by Kip Nelson
So, as he met various people and wandered around the settlement, he examined everything with a cold, dispassionate stare, trying to find any sign that something was amiss. The last thing he wanted was to have led his group into the jaws of death, and not find out until it was too late. Although his nature was to trust people, he also wanted to make sure he was making the right decision. So far in this new world the instincts he so relied upon had not been as infallible as he would have liked. He still was haunted by the mistake he had made at the mental institution where he had betrayed the good doctor.
For all he knew, this settlement was one of the bad factions Bob had been talking about, and yet, Mack could see nothing amiss. Of course, there were some people who were less than amicable, but that was to be expected in any situation where a large number of people were thrown together haphazardly, especially when everyone had lost so much. But nobody was outright deceptive or malicious, and everyone seemed to make some kind of effort to make them feel welcome. The others didn't seem to have a problem with anything in the settlement, and even Bob, who was a little more gruff than Mack would have liked, seemed to be a trusted leader.
So, in the end, Mack let go of his suspicions and accepted the community for what it was. The people in the settlement made good use of their limited supplies. Bob had organized everyone into different teams with different focuses, and Mack was impressed with how well-drilled they were. Nothing was wasted; everything was scavenged and if it served no better use, then it was added to reinforce the barriers. Everyone there worked hard, and Mack was reminded of the camp they had left in the forest. He was glad to see there were now two examples of people banding together to rebuild something familiar, and suddenly the future didn't seem as bleak.
Their beds were comfortable, although most of them found it difficult to fall asleep as they had been so used to sleeping on the hard, lumpy, unforgiving ground that a soft mattress was completely alien to them. Then Mack and the others were startled by the loud ringing of a bell. They stumbled out of their rooms in a state of confusion as none of them had been told what the bell signified, but as they saw people rushing about they knew it was nothing good. In the dim light, they staggered out to hear people shouting.
“Stop them!” “Get him!” And other similar things were shouted.
Mack and the others then heard the rat-a-tat of gunfire and sprinted to the source. They drew their weapons, but in the shadows of the night it was difficult to tell who was who, and they didn't want to take the risk of shooting a member of the settlement. From a distance, they heard Bob yell some orders and then some more gunfire. Then they saw a group of people rush through to the supply building. They fired wildly but couldn't tell if they hit anything. A small band of people swarmed through the area, firing off shots as well, making Mack and the others retreat to cover. Mack scowled as he stood in the doorway of their apartment building.
“Who are they?” Luis asked.
“Must be one of the other factions Bob was talking about,” Mack said.
He looked out of the doorway, trying to get a sight of one of the enemy, but his head was forced back by the ricochet of a bullet that flashed against the wall of the building. There were panicked cries from all around, and Mack hated how he was rendered impotent by the covering fire.
“How did they even get in? The barriers looked secure.”
“There will be time for questions later. We have to help,” Maggie said.
The air was filled with the sounds of battle, and people crying in anguish as they were hit. As Mack twisted his head to peer out of the doorway again, he saw the small raiding party leaving the same way it had come. The group emerged and tried following them, but the raiding party evidently was well-organized and well-practiced. They soon were gone from the settlement as quickly as they had arrived, just as though a tornado had whirled through. With nothing more they could do to stop them, Mack and the others followed the crowd to the supply building and saw that much of their food had been taken. Many of the people who had worked so hard to gather the food were disgusted and dismayed.
“Who were they?” Mack asked, trying to figure out exactly what had happened and why. The answer came from behind him, as Bob entered the building, looking harrowed and annoyed.
“They're another faction. They don't have a name, but they're made up of people who we once trusted. They didn't share our views on how to live, so they went their own way, but they keep coming back. How much did they take this time?” he asked. When he was told, his face fell and he put his palm to his head.
“This can't go on,” Bob said.
“What do they want? Have you tried talking to them?” Mack asked.
“What do they want? They want what we've got, but they don't want to put the work in. They're jealous that we have such a big area, so they keep coming to remind us that they're out there.”
“How did they even get in?”
“Unfortunately, not all of our barriers are as strong as we would like, and they know exactly where to hit us. As for talking to them, yes, we tried that, but nothing is ever good enough for them. They take and take, and they'll keep taking until there's nothing left, or we're all dead. They don't have the numbers for a full-on assault, so they send these raiding parties. At first, they just came sporadically, but now they're becoming more regular, practically once a week, and we can't take it. We only just have enough to survive as it is, and when they come we usually lose at least a few people and it just can't go on. It can't!” he said, slamming his fist down on a nearby table. His face reddened and people were stunned into silence.
“What do you propose?” Mack said.
“I'm tired of sitting here being easy pickings for the rest of the city. We're trying to build something good here, but we need to start focusing on defending ourselves as well. We can't just sit by and let everyone come in and take what they want. I know we're stretched thin,” he began, as he now was talking to the entire settlement, who had gathered around, not just Mack.
“But things only are going to get worse if we sit by and do nothing. I don't want to see everything we've built crumble. I don't want every sacrifice we've made to be in vain. We've lost people, good people, and they need to be avenged. I'm tired of being on our back foot. We need to go on the offensive and show everyone else that they can't just come to us and take what they want. We need to show them how strong we are, and that we can be just as tough and mean as them.
“We'll go to their community and take our stuff back, and leave them a message. You can't let bullies walk all over you. I've always believed that and I'll never stop believing it. We need to stand up for our community, for ourselves. We have the weapons. We need to start using them. We need to go out there and strike back!” he said, his eyes bulging out of his trembling body as he worked himself up into a state of deep passion.
Mack looked around. Everyone seemed shocked at his attitude. From what little Mack knew, this settlement had been built on principles of cooperation and trust. The concept of conflict was alien to these people, yet none seemed brave enough to stand up to Bob, which was understandable given how he was their leader and such a strong personality. But Mack could see the unhinged look in Bob's eyes. He had seen it in far lesser men, and it wasn't such a strange thing for a man under such stress to want to release some of his rage in such a manner. Yet, Mack could see in the eyes of everyone else that they weren't fighters, and to send them out on raids only would lead to more deaths, more unnecessary deaths.
“You're talking about war,” Mack said, and as he spoke, it seemed to take Bob by surprise. He turned around slowly to face Mack, who could see the red rivers in Bob's eyes.
“Maybe that's what we need,” Bob said in a raspy whisper, and it sent a chill down Mack's spine.
Chapter Fourteen
After Bob made his speech people began dispersing, muttering among themselves as they went back to bed. From what Mack overheard, few of them agreed with Bob; most of them were
scared. At the first opportunity Mack sought out Maggie, softly knocking on her door as she was getting to bed. She welcomed him in and he shut the door behind her.
“I wanted to talk to you about tonight,” he began.
He took a seat by the desk while she sat on the bed. It was just a one-room apartment and there were a few remnants from the previous occupant laying around. The curtains were drawn, but they were thin and let the moonlight shine through. Maggie wore a loose top, for the stifling summer heat invaded the apartments as well.
“What can I help you with?” she asked.
“It's about Bob. You know him better than anyone here. Was that usual behavior for him? It didn't seem as though other people were too enthused about his proposition.”
Maggie sighed and ran her hand through her hair. “Yeah, I got the same feeling. He was a good cop, bit too hard for my liking. From what I remember, he never liked the fact that people were ‘getting soft,’ as he put it. Thought the world was going to hell and criminals were being given too many chances. He's very old-school, some called him a dinosaur. That's why he was...well, maybe I shouldn't tell you.”
“What?”
“You know how he said he was retired? It was forced on him. That's why things were a little...icy between us. He was my mentor, you know, trained me when I first got out of the academy. I owed him so much, but there was one case we were working on, the guy was guilty, but there was no evidence and he wouldn't confess. He wouldn't do much of anything. Just sat there in the interview room, staring, with a smug smile on his face. Bob lost it. He couldn't handle it. Knew the guy was going to get off and go out there and just do more harm to people and he lost faith in the system. He said it didn't work anymore, that there were too many bureaucrats getting in the way of justice, and if he had his way he'd put the guy in jail and throw away the key. Started getting angrier and angrier.
“I should have said something sooner, should have done something to get him off the case, but he was the captain and his decision was final. Until he started beating the guy, trying to get the truth out of him. Of course, after that the department got sued for brutality, and Bob was told to leave. I saw it. I had to turn him in and take it to the higher levels. It was what Bob had trained me to do. He was the one who taught me about duty and responsibility, and to see him act like that...I didn't recognize him.” As she spoke she hung her head, the past weighing heavily on her shoulders. Mack sat and listened quietly.
“So, you blame yourself for what happened. Do you think he blames you, too?”
“Probably, but we're past that now. Must admit I was surprised to see him still standing. We hadn't talked for a while...but I'm not surprised he's in charge. I can imagine he missed it. Probably wants to make up for lost time. Had been told for a while now that he didn’t have a place in society. Well, now he gets to make his mark and make a statement to prove he still has what it takes. I don't think he has any malicious intentions, he's just desperate to make up for lost time.”
“That still makes him dangerous. Do you think you'll be able to get through to him?”
“Why would I do that? This is his settlement. He's the leader. It's not my problem.” Mack stared at her, dumbfounded. He couldn't believe she was the type of person to have such disregard for other people’s safety.
“Are you serious? You saw how the people reacted. These people aren't trained for war. They can't be sent out there ready to fight and kill, it's not what they signed up for.”
“None of us signed up for this, Mack, but we have to make do the best we can. You're a hypocrite anyway. You told me about the camp, about how you rallied everyone to rise up and fight against that. Why are you so against Bob doing this?”
“That was different. Those people were being held against their will, and they had been brought to that camp under false pretenses. They were prisoners. Everyone here is free and, yes, the raids are bad, but they shouldn't be forced to fight if they don't want to do so. Can you honestly say everyone here wants to take up arms? I'm all for defending this place. I'm just not going to stand by and let someone blunder into a war zone without making a plan first,” he said, taking in a breath, and then lowering his voice.
“I know you've known him a long time, and I'm not trying to be angry or drive a wedge between you two. I've seen enough people lose a lot, and they don't need to lose any more. I understand why he's doing this, especially if the raids are happening all the time, but there has to be a better way than this.”
“You're right. I'll try talking to him at some point,” Maggie said, sighing. Mack creased his brow as he hadn't expected her to surrender so quickly.
“Is everything alright?” he asked, rising from the chair to move over to her, but she drew her knees up to her chest and folded her arms.
“I'm fine, just a little tired,” she said, looking away from him.
Mack remained unconvinced, but it was clear she wanted to be left alone, so he bid his farewell and tried to figure out what he wanted to do about Bob. He didn't want to be the kind of person who walked into a place and tried shaking up everything and usurping the leadership, but he couldn't let a war start. That was the very opposite of what these people were trying to achieve. The city was divided, and he would have to try finding a way to unite it.
The following day, Hank was walking around and noticed the tense atmosphere that was pervading the settlement. He spoke to Mindy and she informed him that things usually were like this after a raid. Although, after Bob's speech, they were a little more on edge. Many of the people in the community had been scarred by the violence and wanted to escape it, not be thrown back in to a maelstrom of chaos and woe. These people were in pain, and it was going to take a lot to soothe their souls. He already had been mentally preparing for his sermon, and had borrowed a pen and some paper to jot things down, although usually he liked speaking from the heart. He made his way around the settlement and told people he would be speaking at the place of worship that evening. He encouraged everyone to join him there, although he had no idea how many actually would show up.
The day passed swiftly and without incident, and it soon came time for him to deliver his sermon. He stood in his apartment and straightened his collar, then dusted down his clothes. He wasn't as presentable as he would have liked. His hair was getting a little long for his tastes, and he needed a shave. There were butterflies in his stomach as well. It had been a while since he had tried giving a sermon. The last time was in the prison, and he had been booed and heckled by the prisoners, who only sought to ridicule and humiliate him. The strength of God had seen him through that ordeal, and it would see him through this one as well. He took a deep breath before he walked out and saw the others waiting for him.
“I was worried nobody was going to show up,” he said.
“You can count on us,” Grace replied, smiling widely. Hank returned the smile and was glad of his new friends joining him, even though he suspected Grace had more than a little to do with getting them all together.
He tried showing no sign of nerves as he walked with them down to the small, unassuming building that had been designated as the place of worship. It had been so long since he had delivered a sermon he couldn't help but feel a little anxious. Although he was a man of faith, and the courage he received from the Lord was unwavering, he still had moments where he wondered if he could be the man God needed him to be. This was one such time. The world had changed so much and he just hoped there was still a place for himself, and for the Lord, and that in these dark times people still would be drawn to His light. His doubts were put to rest when he reached the building and saw that it was packed, so much so there was barely any room to move. All at once he was humbled and invigorated by seeing everyone come out to support the Lord and explore their faith. As he greeted people and made his way to the stage, he felt the old familiar surge of God's glory rushing through him, inspiring him. By the time he reached the middle of the stage and stood looking down upon the flock o
f people, he knew exactly what to say. In a booming voice that reached the back corners of the room he delivered his sermon.
“Friends,” he began, “I thank you for joining me tonight. I hope to keep this short as I know we all have important duties to perform, but I wanted to gather you all here to share some thoughts I had. We've all been through a lot since the world ended. We've all lost at least one person close to us, and yet, we've also gained something as well. Each other. Look around you, at the people you now trust with your life, and ask yourself if you ever would have met these people had the world not ended? It is easy to look around at the death and destruction, at the way other people act, and feel your hope slip away. It is easy to lose faith.
“But we are here because God has given us the strength to choose the difficult path, to endure the sorrow and carry the banner of the human race. We have been given a divine task, to continue the work of our Lord and spread His message. The light shines brightest in the dark and we must be that light. We must be the ones to act in the way He instructed us, to love ourselves and our neighbors, even though it may be challenging. We must hold onto the values that have shaped us and that will deliver us into the eternal paradise. I know it is not easy, and sometimes all you want to do is sit down and weep, but we all are here together.
“No longer does wealth or culture divide us. We all are survivors and we should take courage from that. I do not claim to know what God's plan is for us. I never have known that, even though I have devoted my life to Him. But I trust that He knows best. This, all around us,” he said, raising an arm to gesture toward the city.
“This broken city is a representation of the mistakes we have made, and is a reminder of what we can do. Evil is still around us, but our hearts are the same. We need to look inside ourselves and remember who we are, and we need to look to the future to see who we can become together. We are not alone in this, we are never alone. We have each other and we have the Lord. I have seen some dark things, and I've lost many dear friends as I have made my way to this city,” he said, bowing his head in respect.