by Fitch, E. M.
Emma nodded, acknowledging the truth of his statement.
"I'm glad you killed her," Emma said softly, her eyes still on the elephant as it wandered around a corner. "My mother, I mean.”
"I knew what you meant," Jack murmured. He fell quiet and though the animals were gone, Emma didn't turn towards him. She spoke her words into the still and silent morning.
"It killed me, seeing her like that," she whispered. "I hated it and couldn't do anything about it. She should have been shot the second she turned. Thank you for finally doing it.”
He didn't answer. She didn't need him to answer. She went to her sleeping bag, slipping into the silky fabric and closing her eyes. She let her mind drift to the sounds of the fire, far enough away to keep her from harm and yet close enough to feel its warmth and pretend she was snuggled by a fireplace, warm and dry and safe.
~
Emma was awoken by a blast that sent birds scattering into the dusky sky. She sat with a jerk. Jack was already inching towards the edge.
"The next one can go right through that platform there," a strange voice called up. Emma looked down to see a man with a shot gun, poised and ready to fire again.
"Why are you shooting?" Jack yelled down. "We haven't done anything. We're just waiting for our friends.”
"Oh, so that wasn't you?" the man drawled, pointing lazily towards the ruined city. Neither Jack nor Emma spoke. "That was ours. You have some explaining to do.”
"Sure, we'll do it from right here," Jack called down. The men below, Emma counted five of them, all laughed.
"Nice try," the leader chuckled. "Come down now or we'll blow you down and take your pieces back with us.”
The laughter stopped as the man with the shotgun subtly raised the barrel. When Emma and Jack hesitated, he pulled the trigger and a chunk of platform splintered. Chunks of wood sprayed over their legs. Emma eyed the gun she had, left next to the disheveled sleeping bag, Jack must have done the same. More guns were trained on them and the leader slowly shook his head.
"You can try for it," he said. "But we'll kill you. I was told to bring back whoever was responsible for destroying the city, doesn't matter to me if you're dead or alive.”
"Patrick," one of the men admonished, "give them a minute." The leader, Patrick, shrugged and grinned up at them.
"Well?" he asked.
Rough hands seized Emma before her feet hit the ground. Jack was already standing in a group of men, his hands bound by rope in front of him.
Emma hadn't been touched in weeks. When Jack and she were alone, he kept his distance, respectful of her wishes and respectful of the infection. The hands on her skin now burned and she felt saliva pool in her mouth. The conversation she had with Jack, where she wondered if it was okay to let people hurt her, knowing they'd turn if they tried, flashed in her mind and a panic she didn't know she was capable of tore through her. She struggled against the hands, the press of male bodies, her wrists already chaffing as they struggled to get the rope around.
Jack's voice broke through when no one else's could have. The men were grunting and muttering, telling her to be still she thought, but they droned together, a loud buzzing that terrified her.
"Emma," Jack shouted. "Em, stop! Just listen.”
It took a lot of effort to still her breathing, calm the frantic beating of her heart that pounded in her ears and made her skin feel like it was vibrating.
"Emma, it's okay, calm down," he said to her. To the men, he wasn't soft or quiet. "That's my sister-in-law. We're waiting for my wife. Please, don't touch her. She can't handle it.”
Emma felt the way she was panting and cringing should have made that obvious, but at Jack's words, the men backed away.
"Was she..." Patrick trailed off. Emma was unsure what he was asking. But Jack nodded. The rest of the men stayed back. "Ok, walk with us, right next to us, and none of us will touch you. Alright?”
His tone was gentler, soft. Emma nodded. The men turned to leave, indicating the direction with a jerk of their head. But Jack stopped.
"My wife," he said, the words stunted, like he was forcing them through a tight throat. "Our friends, they're expecting us to be here.”
In response Patrick took a can of spray paint from his bag and tossed it to one of his men. On the side of an abandoned delivery truck, he left a message.
They're safe with us.
-NNA.
"NNA?" Emma murmured, watching the man paint an arrow in the direction they would head.
"Welcome to the New North America, girlie."
Chapter Twelve
"What are they doing?" Andrew whispered. They could see the chaos erupting from within the Circle, even across the street from the impound lot. People were shouting, smoke rising in thick black clouds as fires were doused with water. Kaylee and Andrew could hear the rev of several engines and the squealing of tires as the vehicles started shifting positions.
"Circle up in ten minutes!" Patricia called out. Her voice was muffled by the shouts of others, people yelling into the night for their family and friends to return, but Kaylee could hear it easily enough. The cold authority rang through.
The front gate was already unlocked and nobody looked twice as Kaylee and Andrew walked through. The lead jeep, a smaller one without the large guns that the other jeeps had bolted to their cross bars, was already idling down the road. One man, Kaylee thought his name was Jim, leant against the dirty, black side of the vehicle.
Everyone inside the lot was moving, bundles of possessions under their arms. Anna was easy to spot. She was the only one keeping still.
"I didn't think you were going to make it," Anna said as soon as Kaylee and Andrew reached her. Her eyes were toward the illuminated sky. "It's them, isn't it?”
Kaylee nodded. "It has to be.”
"We need a car," Anna whispered.
"Alright, everyone!" Pamela shouted over the chaos. "Five minutes!”
"Are they going to let us leave, you think?" Anna asked. Before she could even finish speaking, Pamela's eyes zeroed in on them. She walked in a direct line, people stepping out of her way.
"There is no time for games, where is your vehicle?" she asked without preamble. Kaylee kept her face carefully blank.
"Why are you leaving the lot?" Kaylee asked, diverting her. Patricia's back stiffened as her eyes narrowed down at Kaylee.
"That explosion, what do you know about it?”
"Nothing. I was nearby, what could I possibly-“
"It doesn't matter," she interjected, reaching forward for Kaylee's arm. "We're heading out, putting some distance between us and whoever blew up that city. Get in the bus, they have room.”
The pressure increased on the crook of her arm and Kaylee stiffened, digging her feet into the gravel. "I'm not going anywhere," she said, shaking her arm loose.
"Like hell you're not!" Patricia spat. "We make the call as to when and where we go. We're going. And like it or not, you have no choice but to come with us.”
"Like she said," Andrew spoke up. "We're not going with you.”
"You're staying here? Without help? Alone?" It was said in a tone of incredulity mixed with suspicion.
"We're staying," Anna affirmed. Patricia's eyes narrowed, the bundled muscle of her jaw twitching. She turned at the scream behind her, frantic cries from a woman who couldn't find her brother.
"He went with Michael! Where are they?”
She turned without another glance at Kaylee, jogging to the other side of the lot. Andrew grabbed at her elbow. They moved to the back of the lot.
"We're going to have to use the bike as best we can. Maybe one of us could take it out, see if we can find a car-“
Kaylee cut Andrew off, shaking her head. "There's none, not for miles.”
"We could steal one of theirs," Anna murmured. Her eyes were downcast as she said it, stuffing her sleeping bag into a backpack. When she looked up, Kaylee caught her gaze, knowing her agreement was already plain in her eyes.
<
br /> "They'd kill us," Andrew argued.
"There's no better time," Kaylee said. "It's so confusing right now. I have the gun. We could probably-“
"No," Andrew said, shaking his head. "Not unless we have no other choice.”
Both girls acquiesced without a fight. They planned instead to sneak over the back wall, circle around to the bike once the rest of the Circle had taken off. They had a couple of hours of dark left. Even if they didn't get too far, they could always spend the night in the impound lot. Everyone would be gone. None of the people of the Circle would be any wiser if they did.
Kaylee's boots hit the pavement first, Andrew and Anna close behind her.
"Where are you going?" a calm voice asked. A shadow materialized in the form of a tall man with sandy hair, several other men stepping up behind him.
"Michael," Kaylee breathed in surprised. "You scared me.”
"I thought we were heading out from the front," Michael said. "Have the plans changed?”
"Only for us," Andrew answered, coming to stand next to Kaylee. Michael shook his head as a slow smile spread.
"That's not the way it works here," he said. "C'mon, back with me now.”
Kaylee went to argue, hoisting the straps of her backpack higher, but the very audible, surprisingly loud click of a gun cocking stopped her. Michael smiled down at them, his hands spread and open, palms facing them. It wasn't his gun. But it was his warning. Michael nodded towards the front of impound lot. They turned, walking alongside the fencing until the line of waiting vehicles was clearly in front of them. It wasn't until they were in full view of the population of the Circle, some still scampering about the nearly empty lot and others just the impression of faces, pressed to the reflective glass of the buses and motorhomes, that Kaylee felt comfortable speaking again. She could only hope the Michael would feel at least some hesitation at shooting her in front of so many witnesses.
"We can't go with you," she said into the silent bubble around the small group. The scattering of people, the packing of bags and hauling of canned foods to the buses was all very loud only a few feet away, but somehow, in the dark along the outside of the fence, out of the pools of light that were still flooding sections of the lot, it was quieter, almost still. "Our family is out there. We can't go any further from them.”
"Someone just leveled a city, not that far from us either. We need all the man power we can get right now," Michael said. Here and now, he was the charismatic charmer, a leader if he wanted to be, though he seemed content to let Patricia step into that public role. Kaylee could see it though, see how easily it could be him, if he wanted it. "It won't be like this forever, running and scampering about for food. That's not the plan, it won't work long term, we know that.”
She turned to face him. He was staring down at them intently, his eyes easily passing between the three. His features were casual, not stressed, and almost, Kaylee thought, gleeful. He was not upset to see that city burn.
"What is your plan?" she asked, watching for any sign of distress. He didn't flinch.
"Build something better," he answered without pause.
"So why haven't you started?" Kaylee asked, all the questions she had bubbling up, even though the nearby engines were revving. "Why all the running around? Why not find a spot, build a wall, set up crops?”
"Why bother if it would be torn down again?" The snide voice came from behind them and Kaylee spun, taking in Patricia striding towards them.
“Who-"
"It doesn't matter," Patricia said, cutting Andrew off. "None of that does. We gave the order to move out, you are supposed to be in the bus.”
"We're not going," Anna said. She came to stand close to Kaylee's elbow, as did Andrew. Neither said another word.
"It's not an option," Michael said smoothly. "Later maybe, but once we give the order to move, we move.”
"We're not-“
"You are!" Patricia yelled. "You will be charged with jeopardizing everyone's safety through non-compliance if you do not.”
"Isn't that just another way of criminalizing anyone who doesn't agree with you?" Andrew accused as Anna asked, "What the hell does that mean? Charged?”
"Why do you keep all these people locked up with you? You give them no sustenance, no real safety, no way to feed themselves. You keep them miserable and scared and suspicious of each other. Why do it?" Kaylee asked, firing up. "Because you're afraid? Afraid that if they could, they would run? Afraid they'll find someplace better, tell all your secrets?”
She wasn't sure where the accusations were coming from, for all she knew, they could be baseless. But something about the conversation she overheard the other day had stuck with her. They didn't want anyone leaving, and especially not to find another group of survivors.
"That's why all the cars are stripped around here, not because you need the parts, but to keep anyone from getting out.”
The men behind Michael, before just faceless shadows, all shifted in discomfort. Kaylee had hit a nerve. Patricia hissed low between her teeth, a snake ready to strike. Michael alone stood unmoving, staring down at Kaylee with a look of cold calculation. She heard, above all the restless murmurs, the soft click of a holster being undone.
"I'll take them to the bus!" Rebecca cried, appearing out of nowhere from behind the fence. "I was looking for you three. C'mon, I got a spot for all of us.”
Kaylee's eyes were stuck on the barrel that was slowly being taken from the holster on Michael's hip. Sudden fear clogged her chest and she was unable to respond. His eyes bore down on her, fathomless pits of black, void of emotion.
"That sounds great, Rebecca, thank you," Anna said, her voice too bright, forced. The hand that gripped Kaylee's was firm and familiar. She followed Anna's lead and looked forward to the illuminated messiness of Rebecca's hair. Andrew walked closely behind her.
The entrance to the bus was on its other side so they crossed in front of a motorhome to get there.
"Did you see him pull that gun?" Andrew hissed. Kaylee nodded.
"It looked strained over there, figured you might need rescuing," Rebecca said, her voice wobbly. Anna thanked her.
Kaylee's hip caught on the edge of the motorhome as she squeezed through. She was having trouble focussing on where she was going, her mind still replaying the image of Michael casually removing his gun. His eyes were intent and focused, not at all clouded by what he was contemplating doing.
She had never before felt truly a part of the Circle, not really safe in their company, and she knew now that she never would.
"I don't think we have any other choice," she whispered. Andrew stopped walking and caught her eye. He nodded, knowing exactly what she was talking about.
~
They had boarded the bus with Rebecca, letting Michael and Patricia see them through the dirty glass windows. But they left their bags at the door. There was no one else on this bus yet, though some of the seats were already packed with people's belongings. They must have been out collecting the rest.
"We can't stay," Anna whispered to Rebecca. She didn't seem surprised. "You can come with us.”
The older woman considered it for a moment but eventually shook her head. She smiled softly, resting her hand for a moment on Anna's shoulder. "You've been kinder to me than most. I'll cover for you, for a bit.”
Andrew and Anna thanked her, rising to leave. Kaylee paused.
"Michael said they had a plan, that this wasn't the goal," she said quickly, talking fast. "What did he mean?”
"Oh, that," she said, looking startled. "I guess you haven't heard Michael really speak before, he's been out a lot lately. He makes speeches sometimes, tells us all about the group he was kicked out of. Apparently there's thousands of them, somewhere up North. But they're crazy. They have awful rules, very strict, and if you break one, they kick you out.
"It's safer though, aside from the people. They have walls and food, crops, stores, schools, everything. Like it was before," her voice turned
softer, the longing plain.
"But they're dangerous?" Andrew asked, confused. Rebecca nodded.
"He wants us to take it.”
"Take what?" Anna whispered.
"Everything they have."
~
The chaos of the Circle was dying down. The fires were all snuffed out and almost everyone was in, or lingering near, their vehicles. Kaylee didn't see Patricia or Michael. She didn't have time to wonder where they might have gone. Andrew was already moving towards the front of the motorhome before them. He was slouched over, keeping his head below the line of windows. Anna was directly behind her, brushing into her every time Kaylee stopped short, waiting for the crossing of hurried footsteps to move on or the conversation to die down with distance.
Andrew gestured for them from a dozen yards away. The girls ducked their heads and ran, both trying to keep their movements light on the pavement. The line of motorhomes and buses stretched out into the night, well passed the open gates of the impound lot. But they couldn't steal any of those vehicles. They were too large, too bulky. There were too many other vehicles in front of them. Their only shot was to carjack the lead jeep, the one they had first passed to get back into the lot, the one Jim had been so casually leaning against, not protecting, not watching for any living threats.
Because why would anyone in the Circle want to break away and steal their supplies? It would be suicide, knowing that the Circle controlled the area and the only other shards of civilization were lunatics that had walled themselves away up North.
Which is exactly the direction Kaylee, Andrew, and Anna would head. North. To the explosions, the burning city, and possibly beyond.
But not back here. If they stole this jeep, that door would be forever closed to them. Patricia and Michael would never let them just stroll back.
They passed the last of the motorhomes. A pair of jeeps, the ones with the guns mounted, were parked off to the side, a small group of men loitering between them. Not one looked up to notice Kaylee or the rest. To be safe, they edged to the opposite side of a van. Kaylee was surprised to find the hood warm when she let her fingers rest on it. She had assumed it was abandoned, but no, apparently it belonged to someone in the Circle.