking the highway straight into Hartford. Navigating it will be easy—the deterioration won’t be as extreme as the rest of the surface roads. It would get us there faster, but—”
“But we’ll need more water, and there won’t be a water source on the highway,” Cooper finished.
Peyton nodded. “Exactly. We can stick as close to the highway as possible and stay in the trees, and that will give us a better chance of finding water to replenish our supplies.”
“That will take longer, and we might run into Scavengers,” Cooper said. He stared up at the leaves above him. “I say we take the risk and stick to the trees. Look at Static. He’s already burning. Much more and he’ll have heatstroke.”
The First Twenty Page 9