Surviving The Black (Book 4): Betrayal From Within

by Finley, Zack

  "I hope it turns out to be worth the effort. How is everyone else adjusting?" I asked, lowering my voice and looking around.

  "Everyone is just fine," John said louder than he needed to.

  This caused Juanita to glare at me from her rocker near the fire. Message received, 'outsider, quit agitating my grandson.'

  "I'll let Lois know you are here," John said, walking toward the sleeping areas of the hut.

  Within a minute, Lois walked out of the back, straight toward me. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

  "No, I wanted to tell you before breakfast that we had a change in priorities and won't need any medical outreach tomorrow. Several of us are on a last-minute salvage run tomorrow, so we won't need medical backup until the next day."

  "Okay, thanks for letting me know. I'll touch base with Amelie; she wants me to check out the facilities at Justice. If you have room, I may want a lift, although she thinks I'll love riding those ninjas. Don't tell her but need some operating instructions before tackling a motorcycle, since they don't have training wheels. I've never even ridden on one, and they look pretty badass."

  I didn't want her traveling between Justice and the Valley alone, either. "We leave right after early breakfast; we'll be happy to give you a lift. I need to discuss a few things with Steve and Mandy at Justice before our scavenging operation, anyway."

  "Good, I'll go back and relieve John of his bedtime reading chores. They love his stories, but his delivery is too intense for a quick bedtime." Lois nodded toward me before disappearing back into the sleeping area.

  I was disappointed when she left before I could think of something to retain her attention. Juanita kept her eyes closed, and everyone else seemed lost in their own bubble. I left, feeling a curious sense of disappointment. The unease sent me to the recreation hut, rather than returning to my quarters.

  Residents filled nearly all the chairs in the recreation end of the hut. Some chatted with their neighbors, and others read quietly. That reminded me that we should bring back some contemporary reading from the library. I focused nearly exclusively on texts needed for survival, but people needed to do something for relaxation. A few boxes of novels wouldn't take up much room.

  The rec hut now had a very popular pool table. The plywood sheet leaning against the back wall suggested it served as a dining table by day and a recreation hub at night. While I split wood, my team went back to the college and brought it home.

  My team seemed reasonably split between card games, movie night, and pool. I hadn't been here lately except for meals. The Bridge game was new. There was a high percentage of inexperienced players, recognizable by their cheat cards. Irene and I played Bridge on my first post with other junior officers and their wives. Once the kids came, and I joined the Rangers, we didn't have much time for the game. And, Irene hated how competitive the games became.

  My girls curled up on the beanbags beside their cousins in front of the flat-screen, watching a cartoon movie about some frost princess. Buzzer and a surprising number of adults also gave the screen rapt attention. He absentmindedly honed Allie's knife, a reminder I needed to spend some time on my own hardware.

  The incongruity of the scene made me chuckle quietly. Looking around reminded me that despite the betrayal, our community remained strong. My job was to protect this lifeboat against both external and internal threats. If a group as prepared and committed as ours couldn't make it, little hope remained for humans on this planet.

  And yet, what life would it be if we stood by and allowed everyone around us to starve? As much as that complicated things, as much as I wanted to blow the bridge and isolate us, we needed

  ◆◆◆

  Chapter 9

  Before PT, I briefed the group on the changed plans. Zeke announced the assignment changes over breakfast. Buzzer still got to drive the Humvee. I picked one of the small pickups for the salvage operation.

  Lois came to the table as the group broke up. She wore a heavy overcoat, a bulky colorful knitted scarf, thick woolen trousers, and mittens. The huge backpack she carried dwarfed her thin frame. From the way, her shoulders slumped, her burden weighed nearly as much as she did. "Good morning Jeremy, I'm ready to leave when you are."

  Tom introduced her to those at my table the moment she approached.

  "You don't need to carry the full medic bag to Justice," Tom said. "They have plenty of supplies."

  "I want to be prepared, in case we receive a call while we are out," Lois said. "I need to adjust to its weight and layout before a real emergency."

  "Dr. Jerrod wants you to build your strength back before you exert yourself," Tom said, his voice carrying the edge it always did when we went against his medical advice. We called it his mother-hen voice, but only when he was out of earshot. Tom clearly considered Lois one of his charges, now. I recognized the tone.

  "That remains between Amelie and me," Lois insisted. "Besides, I'm not carrying it far, today. Better to find out if it is too heavy when lives aren't at risk."

  Tom didn't look satisfied, but he didn't argue further. "I'm working with Dr. Jerrod today to evaluate José for a course of rehab. Any advice?"

  Lois tugged Tom's elbow, and they moved away from the crowd. Zeke sent everyone to their assignments. I stubbornly remained beside Lois, wanting to hear the story. She glanced at me, and I expected her to send me on my way, but instead, she spoke, "José is a proud man, who now sees himself as a valueless cripple. He never complains, and I worry he believes he deserves the disability. He rebuffed my efforts on the road to help. I doubt the little we could do on the road would have meant a lot since the scar tissue in his leg is so extensive. But it isn't really about his leg. He and Andy were business partners and great friends. They were the driving force behind their hideout."

  Lois eased her backpack off her shoulders, and it slid to the floor with a thud. She leaned it against her leg, moved her shoulders around to ease them, and took a deep breath before continuing, "José believes his injury is God's vengeance for failing his family. José told someone he trusted about the Arizona hideout, and they betrayed him. The attack on the hideout killed several close friends, forcing the survivors to flee with minimal supplies. Life on the road was a horrible mix of deprivation and depredation, and they lost more friends and too many extended family. They collected new companions along the way, but losing the original group weighed heavily on both Andy and José."

  She touched her scar in a gesture I felt was totally subconscious, before continuing, "The last blow came during the ambush in western Oklahoma, that wounded José but killed six in their party, including José's and Andy's wives. The whole party would have died if Grady and his crew hadn't arrived in time. The shootout was about two weeks before Dwayne, and I joined the group.

  "The gunshot tore José's leg muscles, but there wasn't much I could do at that time to reduce the scarring. With Juanita and John safe, I'm not sure José has any reason left to live. I encourage him to engage him with the kids, but he walks away. You might recruit Juanita to help with the rehab. José might lash out at you, me, or even John, but his mom is more stubborn than he is."

  "Dr. Jerrod wants to schedule surgery to remove scar tissue, but José refuses," Tom said. "She is worried his distorted walk will destroy his joints, which she can't fix. No hip or knee replacements anytime in the foreseeable future."

  "Ask Juanita to help," Lois said. "That may not be enough, but it is a start."

  "Thanks, enjoy your time at Justice," Tom said. "You too, Jeremy." Tom trotted off toward the clinic.

  I reached for Lois' backpack, but she swatted my hand away, lifting it onto her shoulders with difficulty. Her arms were skin and bones with little strength in them. "This is my responsibility," she said, her words and attitude communicating she would brook no opposition.

  "The pickup should be at the armory by now," I said. While I would never undermine Allie or another female soldier by grabbing their packs, why did I feel it was okay to carry Lois's bu
rden? I tried to convince myself it was because of her weakened condition. I wasn't attracted to her? Or was I? I shut down those thoughts immediately, refusing to explore the idea any further. I admired Lois; I saw her step out of safety into a potential death zone to help others. At the time, I admired her bravery, and nothing since changed my view.

  While I knew little about her life before she joined up with Jules and Andy, that didn't matter. I was not ready to consider something as mild as a date, but this was the first time I felt the slightest stirring of boy-girl interest since Irene died. It surprised me. Before now, I assumed that part of my heart froze solid. For now, it was something to suppress and set aside.

  I led the way to the armory, intent on ignoring Lois and focusing on our mission. Eric was the Ranger assigned to this foray, along with Tank and James, as my two Gammas. "We are stopping at Justice to drop Lois off, and I need to talk with Steve and Mandy for a few. Please show Lois around but be ready to go after 45 minutes." I said.

  "Easy-peasy," Eric said. "We'll find something to do, it won't take all three of us to show Lois around."

  I nodded, slipping into the shotgun seat. Tank hopped into the truck bed, giving Lois an indoor seat. She tried to protest, but he just grinned. I was pleased to see she bowed quickly to the inevitable, thanking Tank for his consideration before clambering into the back seat. Eric drove. I notified Bravo we were on our way.

  We passed the shot-up guard shack on this side of the river. The glass was new, but tarpaper and plywood covered the other holes as a temporary fix. No guards today. We now stationed guards at Bravo during the day and at the guard shack at night. It wasn't widely known, but at least one sniper maintained an overwatch during the dayshift and sometimes at night. Craig or one of Roger's snipers rotated the duty, monitoring for any suspicious behavior.

  Bravo forces stayed out of sight as we drove through the serpentine obstacle course to leave the Valley. Another new protocol, they no longer waved people through. Their only job was to monitor and sound the alarm, no need to risk getting shot. The kidnappers didn't kill anyone at Bravo, but only because Sally dispersed them after the shooting at the bridge guard post.

  Justice appeared unchanged, even the disabled vehicles looked ready to drive away. We were lucky nothing caught fire when shrapnel punctured at least one gas tank during the kidnapping. Now, most operating vehicles remained out of sight, leaving the others as decoys.

  Although the Justice crew concentrated on spring preparations, I spotted guards on the roof, keeping a sharp lookout. I approved of their vigilance.

  James and Tank pitched in with the gardeners, while Eric took Lois on a quick tour of the greenhouses. I didn't recognize the front guard, but he immediately sent me into the sally port to visit Mandy. This time the wait in the sally port was minimal, and I arrived in her office within moments. As usual, she clicked away on the keyboard, muttering under her breath.

  "Hey, Mandy."

  "Hey, Jeremy, what do you need?"

  "Nothing in particular, but I want to kick around some ideas if you have time."

  "For you, I'll make time. Here or the conference room?"

  "Here is fine," I sagged into one of the two chairs in front of her desk. She came out from behind her desk to join me. "How are your kids holding up?" I asked.

  "Joe is struggling a lot. Billy is angry about his Granny. Ellie won’t talk, she sits around crying all day. She refuses to do any chores. Everything I say is wrong because Granny let them do this or that. They hate it here and want to go back to the Valley. Otherwise, everything is peachy."

  "Christ, that is terrible."

  "Yeah, welcome to my hell. Steve works himself into exhaustion every day to avoid dealing with them and his own grief. Claire and I talk daily by phone, and she sounds awful. Everybody is in a black mood. I don't know what to do, except give everyone space."

  "I hope that works, but I'm concerned it might not," I said. "My guys can help with Joe; survivor's guilt is a heavy burden, but we have all dealt with it. I hope we find Dr. Kyle. He can probably help with Ellie. She sounds like a full-blown case of depression. I brought Lois to check out Justice today, maybe she can talk with the kids. She is a nurse and went through hell, but is still upbeat."

  "Is she interested in moving to Justice?" Mandy asked.

  "I doubt it, her Arkansas group clings tightly together. She is committed to the group's kids. I'm not sure those kids could sleep without her nearby."

  "I'll meet with her, it sure can't hurt. Hopefully, she can provide some insight on how to help my kids. Maybe she can connect with them. I'm starting to panic," Mandy confessed. "I'll ask Matt to help with Joe. Steve refuses to let Joe do PT with your troops. Now, Joe gets up anyway and stands at attention in the hall next to our room, making enough noise we know he is there. He and Steve got into a pissing match this morning. A lot of bad things said on both sides. I know Joe is a few months too young, but if you can take him on as a Gamma, I would be grateful."

  "What about Steve?" I asked, knowing full well Steve considered soldiers nearly at the level of carnies or used-car salesmen.

  "I think Joe is destined to be more soldier than solar tech. It isn't a new observation and not easy for Steve to accept. I'll get Steve to agree to let him exercise with your team, but neither one will give capitulate. Both share that Breckinridge stubbornness."

  As I started to protest, Mandy snapped, "Don't even go there. We both know you are just as bad. Or worse."

  I controlled my reaction, allowing Mandy to ask, "How are Jennifer and Melissa?"

  "Doing well. Moving out of my house helped, and being with Alice’s kids gave them something new to focus on. Since we moved in, all the kids go to the rec hut most evenings to watch a movie. They are sad about Granny but are helping Mom and Dad. I believe the kids will be okay, I'm not so sure about my parents."

  "What do you mean?" Mandy asked.

  I shared the gist of last night's seed discussion.

  "Crap, I didn't realize this seed thing was so bad," Mandy said. "I know Claire goes on-and-on about the evilness of hybrid seeds, but I thought she exaggerated. A lot of the stuff I read expressed confidence that volunteer plants in farm fields would be a significant food source. I didn't realize my information was so outdated."

  "Another industry driven by economics and corporate greed away from self-reliance," I said. "You weren't the only one who didn't hear Mom's warnings about hybrids. She is pissed that we didn't buy the farmer's co-op in Oneida when Mr. Jenkins retired five years ago. Telling her, we couldn't buy everything isn't working. We are now on a mission to locate some seed warehouses. If we get an address, I will probably lead a raid on them."

  "Do you think this will shift Justice's mission?" Mandy asked.

  "I don't see how it can't, but they are still analyzing the problem. Everyone can agree we need to maximize the soil available to plant. The debate is still raging to determine what we will plant and where. The Valley may need to concentrate on growing seeds rather than food this season and the next. To do that, we might need to grow a lot more food here. It is going to be a challenge to balance food, seed, and breeding stock for the next few years. As you can guess, this threw spring planting plans into chaos."

  "I'll brief Steve on this, you know how he hates plan revisions. It's a good thing he has me to cope, although this one feels like one hell of a mess," Mandy said.

  "Brace yourself, there is more," I added, recounting my mom's feelings about the jury, slaves, and the like.

  Mandy pushed some of the papers around on her desk before planting her cheek on it, then lifting her head about an inch before letting it fall again.

  Whatever I expected, this wasn't it. "Mandy?" I asked, leaning toward her, my voice carefully neutral.

  "They will want Justice to become a penal colony," she said, turning and resting her forehead on her desk. "The hits keep coming." Her voice was muffled.

  "No one is talking about that," I said.

&
nbsp; "Maybe not to you, but Justice is a fucking jail, and no one wants those traitors in the Valley," Mandy said, standing up, beginning to pace around the tiny room. "Fuck, I don't want them in the Valley, but I don't want them here, either. I want them dead. Take them into the woods; hang them, or shoot them. There is going to be a lot of dead people in this country by year-end, I'm fine with them being included."

  "Uhm," I started.

  "Don't say any more. I knew Claire turned gloomy, after her ordeal who wouldn't. But slaves? That would shred us all. We can't do it. I don't give a fuck about those murdering kidnappers, but we need to keep some moral high ground for as long as we can."

  "I doubt slaves or prisoners are worth the manpower needed to watch them," I said. "Especially if we can increase our forces by selective recruitment, instead."

  "I worry enough about the resentment some Justice residents feel toward Valley people. They know they aren't welcome in the Valley. That stupid pig killing episode rubbed their noses in it. Roger and you making sure nobody from Justice saw anything but the slaughter area. But they weren't the ones who plotted kidnap and murder. They only wanted to share a pig and get some much-needed protein and lard."