‘Insurance,’ he coolly replied.
Daniel’s eyes widened and Isaac’s face made little attempt to conceal his utter lack of amusement. Fully appreciating the deception, Sully roared with approving laughter and rose from his seat.
‘I like this guy.’
Chapter 22
Madison’s eyes burned with exhaustion.
Jacob hadn’t made it back last night.
She recoiled from the window, retreated from the first rays of the morning sun and replaced the tattered blanket covering.
She had considered this scenario before, though she never allowed herself to believe it would play out.
Jacob would be there, with them.
He would always make it back.
Her cheeks grew sunken and etched with worry.
Madison’s sorrowful gaze washed over their meager provisions. They gleamed in defiant irony against the backdrop, but the time she spent busying herself with their arrangement now felt wasted.
Her sleep deprived thoughts mulled over their immediate future.
She ran her fingers through her tangled curls and scratched at her scalp, vainly seeking to delay the inevitable recognition of her true circumstance.
Madison held no illusions over the likely fate of Jacob.
Nor did she have any illusions over her chances with Emily.
She wasn’t ready for this.
Still, Madison couldn’t leave her.
The thought of abandonment was terrifying.
Madison’s eyes lingered over Emily, huddled limp in the corner amidst a patchwork nest of self pity and soiled blankets. Swollen, wide eyed and tear stained, she wept soundlessly throughout the night’s bitter watch.
She didn’t feel the implications any less clearly than Madison.
***
The reveille sounded early that morning.
Erik surveyed the courtyard as he and a small contingent were led to the gates. A couple carried packs, but otherwise they travelled light.
He had awoken in the night to the sounds of rifle fire. Though he and the other civilians forming the column had been briefed on their purpose, as he surveyed those gathered with him he realized a few of the details may have been conveniently left out.
A few of the usual, veteran players were conspicuously absent.
The briefing was simple – a handful of survivors had deserted last night.
They had assaulted a soldier, stolen supplies.
Erik and the rest were told their mission was to retrieve the defectors. Ensure their continued safety by bringing them and the stolen provisions home.
The wastes weren’t fit for a small group on their own.
As Erik approached the fences he noted the shooting last night had attracted some attention. A handful of soldiers cleared bodies from the wall, casually carrying the corpses away for disposal. With the rains, the well trodden snows of the courtyard were mired in thick, slurping slush.
This would be an uncomfortable march.
As the column passed, he watched as two of the soldiers heaved the remnants of a shattered woman onto a cart. Half of her skull was missing; she was only recognizable as a woman by the length of her hair and the clothes that yet clung to her.
Erik flexed his fingers about the grip of the baseball bat and slung it over his shoulders. He turned his eyes skyward and felt the warm breeze as it kissed the exposed skin on his face and neck.
He held no illusions over their true purpose today.
He knew those that fled wouldn’t come back willingly.
One of the grim faced soldiers pulled back the bolt of his C7, allowing it to ferociously chamber a round as it snapped back.
The low moan of the breeze lamented their passing.
Erik was terrified at the prospects, but refusing the post would prove no better an alternative. He didn’t want to kill anyone, but being alone in the city was a death sentence. Scanning the faces of the other civilians pressed into service today, he knew they felt it, too.
The morning sun crept ominously between the jagged buildings ahead.
***
Lynn sat on their cot and absently flipped through the pages of a Better Homes magazine for the hundredth time. Though she could recite most every word from the articles and knew even the minutest detail in every picture, it helped occupy her mind – even if this particular edition was from the late nineties.
It reminded her of better days.
Opposite her in the room, Andrew hunched over his desk and continued to drone his script over the radio. Despite his many attempts to prove his value to Lynn and illustrate his inflated importance, Lynn could only think of how the oversized headphones looked ridiculous on his head; they gave her the impression his ears were several sizes too large. She simply rolled her eyes at his obvious attempts to impress her.
She was ashamed he was the best she could manage, but at least it ensured she enjoyed some semblance of the ‘kept’ status she was accustomed to. Lynn had plied her trade well enough that Andrew pleaded with the officials to let her bunk with him in the communications module – it helped her feel safe, and left him feeling important.
All she had to endure was his clumsy hands.
She rationalized it as a kind of service she provided the compound.
Though Lynn’s isolation deepened, the glares she received from the officials and other administrators alike were well worth it. She could afford to be transparent to everyone else, so long as her target was oblivious.
Willingly or not.
Quinn didn’t care. In Andrew’s attempts to cultivate her approval, he worked the radio twice as hard.
It was a win-win for everyone.
***
For a long while, Madison stared at the wall and weighed their limited options.
Stay a while longer, or cut and run.
She’d never have forgiven herself if she led Emily into the wasteland, only to have Jacob miraculously return to find an empty apartment.
Though she’d likely never have known the truth in this, the possibility alone unnerved her.
When she could finally sit no more, Madison crawled to her feet and paced the tiny confines of the room.
Emily scarcely acknowledged Madison’s movements.
Exasperated, she returned to the window and lifted the blanket covering to reveal the world outside.
Madison’s eyes widened.
A small group filtered its way through the streets.
Instinctively, she ducked away from the window, cursing her carelessness. She licked her lips and slowly shifted the covering to peer outside.
She counted a total of six figures, seemingly unarmed.
A familiar figure walked in the center, flanked closely by the rest.
Jacob!
She studied their movements.
She didn’t recognize the others, but something in Jacob’s stride wasn’t right.
His steps fell uneven; he swayed as he walked. It was almost as if he needed to be supported to remain upright.
He looked hurt, roughed up.
Though he didn’t appear captive – he wasn’t bound or being prodded along – there was nothing that would lead her to dismiss that possibility.
Madison’s thoughts went into overdrive.
They had rehearsed this scenario together a hundred times. In the deep and desperate hours of the night, they discussed the possibility of unwelcome guests.
Bandits and thieves were one thing, but there were far worse fates.
Madison leapt from the window and retrieved two long, menacing kitchen knives. The blades were dull and far flimsier than they appeared, but they were the best available.
Emily froze as she began to understand the cause for Madison’s haste.
Madison crossed the room
and knelt at Emily’s side, holding out the hilts to her.
‘Emily, sweetie,’ Madison cooed as calmly as she could muster.
Emily shook her head and recoiled.
‘Emily, you need to take one of these,’ she continued, voice firm and authoritative. ‘Jacob is outside, but he isn’t alone.’
‘No…,’ Emily refused them again, ‘no… I can’t.’
Madison’s face hardened.
She thrust the knives out again with renewed emphasis.
‘Emily, this is serious,’ her tone was blunt and matter-of-fact – there was no comfort to be found here. ‘There’s no time for this, now.’
Madison could hear the door to their building swing open, several pairs of boots on the wood floor.
Emily whimpered and her eyes welled with fright.
Madison gripped the blanket covering Emily’s legs with her free hand and gave it a firm shake.
‘Emily, I need you here,’ she begged.
It was like negotiating with a child.
The footfalls came ever louder as they crested the stairs.
Madison glanced over her shoulders, tried to guess how many moments they had before the door to their refuge swung open.
‘Take the fucking knife,’ Madison ordered.
Emily’s fingers slowly wrapped around one of the handles; she clutched it resentfully. She pushed some of her blond hair out of her face and struggled to strip the blanket and stand. Madison could tell she wanted to sob and wail, but Emily held it back. Madison wasn’t sure if it was out of terror or self-control, but it was irrelevant in the end.
Madison turned to square herself to the door, positioned herself a step in front of Emily and tried her best to appear threatening.
There was no point in locking it; this confrontation would be inevitable.
The appearance of confidence was all they could muster now.
Hopefully it would be all they needed.
Madison trembled as adrenaline swam through her tired veins.
There was a slight knock as the door slowly swung open.
Jacob was the first to enter.
‘Honey,’ he began, voice as thin and weary as the smile on his lips.
Madison’s stance softened and her knife lowered.
‘I’m home.’
***
After the tearful reunion and evasive introductions, the group settled in.
Madison watched quietly as the interactions unfolded around her.
The African chuckled as he worked at cleaning the knuckles of one of their group. The ruddy haired Irishman, Sully as he was introduced, didn’t bat an eye as Daniel mockingly chastised him for not mentioning the cuts sooner.
Emily seemed lifted by the new faces; she chatted indistinctly with someone who bore an accent she couldn’t place and a woman with kind eyes.
Generally, everyone seemed upbeat.
Except one.
A thin man with glasses leaned against a wall, not so far away from the group as to be wholly separate, but sufficiently so to be clearly uninterested in the pleasantries. He rubbed his hands together as his eyes nervously searched the room.
As Daniel finished bandaging the hands, he slapped Sully’s shoulder. The Irishman replied with an appreciative nod as he flexed his fingers beneath the wrapping.
‘You,’ Daniel began as he turned to Jacob, ‘you need to rest. Anders, you too; take a load off.’
Jacob and Anders looked to each other.
‘Doctor’s orders,’ chided the Nigerian from between a wide smile.
They each recognized the wisdom in the instruction. Jacob shot a grin to Madison and found a place to sit comfortably. Anders slumped down next to the nest of blankets and cushions.
Madison turned to Keeley.
‘So… what’s next for you?’
Keeley replied with a smile that reflected her warmth.
‘We don’t really know, I guess… thought we’d try to get to the barracks, see if anyone was home,’ she replied. ‘But we really haven’t gotten that far.’
The energy in the room changed immediately.
Emily became rigid.
Jacob froze in position and stared at the floor between his boots.
Madison’s eyes faltered as if a mirror cracking.
Anders wearily propped himself up.
The room felt wounded as all eyes turned upon the hosts.
Jacob struggled to clear his throat.
‘I’m sorry,’ he started, noticeably without lifting his gaze. ‘That won’t be an option.’
Madison watched helplessly as a wave of defeat rolled over the gathering.
Isaac sunk into the wall; this meant a prolonged crawl through the streets.
And they would likely be pursued… a detail not yet confided in their new friends.
Nothing more needed to be said.
A long moment passed between them.
Sully broke the silence.
‘Right then… what next?’
Anders lowered his head into his hands as Keeley pawed at the floor with her foot.
‘We’ve just been trying to get by,’ Madison offered plaintively. ‘Jacob’s been working through the buildings nearby, keeping us going… while we figured that out.’
‘We can’t stay here,’ Anders stated flatly.
Jacob couldn’t place it, but he felt something in the statement was more than just an assessment on their modest surroundings.
‘Is that all you’ve managed?’ Sully broke in, motioning to the desk where their supplies were displayed.
Madison felt insulted and more than a little uncomfortable as prying eyes appraised their only possessions.
‘That, and the pack from yesterday,’ Jacob answered, finding no offence in the question.
‘We’ve been planning on leaving,’ Emily interjected, ‘once we had enough to leave with, I mean.’
Jacob was surprised to hear Emily participate in the conversation. He honestly wasn’t sure if she had ever been listening as he and Madison discussed their plans.
Perhaps she’d turned a corner.
‘Right,’ Daniel pushed the ball forward. ‘What do we need?’
Jacob considered their provisions.
‘We’re doing half decent with food, so long as we’re smart with it. Water is obvious. Weapons would be ideal, first aid…’
Isaac nodded his agreement.
‘That’d all be at the barracks,’ Daniel pondered. ‘There’s got to be something left, place that big.’
Jacob shook his head and looked away.
‘Trust me, that’s not an option. You’d never make it inside.’
His tone reflected the intended finality.
‘How did it happen?’ Keeley dared to ask, though there was little doubt.
Emily slunk away from the conversation.
‘Infection got in,’ Jacob lamented.
‘Too many people, too tight a space,’ Madison whispered.
‘It got desperate,’ Jacob continued. ‘To keep the fences up, the soldiers had to use guns; the noise drew more. The perimeter failed and they just kept coming. Once the infection was in the halls, it just got overrun.’
‘People were jumping from the windows wherever they could find a gap in the crowd, hoping for a safe landing and enough time to beat the mob.’
Each imagined the scene unfold in their own way.
‘Maybe they wandered off,’ Anders hoped.
‘Maybe the ones outside,’ Jacob retorted.
‘Doesn’t matter; anywhere we plan on going we’re going to need weapons,’ Daniel chimed, ‘so long as there’s snow down we can hydrate. Maybe not the most appetizing, but it’s an option.’
‘Alright then,’ Sully piped in as he rose to his feet, �
��weapons, water, first aid.’
Isaac fell in beside him. Anders and Jacob each started to shamble to their feet before Daniel interrupted them.
‘Not you,’ he reiterated, ‘you both need rest.’
The impotence pained them both, but neither could refute the statement.
Jacob produced his notepad and walked Isaac and Sullivan through some possible options. He described some buildings and some units he hadn’t been able to thoroughly canvas and reiterated where he had come across the other group. As Sully and Isaac suited up, he emptied his pack and threw it to them.
Isaac nodded and adjusted the straps around his considerably smaller frame. Keeley rose to embrace him, and held his eyes in hers for a long moment.
‘Make sure you come back,’ she whispered.
‘Don’t worry, love,’ Sully grinned, ‘I’ve got him.’
Isaac rolled his eyes and kissed Keeley on the forehead.
Madison began to clamber to her feet as a surrogate.
Sullivan looked her over.
‘Are you used to this kind of thing?’
She paused as she met his eyes; her hesitation was the only response he needed.
‘Stay; your friends could use some looking after,’ he offered and motioned to Isaac with his chin, ‘we aren’t new at this.’
Sully fought to find an uneasy trust with Isaac. He wasn’t yet convinced whether or not Isaac was involved in William’s murder, but he could find little reason to question his companion’s current motivations.
As they began to move towards the door, Jacob extended the handle of his hatchet to Madison. As she ferried it across the room, Sullivan nodded in appreciation.
‘I’ll get this back to you,’ he promised over his shoulder as they exited.
Chapter 23
It was a slow grind.
The war band picked its way through the streets, ever searching for their intended quarry. The sun’s rays had some strength to them, but the air remained cold. The previous night’s rain had obscured any hope of a trail; with temperatures straddling the freezing point, any depressions in the pockmarked snow filled and partially froze over.
Erik kept pace with the lead of the column, carrying his bat lengthwise across his shoulders so he could rest the back of his neck against it. He inhaled deeply through his nose and allowed the cool air to fill his lungs, savouring the luxury of its lightness relative to the stifling airs of the compound.
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