The woman is tall and slim with her hair knotted into a bun. Her icy stare looks like it could cut granite. “Did you wake anybody?” she asks, directing the question at Lela.
“I’m not an idiot, Camilla,” Lela replies.
“So you say,” Camilla counters. Even in the low light I can see the seething look on Lela’s face. I’m tempted to laugh.
“Enough, you two,” Dr. Lyle says. “We have little time.”
“Can someone explain why I’m in a ladies' bathroom right now?” I ask, exchanging glances with Lyle and Bill.
“Right,” Bill says. “Dex, we brought you here because we need your help to take back Forest Lake from its enemies.”
I swallow hard. That is not the answer I expected. “You mean, the Lake Street Gang?”
“They’re one part of the problem, yes. But then there’s also Mayor Perkins,” Bill says with a smirk.
“Perkins? Why is he a problem?”
“He’s in with the gang,” Camilla says. “By providing Avery with valuables for his precious hoard, the Mayor gets food, clothes, medicine, and the power he needs to rule this hall with no push back.”
“Essentially, Perkins is a puppet to the gang. He’s been taking advantage of us for months,” Bill chimes in.
I can’t believe this. The thought of an organized gang of looters exploiting the survivors of IlluMonday was bad enough. Now I have to deal with a corrupt mayor too? What’s happened to this place? “Why haven’t you stopped Perkins if he’s been doing this for so long?”
“We didn’t know about it until a few hours ago,” Dr. Lyle says, shrugging. “We suspected he might be corrupt, but didn’t have proof until you came along.”
“I don’t understand,” I say, exchanging glances with each of them.
Bill clears his throat. “Dex, before I found you confronting the gang, Lela and I were scouting the area for survivors. We do this often because prior to your arrival, Perkins was amenable to newcomers. He’s always been a miser with food and supplies, but he never turned anyone away like he did with you.”
“So what makes me so different?” I ask, failing to see the point.
“You confronted Avery,” Bill says. “That’s caused trouble for the Mayor. When I came back here with you in my van, Perkins was furious. I didn’t understand why at first, but Camilla helped shed some light.”
Camilla smacks her lips before she speaks. “I’ve been secretly following the Mayor for the last week to report on what he’s been doing. We all figured he was hoarding food and supplies for himself—”
“Definitely hoarding food,” Lela interrupts.
Camilla scrunches her face in annoyance, but continues. “I caught him stealing food late at night, but everything I saw was harmless until this afternoon. He met with one of the gang members out back by the dumpsters. I couldn’t hear them well, but it was a short conversation and afterward, he looked ready to kill somebody.”
“So, he’s working with the gang, but how do I factor into this?”
“The prevailing theory? Avery wants you dead,” Bill says. “The Mayor specifically instructed me not give you a ride back home. So, I’m guessing he hopes the gang will kill you on the street tomorrow morning.”
My stomach knots at the thought of having to face Avery again. Part of me believes I can escape the gang. I have a gun and a sword, but I’m not very experienced with either weapon. Plus the throbbing pain from my temple reminds me how the last encounter with Avery went. I doubt I’ll come out alive a second time. If I leave now when everyone is asleep, I might avoid Avery and his thugs. I could cover plenty of ground in the darkness and reach the Grays before dawn, but the Mindless will still be a problem. And what about Cassidy? I can’t leave her behind.
“Are you all right, Dex?” Dr. Lyle asks, the corners of his mouth droop.
“There’s a psycho gang out there that wants to kill me and I don’t have any medicine to bring back to my friend. Not to mention Mindless are crawling everywhere. Yeah, I’m just peachy,” I say, scowling.
Bill chuckles. “Welcome to downtown Forest Lake. Good news is—we’ve got a plan to get everyone out of this mess.”
“I’m listening,” I say, turning to the elderly statesman of the group.
Bill lays out the plan, and it becomes clear he’s a brilliant strategist. For months, Bill and his fellow conspirators have wanted to attack the Lake Street Gang’s headquarters and plunder Avery’s hoard. But the Mayor has either delayed the move or downplayed its chances of success. Camilla and Lyle have been Bill’s secret propaganda team—recruiting anyone in the community hall to join them in taking down the gang. The plan is to storm the mill with willing survivors, but our lack of weapons will make it difficult. The gang has confiscated most of the guns available in Forest Lake.
“But we have a weapon that can aid us better than guns or bombs,” Bill says, fixing his eyes on mine. “Distraction.” He turns to the one member in the group who hasn’t said a word yet—the Asian man. “Care to explain?”
“Yes,” the man replies, nodding his head slightly. “I am Soshi Kimura. Many years ago, I helped design the light rail that runs here. The Green Line runs through Forest Lake then south to the metro. Ever since IlluMonday, all transits have powered down, but I can turn on the station again. This will lure the Mindless downtown—”
“Why on earth would you do that?” I ask. A horde of Mindless and sparkhounds running rampant in the area would be infinitely worse than the Lake Street Gang.
“Because it gives us a big distraction against Avery,” Bill answers. “The light rail station is a few feet behind the mill. Once the power is on, the gang will have to fight the Mindless and give us an advantage to infiltrate the mill.”
“But you’re forgetting the dozens of Mindless that’ll be everywhere, Grandpa,” Lela argues, her expression betrays that she knew nothing about the plan.
“Don’t worry, the tram will be the bait. Once the mill is taken, we’ll run the train into the metro. Soshi will power on some mobile pads and other electric devices inside one of the rail cars. The Mindless will follow the charges like moths to a flame,” Bill explains confidently.
Lela looks unconvinced, but she doesn’t object. I can tell she’s worried about the whole thing.
“Are you still planning to drive the light rail all the way to St. Paul?” Camilla asks, turning to Bill.
“Yeah, Soshi will be with me. We’ll lose the Mindless eventually I hope.” He smirks, but it disappears once he catches Lela’s worrisome look.
The whole plan sounds like it could collapse easily if the Mindless become too numerous or the Lake Street Gang somehow defend the mill against the attack. I guess the chances of survival are slim either way. “So, what do you need me to do?”
Lyle and Bill glance at each other, deciding who should clue me in first. Lyle speaks first. “Dex, the attack is happening in the morning. At dawn, Soshi will sneak out of the hall and activate the light rail station. After that, Bill, Camilla, and the rest of our company will attack the mill. But you and I won’t be here for that.”
“What? Why not?” I ask.
“I’m taking you home in Bill’s van. There are medical supplies I can deliver to Jessica and once everything settles down here, I’ll come back to help the wounded. Perhaps Jessica will come back too.”
Mr. Gray won't be eager to let his wife come here, especially after this raid goes down. But Mrs. Gray will jump at the opportunity if only to escape the dullness of basement life. Zechariah will probably join her if Dr. Lyle provides him with the necessary meds. I trust he will. Mr. Gray will warm up to the idea and come too, but not before lots of arm-twisting and protesting. I’m sure Mrs. Gray will convince him somehow. And just like that, my worries over the Grays evaporate.
That leaves Cassidy as the center of my anxiety. I promised her I’d help her. Traveling to the farm will cost me too much time and there’s no guarantee I’ll be able to leave again. My previous plan to
steal the van is still an option, but now it’s more complicated to execute. If I hijack the van from Dr. Lyle, the meds won’t get to Zechariah. I could steal the van, deliver the meds myself, and take off from the farm to Cassidy’s house, but that comes with all kinds of complications—including ethical ones.
There must be a way to reach Cassidy. What if I steal Avery’s truck during the attack? No, that’s too risky. The mill will be a war zone and surrounded by Mindless, I’d never make it out alive. And he’ll probably have the keys with him anyway.
“So we all know where we need to be tomorrow,” Bill says, snapping me back to the gathering.
“Lord, help us,” Camilla whispers.
“Let’s get some rest. Big day tomorrow,” Bill says. Everyone nods and files out of the bathroom. Lela and I are the last to leave. We each wait in the hallway before exiting into the main hall to avoid raising any suspicion about the secret meeting. After Camilla walks out, Lela waits by the door for Bill to give her the signal to enter the hall. He nods then she opens the door, but is stopped by his outstretched arm. “Don’t forget to bring the bag of mobile pads to Soshi tomorrow morning,” he whispers.
Lela nods. “I’ll drop them off at the station before dawn.”
She exits into the hall and then it hits me. The light rail...I can ride the light rail! The Green Line has a stop in St. Paul that’s three blocks away from Cassidy’s house. I have to tell Bill and Dr. Lyle, but it’s too late. Bill waves me toward the door and when I hesitate, he bores into me with his piercing gaze. “Get going, Dex,” he whispers.
I sigh and leave the hallway, sauntering back to my uncomfortable cot. Bill exits the hallway door a few minutes later and lies down in the cot next to Lela’s across the room. If I talk to him now, he’ll be furious and Mayor Perkins might catch us. I'll wait until morning, everything will be straightened out then.
Fifteen
I sleep for a few hours, but once the painkillers wear off, I’m tossing and turning in my cot again. A few minutes of sleeplessness forces me to sit up and give up the effort. It’s too dark inside the hall to tell the exact time, but I’d guess around early morning, maybe an hour before dawn. Everyone is still asleep around me. I’m tempted to use the CB and contact Cassidy, but it’s too early for her to be awake. We missed our talk last night due to everything that’s happened. I hope she’s still okay.
While I wait for dawn to arrive, I reach for my backpack and take out my father’s journal. I’ve let my daily journaling slide since I left the Grays, but I have several things to be thankful for, so I jot them down before I forget. Surviving a Mindless attack and the Lake Street Gang are at the top of the list.
After I finish writing, I toss the notebook into the pack then grab my sword to examine it. The hilt is glossy black with a chrome diamond pattern running along the middle. I can’t see anything peculiar about the blade—it’s steel and slightly curved at the end. The scabbard is made from polished wood like most katana mountings. I shake it, hoping to hear something rattle inside. Nothing. Everything about the sword looks normal. How did electricity shoot from the blade?
“What are you doing?”
The sword drops on my lap as I jump at the sound of Lela’s voice. “What is the matter with you?” I say, wide-eyed. “How long have you been standing there?”
Lela shrugs. “I don’t know, five minutes? You didn’t answer my question.”
“I was checking something.”
“You were shaking that sword. Kinda weird.”
“Yeah, so what?” I say. She really knows how to get under my skin. “It’s weirder to be up early staring at people where I come from.”
She purses her lips and averts her gaze. “I noticed you were up, so I came over.”
“I couldn’t sleep. Keep thinking about...everything,” I reply, unsure how much I should share with her.
“Yeah, me too,” she says, sitting down on the ground across from me.
There’s a long silence between us, interrupted occasionally by the sounds of snoring survivors in the hall. Lela doesn’t seem to mind the lack of conversation. I’m realizing more and more that she’s either socially awkward or just comfortable torturing me. “So...are you scared about this whole attack plan?” I ask, unable to face the quiet anymore.
“No, not really,” she says, running her index finger along the dirty floor. “Why? Are you afraid to die or something?”
I let out a sigh. “I’m afraid to die, sure. But I’m more afraid of my friend dying.”
“You mean the kid that needs the medicine?” She asks.
“Well, yes, but...I had someone else in mind,” I say, wishing I had kept my mouth shut.
“Who?”
“My friend Cassidy. She lives in St. Paul and...she’s trapped in her basement without food or water.”
“Whoa. I hate to break it to you, but she’s probably dead by now,” Lela says. Someone needs to teach this girl not to speak her mind all the time.
“She’s not dead. I talked with her yesterday. If I can get to her in time, she can survive,” I say in a confident tone, but inside I’m wavering.
“Wait. How did you talk with her if she’s in St. Paul?” Lela asks, furrowing her brows. I pull out the CB handset from my pack and show it to her. Her eyes increase in size at the sight of it. “Are you insane? You could risk all of our lives by using that here!”
“Relax. I contacted her before I was in town. And besides these little handsets don't give off much electricity for the Mindless to trace.”
“Whatever, just don’t let my grandpa catch you with it,” she says. “It’s against the rules and you’d never hear the end of it.”
I chuckle.
“What’s so funny, druggie?”
“You don’t really seem like the type to follow rules,” I say, cocking my head.
“I’m not,” Lela replies, crossing her arms. “But I follow whatever Grandpa tells me to do.”
“Are you going to follow him on the tram with Soshi?” I ask, curious to know. But to my surprise, her face hardens and she looks away for a moment.
“No. I don’t want to go to the city,” she answers reluctantly. “That’s where my brother and his family lives. And that’s why Grandpa is leaving Forest Lake.”
“Why don’t you want to be with your brother?” I ask.
She turns back at me with eyes like daggers. “My brother is the reason my parents are dead. He can die for all I care!”
With that, she storms off toward the hallway where the restrooms are located. A pang of guilt hits me for making her upset, but then I remember, it’s Lela. She’s never been happy the whole time I’ve known her! Still I was enjoying our little chat, and it was pleasant talking to someone my own age besides Cassidy.
Cassidy. I have to get on the light rail with Bill and Soshi. It’ll be a suicide mission with Mindless following us and the attack on the mill occurring at the same time. But isn't a way around it. No one else can help her except me. People are rousing in the hall. Dawn is coming. I glance over to Bill’s cot and...it’s empty! I missed him waking up when Lela and I were talking
After a quick breakfast of canned sausage, I gather my belongings and search the hall for Bill. A hand clasps me on the shoulder and I almost fall over from the shock. “Take it easy, Dex,” Dr. Lyle says. His eyes dart around and his voice lowers to a whisper. “You ready to make a break for it?”
“Yes, but—”
“Come on, Bill’s van is parked behind the dumpster out back,” Dr. Lyle says, walking toward the hallway Lela stormed into earlier. “The Mayor is still asleep so we need to hurry.”
I follow him, hoping Bill is outside waiting for us so we can set things straight. We walk into the hallway which looks much dirtier in the early morning light. Past the restrooms, a metal double door with square windows stands at the end of the hall. I must have missed it last night. Dr. Lyle pushes the doors open and we walk out into an alley. I see Bill’s bullet-ridden van parke
d there. Lela is leaning her back against the passenger door, but there’s no sign of Bill, Soshi, or Camilla.
“Where are the others?” I ask.
“Where they need to be,” Dr. Lyle says without hesitation. “Lela are you coming with us?”
“Sure. I’m bored enough,” she says, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground.
Thy Kingdom Come (Navitas Post-Apocalyptic Series) Page 10