The Black Tide I: Remnants (Tides of Blood)

by Baileigh Higgins

I looked down at my plate. My appetite had fled. Forcing down the last few bites, I waited for Lexi to finish then rinsed our plates in a bucket of water, avoiding Brian's piercing gaze.

  “Lexi. Would you mind leaving us alone so we can talk? Maybe go to the tent?”

  “Why? I want to be here too. I'm not a kid anymore.” She glared at me, mutinous.

  “Please, Lexi. We just need a moment or two.”

  “Fine. I'll be able to hear everything anyway.” She flounced off, leaving me alone with Brian.

  I shot him an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

  He sat down on the stump, patting the space next to him. “Come on. Tell me what happened.”

  Twisting my trembling hands together, I sat down. Where did I begin? Should I tell him everything? Should I tell him about Andy and me?

  Taking a deep breath, I went back to the day I showed up on his doorstep, filling him in on the events that led to us leaving the house and moving in with the Peterson's. I kept my voice low, not wanting Lexi to overhear. Brian never said a word, but I noticed the way his jaws clenched when I told him about the attempted rape and my father's death at the hands of the army.

  “So that's why we left home,” I said. “It wasn't safe anymore.”

  “I'm sorry you had to go through that,” Brian replied. “I've heard...rumors.”

  “Rumors?”

  “Yeah, stories about some of the men bartering for sex, and in some cases, taking it by force. It's frowned upon but the situation is so volatile the higher-ups turn a blind eye. As for your father...”

  “Did you know what they do to infected people?”

  Brian sighed, staring into the fire. “I...I found out not long after I joined. By then, it was too late. I was trapped.”

  “How did you find out? Did you see it happen?” I pressed. This was my chance for answers. My chance to get confirmation of what I'd heard that officer say about my father.

  “I saw it. A family was taken from their home after they tested positive.” Brian swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing. “They were so scared. The husband begged for the lives of his family.”

  My muscles tensed and I closed my eyes, not sure I wanted to hear the rest.

  “They took them to the rugby field and shot them. Their bodies were taken away for cremation.”

  “What did you do?”

  “Do?” Brian laughed bitterly. “I went ballistic. Spent five days in the icebox for that.”

  “The ice box?”

  “I'd rather not talk about it.”

  “What about your mom and dad? Were they...”

  “No,” Brian replied. “The army cares for the families of those who join. Until the end, at least. They can't afford a riot, I guess. There's a big medical tent set up for it staffed by army personnel in hazmat suits.”

  “Then why can't they do that for everybody?” I asked, outraged.

  “There's not enough resources. Or so I was told by the chaplain.”

  “What a load of crap!” I exploded, arms waving wildly. “I've heard of the factories, the farms. Thousands of people forced to work every day so the government and army can sit back and lord it over us. People are dying, starving!”

  Brian reached out and grabbed my hands, forcing my arms down. “Hey, calm down, Red. I know. I know all about it and it isn't right. It's not fair but what can you do?”

  “I don't know, Brian. I don't know what to do. We've got nowhere to go, nowhere to turn to for help. How do I take care of Lexi?” My shoulders sagged, slumping as dejection settled over me.

  Brian squeezed my fingers. “You're not alone, Ava. You've got me now.”

  “Won't you get in trouble? What if they find out you're helping me?”

  “They won't. I'm careful and they don't know about our connection.”

  At the word 'connection', silence fell between us. I became hyper aware of his warm hands holding mine and a current of electricity passed between us. My eyes dropped to his mouth. Brian leaned in, his warm breath brushing my skin. Our lips met and I sighed, closing my eyes. With a gasp, I tore my hands from his and turned away, guilt consuming me. How could I do that? Want that? What about Andy?

  “I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that,” Brian said, pulling back.

  I folded my arms about me and stared into the fire. “It's not your fault. It's mine.”

  What if I tell him the truth and he hates me? What if he leaves? We need him. I need him.

  His eyes rested on my face. Expectant. Encouraging. I couldn't bear to disappoint him. Neither could I bear to lie to him.

  “I...I haven't told you everything yet. I haven't told you about Andy.”

  “Andy? Andy Peterson?” A note of suspicion entered Brian's voice. “He was in the group, wasn't he? He got away that night. You both did. What happened?”

  In a dull monotone, I told him the rest of the story: The Lost Boys, the raids, Lloyd, Andy getting shot and dying. Most of all, I told him about us.

  When I finished, Brian said nothing for a long time. Afraid of what he would do, I waited, my gaze fixed on the flickering flames. A log crackled, sending sparks into the night sky where they glowed for a brief moment before turning into ash.

  When he finally spoke, his words were measured, careful. “I understand, Ava. I don't blame you. It's not like you cheated on me. You and I...we didn't work out, did we?”

  “I'm sorry. Sorry for what I did back then.” I licked my lips, leaning forward, hugging myself. “It's just, with the accident and my mom. I couldn't cope, couldn't face it.”

  “What I don't understand is, why didn't you turn to me? We were supposed to be partners, Ava. I could have helped you through it if you had let me.”

  A bitter note entered Brian's voice and for the first time, I realized just how much I had hurt him. He was right. I could have turned to him. He would have supported me, helped me. Instead, I rejected him.

  After a while, Brian sighed and shifted. “There's something else you should know. It wasn't Lloyd who betrayed you.”

  “What?” I jerked upright.

  “He tried to bribe the guards at the gate. They went to command and a trap was set.”

  “Then how did they know who we were? They were waiting for me at Andy's house.”

  “Neill talked under questioning. They threatened his family. He was executed the next day.”

  “Oh, my God.” I sat still, taking it in. This whole time, I'd thought it was Lloyd simply because I didn't like him. Because he rubbed me the wrong way with his sarcasm and cutting comments. “I'm so stupid.”

  I looked up at Brian. “What happened to the rest? To Lloyd? Andy told me Thabo was shot first and I saw Matthew go down.”

  “Lloyd was wounded and his father pulled strings to get him off. The other guy died that night. Shot.”

  “Poor Allen.”

  Brian sighed. “It's a miracle you and Andy escaped. Though I guess he didn't really.”

  “No. He didn't.”

  I thought about all the young lives lost, the broken families. All for nothing.

  “How long can you stay?” I asked.

  “I'd better get going actually. They give us time off but not a lot.” He dragged the backpack he'd carried earlier closer. “I brought more food. Not much. I wasn't sure you'd be here, sorry.”

  “It's okay. We still have quite a bit.”

  “Yeah, well. No need to ration it so strictly. I'll bring more in a few days.” He unpacked a few cans, soup packets, a bag of rice, soap, and toilet paper as he spoke before reaching back inside. “Here's a radio. It runs on batteries.”

  “A radio?” I grabbed it from his hands, turning it over.

  “I thought it would keep you in touch with the outside world so you don't feel too isolated. I tuned it into the army channel. It's censored. They don't want us grunts to know too much but it gives the news, plays a little music. Just go easy on the batteries.”

  “I will, thanks. This is great.”

  “Here are
some water purifying tablets. The dam water can't be healthy.”

  “I know. I strain and boil it but I've been pretty scared we'll come down with something.”

  “True. They pump all sorts of crap into it.”

  “Lovely.” I sniffed, nauseated at the thought.

  “Well, that's it. I'd better go but I'll see you in a few days.” He got up and I followed, at a loss for words. “Do you need anything specific?”

  “More bullets would be nice,” I answered.

  “Ah, right. Your dad's gun. 9mm?”

  “Yup.”

  “I'll see what I can do.”

  “Thanks. And Brian?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for helping us.”

  “Anytime, Ava.” I noticed his use of my real name instead of our nickname and my heart clenched.

  Brian picked up the empty backpack and produced a chocolate bar from his pocket. “Give this to Squeaker, will you? Tell her I said goodbye.”

  “Will do.”

  Brian lingered for a few more seconds, an awkward silence enveloping us. His hand brushed mine before he disappeared into the trees. I lingered, my eyes fixed on the spot long after he'd gone. One thing was for sure. I did not deserve him.

  24

  Chapter 23

  After Brian left, the days passed slowly. Lexi was angry with me for sending her to the tent when he visited, so I was subjected to the silent treatment. The atmosphere was thick, punctuated by her angry glares while I agonized over Brian's return and the uneasy relationship between us. Though he had reacted calmly to the news about Andy, there had been an underlying tension in his words, a certain stiffness in his goodbye.

  The cold hard truth was that we couldn't afford to lose him. We needed his help. Without it, we were lost. But it was more than that. Painful as it was to admit, my feelings for Andy could not compare to that which I felt for Brian. He was my first love and terror at the thought of losing him lay ever close to the surface, brewing in the back of my mind as I went about my daily tasks.

  While I tried to keep busy, there was only so much cooking, cleaning, and washing a person could do around a camp site. The radio didn't offer much relief either. I only switched it on for short periods to conserve the batteries and the news was anything but cheerful.

  An estimated quarter of the population had died from the Black Tide to date. Around fifteen million people. My mind boggled at the sheer magnitude of this tragedy. Due to the strict measures implemented by the army, however, the death rate had dropped considerably over the past few weeks, earning them my grudging admiration. If the news was to be believed.

  Our borders were in a state of war, however. The stream of refugees fleeing from the rest of Africa had grown to a raging river, stemmed only by a steady supply of fresh recruits posted off with a rifle and two weeks of basic training. There they faced not only desperate people fleeing from the horror their homes had become, but roving bandits and armed militias, all with the express intent of raping, murdering, and plundering.

  Meanwhile, the rest of the world floundered about trying to pick up the pieces, the only difference between them being the various degrees of shit they were in. America appeared to be well off, followed closely by Australia, New Zealand, Japan, and the colder countries to the North.

  The only real positive bit of news was the fact that the rumors of immunes had now been confirmed. It appeared there were people born with a natural immunity against the disease, though they numbered only about one percent of the population.

  That didn't mean a whole lot to me in my situation, however. I was still a fugitive, still responsible for a child, and still dependent on another for my survival.

  After I spent five long days pacing the perimeter of our camp and eking out an existence, Brian finally showed up. He appeared out of the night right after we'd eaten our supper, dumping a bulging duffel bag next to the fire.

  “Hey, guys. Happy to see me?”

  I jumped to my feet, my heart beating faster at the sight of his face but refrained from throwing myself into his arms.

  “Brian!” Lexi forgot all about her resolution not to speak to him and ran forward, grabbing him around the waist.

  Poor kid. The days were extra long for her, with nothing to pass the time and no one to talk to except me whom she had resolved to ignore.

  Brian grinned, ruffling her hair. “Hey, Squeaker. I got you a treat.”

  “More chocolate?”

  “Nope. Even better.” Brian conjured up a kids activity pack and a box of colored pencils from underneath his jacket, eliciting a happy cry from Lexi. She snatched it from his hands, tore open the packet and flopped down next to the fire.

  “Where do you come up with this stuff?” I asked, shooting him a tentative smile, unsure of my reception. My insides warmed when he responded, some of my earlier worry draining away.

  He grinning, tapping a finger against his nose. “That's my little secret.”

  “Won't you get in trouble if someone finds out?”

  He shrugged, settling down next to the fire. “Then I get into trouble. It wouldn't be the first time.”

  I shook my head, disturbed. After what had happened to Andy, I'd become cautious to the point of paranoia.

  “So. You two getting along alright?” He gestured to the duffel bag. “I brought more supplies.”

  “We're doing okay. Coffee?” I asked, offering him a steaming cup of the bitter, black brew from a kettle next to the flames.

  “Thanks.” He accepted, taking a careful sip and pulling a face when it hit his tongue.

  “Any news?” I asked, pouring another cup for myself.

  “Yup. None of it good.”

  “Oh?”

  He cast a look at Lexi who was engrossed in her new toy, hesitating for a few seconds.

  “You might as well spit it out. She's not paying attention anyway, and I couldn't take another five days of the silent treatment if I sent her away again.”

  “Okay. Sure you want to hear this?” The bantering note in his voice had fallen away, to be replaced with a somber look.

  “Go ahead. How bad could it be?”

  He stared into his cup, considering carefully before answering me. “There's rumors going around. I don't know how true it is but the Black Tide is changing...mutating.”

  “Mutating?”

  “Yes.”

  “What exactly does that mean?” I spoke slowly, trying to suppress the surge of panic that rose up within me.

  “I don't know all the details. Nobody does. It's all very hush-hush. Command doesn't want us to know but you know how it goes. Nothing stays hidden for long.” He paused. “What I've heard is that the Black Tide's getting worse. It's already begun in Asia and North Africa. People are dying by the thousands and even countries like America are reporting a surge in deaths now.”

  “But they haven't said a thing on the radio!”

  “They wouldn't. Like I said, hush-hush.”

  “What will happen to us?” The thought of the disease changing terrified me. A specter of Lexi with blood running from her eyes rose in my mind.

  “I don't know.” Brian sighed, staring into the fire before looking me in the eyes. “I think we should leave.”

  “Leave?” Lexi's head snapped up, her eyes ranging between our faces. Trust her to hear the most important part, I thought. “Where would we go?”

  “I thought we could go to the river house. Stay as far away from people and the infection as we can.”

  The river house. His parent's holiday home. Isolated, secure...perfect.

  “That's actually not a bad idea.” Now that he'd mentioned it, I was chagrined for not thinking of it myself before. “When? Now?”

  Brian shook his head and got to his feet, dusting off his pants. “No. We can't walk that far. Not with Lexi and not without risking getting caught. There are patrols all over the country.”

  “What then?”

  “We'd need a vehicle and
supplies, but most of all, papers.”

  “Papers?”

  “Yeah. Papers giving us the right to travel.”

  “What?” I ran a frustrated hand through my hair. “How on earth do we get that?”

  “I know a guy with the necessary pull to arrange it. When I was first drafted into Company C, we shared a bunk and got to know each other. It made things bearable. He's since been promoted.”

  “And if he can't? Or won't?”

  “Then we go to plan B. We walk.”

  “If we might end up having to do that anyway, why wait? This paper business sounds risky.” I rose to my feet and crossed the gap between us, grabbing both his hands. “Think about it, Brian. We could leave tomorrow morning. It'd be just the three of us.”

  Wild hope suffused me, strengthened when he hesitated, indecision filling his eyes. “I don't know. You really want that?”

  “Yes!”

  He looked at Lexi who was watching us with owlish eyes and shook his head. “No. We can't. Do you have any idea how far it is? Do you think she'd make it?”

  “She could,” I replied, even as doubt set in. Was I being too hasty?

  Brian squeezed my hands, kissing my cheek before stepping back. “It'll work out. You'll see.”

  My skin burned where his lips had touched, the feeling so familiar it nearly brought me to tears. I dropped my eyes, shuffling my toe in the dirt. “Will it? What if you don't come back?”

  Brian smiled, that familiar dimple winking at me. “I'll be back. I promise. Three days max. Then we leave.”

  I nodded but try as I might, I couldn't shake the feeling of dread that now had hold of me. As he walked away, I stared at his retreating back, clenching my fists to keep from running after him. What if he doesn't come back? What if I lose him too?

  I looked at Lexi. “Stay here, sweet pea. I'll be right back.”

  Her eyes danced between me and the spot Brian had disappeared into then she smiled. “Okay.”

  No sooner had she agreed than my feet carried me after him, flying over the uneven ground in a stumbling run. “Brian, wait!”

  My eyes searched for him, hoping to find him before he was gone. Panic surged in my breast. Where is he?