The Rat Collector: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 1)

by Chris Yee

  Up above she heard a seagull. She glanced up to watch as it flew by. When she looked back down, her feet were submerged in water, and she was sitting at the edge of a wooden raft. She remembered that she was not in the desert, but in the middle of the ocean. She saw nothing but crashing waves. The raft began to sway as the water roughened. She got to her feet and stood at the center.

  From nowhere, she found herself surrounded by a crew of men. They wore brown vests, plain black shirts, and baggy trousers. They all held sharpened knives. In the distance was the distant sound of explosions. The man to her right held a flag that wavered in the ocean breeze. It showed a tortoise climbing a pyramid. “Live free forever,” he said with a blank stare. More distant explosions. The waves grew bigger. “Join us. Live free forever, Ella.” The raft shook violently, thrown about by the growing wind and water. The explosions grew louder. “Join us. Live free forever, Ella.” The waves became too much as she stumbled over. “Join us. Live free forever—”

  “Ella…Ella…” Rupert sat at the side of her bed, nudging her from side to side. “Wake up, Ella.”

  She rubbed her eyes and stretched her arms. “I’m up. What’s going on?”

  “Alan’s ready to talk. He’s waiting in the auditorium. Get ready. I’ll get Vince and meet you there.”

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  VINCE WOKE UP well-rested. No aches. No pain. It was like he had never tumbled over the cliff in the first place. As he sat up, legs still tucked beneath the covers, there was a knock at the door.

  “Vince,” Rupert called from outside. “Alan’s ready to talk.”

  “I’ll be right out.” He quickly changed and grabbed his bag.

  Rupert and Fred, who were waiting outside, looked up and down at Vince’s new outfit. “You look good. Sure beats those bloody rags I found you in.”

  “It’s a bit large,” he said holding out his arm and letting the sleeve hang loose.

  “I suppose, but that’s expected. Those clothes are mine. I’m a big fellow.” He waved his hand and began walking. “Come on. They’re waiting for us.”

  As they walked, Vince looked around. Snow Peak. A nice little village. Cozy. Small. Comfy cabins. Snow covered rooftops. Smoke puffing chimneys…and off in the distance, something caught his eye. Something strange, but familiar. Far off, way up in a tree, was a small metal box, much like the one he saw in Rodin as a child. He had seen these all over the place, and still had no clue what they were. They were always well hidden and just out of reach. This tree, however, looked climbable. It would be difficult, but perhaps he could reach it.

  “Hey,” he called out, pointing at the box. “What is that? Do you know?”

  Rupert stopped to follow his finger. “I don’t see anything. Just trees.”

  “No, look closer. At the very tip. It’s a metal box.”

  Rupert strained his eyes, sweeping the skyline until he saw it, and just barely. A speck in the distance. “Oh yeah, there it is. I have no idea? Never seen it there before.” He shrugged. “We can check it out later. Right now they’re waiting for us.”

  When they arrived at the auditorium, the room was almost empty. It felt strange compared to the full house they had for the town meeting. Ella, Carl, Alan’s wife Melinda, and Alan himself stood across the room.

  Rupert walked forward with open arms. “Alan, my good friend!” he said. “How are you feeling?”

  “Much better now that I’m rested.”

  “I’m glad. We’re all so happy you’ve returned. Now let’s get to business.” He took a seat in the front row and invited the others to join him. “You have heard the news about Patrick, correct?”

  Alan’s eyes lowered. “Yes. He was taken the day before I escaped. I saw him.”

  “What?” Rupert exclaimed. “You saw Patrick?”

  “Yes, in the most unfortunate of situations.”

  “Is he okay?” Ella asked. “Was he hurt?”

  “As far as I could tell he was fine, but that can change quickly. That man he’s with…he’s dangerous.”

  “That is why we must find him as soon as possible,” Rupert said. “Did you see the man’s face? Can you tell us anything that will help?”

  “I will tell you exactly what happened, from the moment he snatched me from my bed.”

  TWENTY-NINE

  ALAN WAS USUALLY fun and lighthearted, but now he spoke with a serious tone. “That night I awoke in fear, to a dark figure standing over me. His details were hidden in shadows. Melinda was still asleep. He had gagged me and bound my wrists and ankles. I tried to break free, to wake up Melinda, but it was no use.” He looked to his wife as they joined hands. “The man held me down and leaned in close to my ear. His voice was deep and raspy, and his words were chilling. ‘If she wakes up, she dies. Go ahead. Wake her up.’ After hearing those words, I stopped fighting. I tried not to move, but my body still trembled.

  “The man picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. He carried me out of my cabin and into the woods. The cold seeped through my clothes and numbed my skin. My head hung behind his back, and all I could see were his feet. He left no footprints. Special shoes I guess. The metal clang of keys jingled from his belt. He walked for a good while, until sunrise, and then finally placed me down in the snow. I turned my head to look around, and what I saw was frightening. We had passed the edge of the woods and entered the snow plains. The sight of white fields stretched for miles. Sitting in front of him, protruding from the flat ground, was a cage.”

  “A cage?” Rupert interrupted. He turned to Vince with a questioning look. Vince shrugged. He was just as surprised to hear Saul had a cage.

  “Yes,” Alan said. “A cage. Large with thick metal bars. It was about half the size of a cabin, and it sat on six wheels. At the front was a metal seat with controls on the side. It had only one door, slightly smaller than a normal door, that was secured with a hefty lock. Inside the cage were people, prisoners from other parts of the world.”

  “How many were there?” Rupert asked.

  “When I arrived, twelve. They all looked very weak.”

  “Why would he keep them like that?” Ella asked.

  “So he could drain them,” Vince answered. “He’s saving them for later.”

  Alan furrowed his brow. “Drain? No, he was bringing us somewhere. A place called the City. He kept mentioning it. ‘They’ll take good care of you in the City,’ he would say.”

  Vince tilted his head, confused. “The City? What’s the City?”

  Alan shrugged. “I don’t know, but that’s where he was bringing us.”

  “How did you escape?” Ella asked.

  “I got lucky. The night after, I was sitting inside the cage with everyone else. The man was gone. He had come back here. It was dark and cold in that cage. A typical night around here I suppose, but I had no coat. There is something particularly eerie about the empty snow plains at night. Its vastness frightened me.” He looked at the faces in the room. They had all seen the snow plains at night, and they all agreed, even Fred. “We waited for him to return. We feared that he would leave us. That we would freeze to death.

  “But he didn’t. As the moon rose, the man emerged from the woods, with another body upon his shoulder. It was Patrick. He was unconscious. The man dropped him in the snow and reached for the keys on his belt. He unlocked the cage door and bent down to pick Patrick up again. But as you all know, Patrick’s not the lightest guy around. The man struggled with his body. This opened a window of opportunity for me. I charged at the unlocked door and busted through. I fell to the ground, hands and feet still bound. Lying there, I had no idea what to do next. I had no escape plan. I was acting purely on impulse. When the man saw me, he jumped on top of me before I could wiggle away. I fought back, trying to shake free, but I was tired, and my body was weak. That’s when the cage door slammed open. The prisoners flooded through, but the opening was too small. They all pushed against each other, stuck in the opening as the door swung freely open.

/>   “The man let go of me and ran to the door. While he fumbled with the cage, I got to my feet and hopped over to Patrick, who was lying in the snow. I nudged him, but he was out cold. There was no way I could carry him with my hands bound. I had no choice. I had to leave him. I glanced back at the cage to see the prisoners holding his keys. The man pushed against the door, trying to keep it shut.

  “It was the perfect distraction as I hopped toward the woods. I dived behind a tree and glanced back towards the action. The man had his keys back on his belt, and the prisoners were now secured. He walked back to Patrick, turning in my direction. I tried not to move, but the cold snow made it difficult. I clenched my chattering teeth. My breath was short and erratic. The man came closer. I could hear him speaking to someone. Maybe just himself. ‘You lost him?’ he said. ‘How could you lose him?’ His words were filled with rage. I froze, praying he wouldn’t see me. He stopped at Patrick’s body and bent down to pick him up.

  “As he carried him back to the cage, turned away from me, I crawled deeper into the woods. The dense branches blocked the sky, and the thick bushes hid the ground. I rolled into a bush. He must have heard the rustle because he placed Patrick down, turned around, and peered into the woods. His eyes darted from side to side, scanning the thick bushes. He wandered closer, his eyes searching through the dark. He walked right up to me, the tread of his shoe in front of my face. I held my breath.

  “And that’s when Patrick woke up. The man took one last scan of the woods and turned around to put Patrick in the cage. He yelled at the prisoners to stay back and shoved Patrick inside. He locked the door, sat in the front seat, and tinkered with the controls. The cage moved forward atop the six giant wheels. I watched from the bush as they disappeared into the snow plains.

  “Once they were gone, I rolled out and tried to sit up. I rubbed my wrists against a tree and managed to free my hands, although the bark scratched them up pretty good.” He held up his wrists to show streaks of red across his skin. “I freed my ankles and walked into the dark woods. I found myself lost in the woods for a good day, but eventually, I made it back.”

  “What did this man look like?” Rupert asked.

  “I didn’t get a good look. He wore a hood which kept his face hidden. He was a large man. Tall and built. I know that’s not much.”

  “It is still helpful,” Rupert said. “But there’s something more important. Do you remember how to get to this cage?”

  Alan nodded and pointed east. “That way. I can show you.”

  “You’ve been through a lot. Are you sure you’re ready to go back out?”

  “Yes,” he answered, without hesitation. “If it means rescuing Patrick, I’m happy to help.”

  Rupert patted Alan on the shoulder. “Very well. We will leave this afternoon. And Alan, it truly is good to have you back.”

  THIRTY

  AS THE OTHERS gathered equipment, Vince sat on a bench and peered up at the metal box in the tree. The precise edges. The smooth, shiny surface. The circular glass which was pointed in their direction, as if it were watching them.

  Rupert walked by with his arms full and saw Vince staring into the trees. He placed the bags down and took a seat. Fred, who was still scared of Vince, hopped over to his opposite shoulder. Rupert peered up at the box. “That thing really has you curious, doesn’t it?”

  “It does.”

  “It is strange, no doubt. Never seen a thing like it.”

  “I have seen many, but none this close. They are always far out of reach. But this one…”

  “You mean to retrieve it?”

  “Perhaps.” Vince turned to look at Rupert. “Do you think it’s possible? To climb that tree?”

  Rupert studied the tree from top to bottom. “It is a tall one. The branches are scarce, just like the ones around it. It would be difficult. Perhaps impossible. But you climbed up the side of that cliff, something I also would have called impossible.”

  “You’re right about the branches. It would be a challenge.” He looked up again. “Could Fred fly up there? Get it down for us?”

  Without responding, Rupert stood from the bench and raised up his arm. Fred jumped from his shoulder to his hand. “Go ahead girl. See what that thing is.”

  She let out a shriek and launched from Rupert’s arm. She dashed towards the tree with her talons ready. The wind frizzled her feathers as she soared through the air. Once she was close, she slowed her speed and hovered over the box. She tilted her head to examine the object and grabbed the metal with her talon. A loud crack echoed through the air. Pain shot up her leg and through her body. Her wings stiffened, and she plummeted down like a rock, spinning through leaves and branches. She gained control fluttered her wings to slow her fall, but it was not enough. She slammed to the ground with a solid thud.

  “Fred!” Rupert screamed. He sprinted to the base of the tree and Vince following closely behind. Fred got to her feet when she saw Rupert, and let out a reassuring chirp. “You’re okay?” Rupert whispered. He stroked her head. “Don’t scare me like that.”

  When Vince caught up and saw that Fred was okay, he tilted his head upward. “That’s weird. I don’t feel any energy from this tree. Like it’s not alive. Not real.”

  Rupert brought his face an inch away from the trunk. “It sure looks real to me.”

  “It is convincing,” he said as he touched the bark, “but it’s not like the other trees. It’s different. Artificial.”

  “You mean someone built this tree and placed it here?”

  “I have no idea. It makes no sense.” He turned to Rupert. “I’m going to climb up.”

  Rupert shook his head. “Back there I thought it might be possible, but from here, it’s just too tall. There are no branches up near the top. And once you get up there…if you get up there, it will shock you just like it shocked Fred.”

  “Not if I don’t touch it. You don’t understand. I have traveled the world for longer than I can keep track of, and everywhere I go, I see these things, these boxes. They’re hidden. They’re out of reach. But I see them. And now I have a chance to get up close. I need to know what they are.”

  “How do you plan to get up there?”

  “The same way I got up that cliff.” He unsheathed the knife and grabbed another from his bag. “With these.” Rupert looked unsure. “Trust me. I was weak on that cliff. But now I’m rested. Well fed. I’m stronger than I was back then.” He approached the trunk. “I’ll be fine.”

  He secured his bag, tucked a knife into his belt, and gripped the other with his teeth. He hopped up to grab a low branch and pulled himself up. He carefully placed his feet as he scaled the base of the tree, the branches becoming more scarce the higher he went.

  He was up higher when a branch snapped from under his feet, and he quickly grabbed another one overhead. He dangled, looking up at the branch that he gripped. The base was slowly bending, beginning to crack. The lower branches were sturdy, but up here they could not hold his weight.

  With his free hand, he grabbed the knife from his mouth. He stretched his arm back and thrust forward, fixing the blade in place. The branch snapped off and slipped out of his hand. He held the handle of the knife as his body swung down and slammed into the bark. He grabbed the other knife from his belt and climbed up the tree, just like he had climbed up the cliff.

  The rest of the climb was no trouble. When he reached the top, he waved down to Rupert, who waved back. Fred let out a triumphant call. She must have been rooting for him despite her earlier reservations.

  He turned to the box and admired the ornate craftsmanship. There was a faint humming noise. He tilted his ear and inched closer. The humming was coming from inside the box. He pulled his head back and stared for a moment. The glass piece in front was large and circular. He leaned over to look through the glass but saw only darkness. It was tempting to grab it, but he knew it would shock him. If he could grip it long enough to tear it off its post, he could drop it from the tree and examine
it more closely once he was back down.

  He toyed with the thought when he noticed wires sticking out from the back, feeding into the tree. With the tip of his knife, he tapped the metal surface. Sparks flew, and a loud crack echoed. He flinched but kept his balance.

  He looked at the wires again and placed his knife on the rubber lining. With one quick slice, he cut through the wires. The low hum silenced. He tapped the blade to the surface again and…this time nothing happened. No sparks. No loud crack. He stored away his knives and inched his hand forward, carefully running his fingertips along the metal surface. Nothing happened. No pain. No shock.

  He grabbed the box with both hands and pulled, but it would not budge. The base was mounted to the tree. He rubbed his palms together, and grabbed the box again, this time pulling with great force. The bark splintered, and the box broke free. He held it out, staring with wide eyes. He looked down at Rupert. “I got it! I’m coming down!” He threw the device in his bag and began his descent.

  When he reached the bottom, Rupert peeked into his bag. “How did you manage that?”

  “There was a wire.” Vince pulled it out to show him. “Right here. It was powering a security system of some sort. It should be safe now.” As he said this, Fred hopped up and pecked at the box.

  Rupert examined the strange artifact. “What is it? It looks just as foreign down here as it did up there.”

  “I don’t know, but it must be important. Someone didn’t want us to find it.”

  “We should take it apart. Figure out what it is. What it does.”

  Vince nodded. “Yes, I agree, but not until after we catch Saul. This box can wait, but Saul is getting farther away.”