Zomblog 05: Snoe's War

by T. W. Brown

  I was mostly telling the truth. I had learned that there was more to it than that. I had also learned that I had been kept out of the lottery that our community held to determine who was sent when the requests came, but that was my problem, not theirs.

  “If you think that Dominique will simply stop,” I continued, “then you will be thinking that all the way up until she comes rolling in to your homes and scoops up all she sees as useful and uses the rest as hostages to ensure that those she captures will do her bidding.”

  I shot a look at the woman and saw her lips curl in a little smile. She motioned for me to follow her and she walked out of the gathering. I had to pull my coat tight against the wind that was starting to whip up pretty fierce. I hate wind. I can deal with rain, snow, or hot sun, but wind serves no purpose in my opinion other than to make a person miserable.

  I took a moment to get a better look at her now that we weren’t running for our lives. She had a pretty face, but there were lines etched in it from hard living. Her hair was dark, almost black, and her eyes were a deep brown that still seemed to sparkle despite how darkly colored they were. She was a little taller than me now that I got a better look at her, and even dressed in furs and heavy clothing, you could tell she was stout; not fat, but sturdy…that was the word that came to mind when I looked at her—sturdy.

  “You really Snoe Gainey?” the woman asked once we were alone.

  I sighed. That was not what I wanted to talk about…not how I wanted to be known. I had given up long ago on the notion that I would ever be treated like a normal person in the Corridor. I guess I was hoping that it wouldn’t be as bad around the tribes.

  “Yes.”

  “I bet you get really tired of that question,” the woman said with a smile.

  “You might say that.”

  “Well, the only reason that I know is because I overheard some of what went on during the interrogation. I don’t imagine too many others have a clue.”

  “I guess I was hoping that I could be someplace where nobody knew who I was…or more importantly, who my parents were.”

  “A lot of people would trade places with you in a heartbeat,” the woman said. I could hear just a hint of something in her voice. It wasn’t like she was scolding me, but she had something on her mind.

  “So is this what you wanted to ask me?” I wasn’t in the mood for a lecture on how great it must be to have such famous parents. I have no idea why people think that sort of thing has any meaning. If anything, it puts a lot of pressure on the child to live up to some mythological idea that outsiders have no clue about.

  “Actually, what I wanted to do was thank you.” The woman seemed content to change the subject. “I owe you a debt that can never be repaid. You saved my children from a life that I shudder just thinking about.”

  “Yeah…” I decided that maybe she should know that it wasn’t just her children on the line. “Well, according to the orders we were given, you would have been taken as well.”

  The woman nodded, no look of surprise crossed her face. “Yes, well, if Dominique is really building an army, then I imagine that she has need of any able-bodied person that she can scrape up. I just wish I knew what she really had in mind.”

  “Can I ask you a question?” I wasn’t really interested in trying to guess what Dominique’s plan might be. All I wanted to do was stop her…permanently.

  “Sure.”

  “You now my name, but I have no idea who you are. Do I just call you lady?”

  The woman actually blushed. Her face turned a bright red and the smile on her face was priceless.

  “I am so sorry.” Hearing her stammer and sound all flustered just did not seem right. I could tell that this woman was usually very much in control. “My name is Mary…Mary Turner. I feel like such a doofus.”

  If seeing her blush was odd, hearing her say the word ‘doofus’ was even more peculiar. There was something about this woman, all the way down to the way that she spoke, that told you she was a smart, strong individual. In many ways, she was what I hoped to be. And then it hit me…she reminded me of Mama Lindsay…only about ten years younger.

  “Nice to meet you, Mary Turner,” I said.

  ***

  “So, it seems that the council has agreed to send runners to other tribes. We are going as far south as the 205 Corridor, as far east as West Hill summit and north to the Columbia,” Ethan said.

  Sitting around a long table were the leaders of each of the tribes currently present, as well as Bob Hall, Mary Turner, me, and that creepy little man from the interrogation. I still hadn’t gotten his name yet, and I had no desire to ask. Every time I glanced his direction, it seemed like he was looking at me. No…to be realistic, he was staring. I began to wonder if he ever blinked. I started to feel real icky.

  “And how long will that take?” Mary Turner asked.

  “Hopefully no more than a week or two,” Ethan said.

  I looked around the table at everybody. They were all nodding. That had me wondering, how much actual travelling around did these people do? Things happen out in the wilderness. Setting a time like a week? I had made the trip to the 205 Corridor and it could take longer without a doubt.

  “You have a problem, Snoe?” Ethan asked.

  “Huh?” I never had been any good at hiding my feelings. “I just wondered how much moving around you folks do?” I said it as flat as possible. I didn’t want to make them think I was some sort of expert. After all, I had only made a couple of runs. The time I went off by myself had been a failure. Still, they seemed a bit too optimistic with their time frame.

  “We travel between tribal territories quite often,” Ethan said with his eyebrow raised just slightly. Perhaps I had not come off as casual as I had hoped. “We do things a little different than people from the Corridor. You are always looking out for possible supplies, and you tend to engage every walker you find. Our people stay out of sight and only travel in pairs. That allows us to move through areas that your wagons and such do not.”

  He wasn’t snotty about it, but I heard a little something in his voice that made me bristle. Maybe I was just being defensive, but to me, all this talking was not getting us anywhere. If these people did not act and act soon, Dominique would roll over them all before they knew what hit them.

  “Perhaps what my friend here is trying to say is that, while we wait, maybe some preparations should begin,” Mary spoke. I gave her a sideways glance and wondered if she could read minds.

  “That is reasonable,” Ethan agreed. “I will send word that all capable defenders will need to assemble.”

  “And where would you have them assemble?” Mary asked.

  “There is an airfield about three miles from here,” Ethan said. “Some of the hangars are still standing. I think that might do.”

  “I would also suggest that you put some eyes on Warehouse City.” Mary said it like a suggestion, but you could tell that there was very little doubt she expected it to be done immediately.

  Finally, the meeting was over. A few more things were tossed around, and there was still a bit of grumbling from a few of the tribal leaders who believed that maybe the best move would be to run for the hills. They were a minority, though. I could see a new sense of urgency now that Mary had shared what happened to her people.

  I headed out, intent on following Bob and having my evening meal with him and Felicia. Mary caught me by the elbow and steered me away with a curt nod to Bob. He looked like he wanted to protest, but thought better of it. I was really starting to wonder about Mary. Everybody treated her different…almost like they were afraid of her.

  “You don’t do a very good job of hiding your feelings,” she said once we were alone and walking down a path that I would have never seen if she hadn’t led me to it.

  “Never really had to,” I answered with a shrug.

  “Yes, well when you are dealing with people who make the decisions for groups, there is more to it than just stating your piece.
You have to learn how to ask for what you want in such a way that makes them want to give it to you.”

  I wasn’t exactly sure what she was talking about.

  “And when you deal with men, especially older men, you have to let them think that they are doing something for you.” She really stressed the word ‘for’ in her statement like it had a special meaning. Unfortunately, I was just not catching on.

  “Like now,” Mary laughed. “You look like somebody just asked you how to fly an airplane. You have to learn how to keep what is on your mind from showing on your face.”

  “Is that why Ethan got so touchy?” I asked.

  “Considering that you were looking at him like he was a total idiot? Yeah, I would say that might have something to do with his reaction.”

  I gave what I was about to say some careful thought. I decided that it wouldn’t hurt.

  “So why does everybody act weird around you? Almost like they are afraid of you.”

  Mary stopped walking. She looked at me and her eyes sort of clouded over. Not like she was going to cry or anything, but more like she was remembering something and reliving it at the same instant.

  “I met your mother.”

  Those four words hung in the air for quite a while. I wanted her to say more, but I didn’t want to push. I could see a few things on Mary’s face…and one of them almost looked like shame or embarrassment.

  “I was travelling down south for a while with several other girls. A few of us had escaped from some very bad men. We sort of took it on ourselves to make them pay. Only, after them there were others…”

  As I listened, I instantly remembered the entry from my mom’s journal. She and Greyfeather had found this group of girls while heading south towards Las Vegas. They had a guy that they were “dealing with” when Meredith found them. I tried to picture this woman involved in that sort of thing and it just didn’t fit. I guess people can change over time. However, if this was common knowledge, no wonder folks gave her so much space.

  After she finished speaking, I just stood there quietly. Seriously, I didn’t really have anything to say. She was talking about something from almost twenty years ago for one thing; and for another, it didn’t really have anything to do with me.

  ***

  The next few days went by with very little going on. Scouts from the area reported that two more tribes had been hit and that there was nobody left behind. One of the tribes that got raided by Dominique’s forces apparently ran into some resistance and I guess they decided to hang every single person—including women and children—to send some sort of message.

  A huge sign was posted in the center of what used to be the village that read:

  Attention!

  All tribes are officially notified here with this posting that any further resistance will be met with your execution. Spread the word (we know that you have been watching us) that any tribe within five miles that does not surrender at Warehouse City within one month will be seen as an enemy combatant. You have been warned.

  Posted under the authority of President DuBois

  by Major James Carson

  The word spread quickly through camp and renewed the argument of what should be done. While they were busy fighting and arguing, I had managed to locate a map. I started plotting the camps that were known to have been hit. It didn’t take me long to find what I was looking for.

  I grabbed my map and walked in to the tent where the latest meeting was taking place. There were a lot more people in favor of banding together and dealing with this threat now that it looked like Dominique was escalating the action.

  The most vocal in opposition was Greg and Ginger. I didn’t know what their deal was, but they were really starting to annoy me. After all, how much clearer did things really need to be?

  I waited for my chance to speak and stepped up to be recognized. Ethan waved me forward and I climbed up onto the little makeshift stage beside him with my map.

  “We need to relocate our meeting or we are all going to be captured or killed.” I probably could have opened with something less dramatic.

  I held up the map and explained that Dominique’s forces where spiraling out from Warehouse City. They didn’t seem to actually know where the tribes were located, they were simply discovering them—most likely with a small team of scouts—and acting accordingly. My guess was that tribes were located and scouted, and then this Major Carson would decide on the size of the force needed to go in and do the job.

  I was able to show what—at least to me—looked like a very obvious spiral that would eventually reach us. And if my guess was correct, the scouts would discover us very soon…if they hadn’t already.

  That seemed to get everybody’s attention. A new round of shouting and arguing began. I was not in the mood to hang around for it. I didn’t understand what there was to discuss. It was clear to me what was happening. I was not going to just sit and wait for those people to storm in here and take us. I had a feeling that, as bad as my first experience with Dominique had been, getting captured would be a death sentence for me.

  I went to the little tent that I was sharing with Bob and Felicia. If I had to act alone, then so be it. I was sick of waiting…sick of talking…and sick of hearing people talk. My mother, Mama Lindsay was dead along with my friend Phaedra and so many other people that I knew. If I was going to die, it would be doing something…not talking about doing something.

  I had all my stuff, not that there was much, loaded into my little knapsack. I had a machete that Bob had given me and a nifty set of throwing knives from Mary. I would have loved to have a crossbow, but nobody was giving theirs up and since these people were all away from their homes, it wasn’t like anybody was carrying spares.

  I turned to leave and found myself almost colliding with that creepy guy who I first met during the torture of that one NAA soldier. I hadn’t heard him come in, so I had to wonder how long he had been standing there. The fact that he made no move to step one way or the other when I practically ran into him was a bit annoying. I waited for a moment to see if he would move out from blocking the exit. When he didn’t, I scowled at him and moved to the left. He moved with me.

  “Going someplace, Miss Gainey?” he asked in a voice that made think that, if a snake could talk, this is what it would sound like.

  “It really isn’t any of your business,” I snapped and moved to the right.

  He moved with me again, blocking my path. “Actually, it is. You see, I am one of the people responsible for the safety and security of the tribes in this region. It seems that your presence is something that this President DuBois requires. I have been assured that if I can somehow make that happen, that the tribes in this area will be left unharmed.”

  “And you think that anything she says is true? You think that if she has me she will just decide that whatever reason she holds for doing what she has been doing will magically go away?” I retorted.

  I was doing a couple of things. First, I was stalling. All I needed was anybody to show up and this would be over and done before whatever plan was swirling around in this man’s mind could be enacted. Second, I had a sneaking suspicion about this weasel of a man—whose name I still did not know.

  “Absolutely not,” the man made a sound that I had to assume was a laugh. “However, if I deliver you to her, then it will secure a place for me in her hierarchy. The tribes are finished. They have no ability to stand up to the force that the NAA wields. Most of these people are little more than farmers and scavengers. They have managed to survive as long as they have by running and hiding. How would you think even for a minute that they could make a stand against a real army?”

  “So you snatch me, turn me over, and then become some sort of pet, able to torture freely without worrying about judgment, without having to pull yourself in before somebody sees that you enjoy what you do?”

  I was really hoping that somebody would show up right about now. I could see the look in this man’s eyes, a
nd something told me that he had already been in contact with Dominique…and that she might have already told him who his first victim would be.

  “If you scream, I will simply kill you here and now,” the man said. To emphasize his point, he let his hand come out from under his fur cloak to reveal the pistol-sized crossbow. He must have noticed me looking past him while I was hoping for help. “It won’t be nearly as much fun, but the results will be basically the same.”

  I wouldn’t have to scream. I saw a shadow moving behind him. What I needed to do was keep my eyes on him and try to keep my face calm. Ever since Mary had pointed it out to me, I had practiced, but I didn’t really know if I was making progress or not; now would be a good time to discover that I was.

  The tent flap parted and in stepped Greg Carrick. He looked at me and then shot a curious glance at my would-be captor.

  “For crying out loud, Spujt (it sounded like ‘spewt’), are you gonna grab her or not, that stupid meeting won’t go on forever.”

  When Greg started to chuckle, I realized that my mouth was open. So much for keeping things off my face.

  “You thought that I was somebody who was going to rescue you or keep Spujter (that sounded like ‘spewter’) here from hauling your skinny butt to Dominique,” Greg said.

  I would have no chance if I didn’t act right away. The odds were already against me, but if I did nothing, I was a goner.

  My mind went through the possibilities. I knew that the moment I reached for a weapon, I would take a bolt, and by the looks of it, there was something coating the tip. It was either poison, or something to knock me out. Either way, that was bad.

  I decided that I had one option. I was pretty certain that they had already underestimated me because of my size. I would need to make this count.

  Bringing up my knee, I caught Spujt in the groin. He scowled, but the effect was not nearly what I had hoped. When he came back with a backhand across my face, I ended up being the one stunned.