Fall of Houston Series | Book 5 | No Man's Land

by Payne, T. L.

  “Aren’t you worried for your daughters?” she was asking. “In Houston or Dallas, they could have the possibility of a normal life.”

  “We’ve discussed it. Right now, we’re not willing to risk it. If they’re able to get life back to normal there, then we’d consider it. We’re not willing to take the chance that we won’t be allowed to leave once we got there, if you know what I mean.”

  Savanah understood perfectly. That had been her concern, as well. She was well aware of the precarious nature of rebuilding a nation. At any moment, laws could arbitrarily be changed based upon the whims of whoever was in charge. Basically, whoever controlled the military was the one making the rules. The rules could help people, or they could hinder them. It could go either way because no one was holding those in charge responsible for adhering to the constitution. Dictators had no desire to be controlled. The change in policies at the shelter after its change in leadership had only solidified this belief in Savanah’s mind. She was unwilling to risk her children's futures unnecessarily, but so far, the new government was providing for her children better than she could at the moment.

  “That kind of makes sense,” Pam replied. “I really hadn’t thought about it that way. I like the idea of having the option. If things didn’t work out here, we could always move to Dallas or whatever city they add to the safe zones.”

  Pam was assuming her boys would choose to go to the city. Savanah wasn’t sure the choice would always be there. Pam’s children would be drafted long before they settled into some apartment and were assigned jobs. Savanah was grateful she and Jason had a few years before any of her children reached the age of the draft.

  As the door to the RV opened, Evie jumped to her feet and raced toward the medic. Tom slung a white towel with which he was drying his hands over one shoulder and descended the steps. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly. “He’s resting comfortably. I’ve examined his hand and I think there’s a possibility it can be saved. I’ve started him on a strong antibiotic. We’ll know more in the morning.”

  Savanah was shocked and wondered if Tom was just trying to not upset Evie. From what she’d seen of the man’s hand, she’d been certain he’d not only lose his hand but his life too. Sepsis in the apocalypse was one hundred percent fatal in her opinion.

  “He’s not septic?” Pam asked as she approached the RV.

  Tom shot her a look.

  “I don’t think the infection has reached his bloodstream yet. We will see what twenty-four hours of antibiotics do for him.” Tom placed a gentle hand on Evie’s shoulder.

  “You should go get cleaned up and eat something, then you can come back and sit with him for a while. It will ease his mind to see you.”

  “Can I bring him something to eat?” Evie asked, her tone soft and low.

  “You could, but we’re giving him soup right now with his meds. He might like something refreshing to drink. Margie makes the best raspberry tea.”

  Evie’s eyes lit up. She nodded and then turned toward Savanah.

  “I’ll go with you, if you’d like,” Savanah said.

  Log benches encircled an extra-large fire pit where the Lake Sylvia residents apparently cooked and ate their meals. Cast iron pots hung by hooks from a steel campfire cooking rack. Steam rose from the pots and the aroma caused Savanah’s stomach to growl. A middle-aged woman dressed in a long, floral print dress handed Evie a bowl and a spoon. A pretty teen girl scooped some stew into another bowl and held it out to Savanah.

  “No, I couldn’t,” Savanah said, holding her hand up. “I can’t take your food.”

  “We have plenty,” the teen said. “My brother shot a bear that had wandered into camp two nights ago.”

  “What a blessing,” Savanah said, reaching for the bowl. She still felt uncomfortable taking food that they might need to survive but didn’t want to appear rude either. She’d repay the favor when she and her group became established and had food to spare.

  “How long have you lived here?” Savanah asked, spooning the delicious stew into her mouth. She closed her eyes and savored the flavor. It not only fed her body but also her soul. These folks weren’t starving as she and the others had been back at her homestead in Louisiana. In fact, from their appearance, they looked fairly well fed. They weren’t overweight by any means, but they sure weren’t skin and bones like most folks living outside the safe zones these days.

  “We’ve been here since the cars died and the lights went out,” the woman replied.

  “Really?”

  How had the military missed them?

  “Most of us were here at the campground when whatever happened, happened,” the girl said.

  “It appears you’ve done pretty well here. Game must be plentiful in the area,” Savanah said.

  As the two looked at each other, Savanah noticed the girl hesitate. If these people were going to be her closest neighbors and they were to establish trade with them, she needed to put all doubts to rest.

  “Hunting has been good here, right?” Savanah probed.

  The girl looked away and the woman turned her attention to the fire.

  “If there’s a problem here, please tell me. I don’t want to bring my children and friends out here if there is little chance of making it.”

  “Hunting isn’t really a problem,” the girl said, still facing the fire.

  “But?”

  “It’s just that some of us are concerned, with more people moving into the area, hunting might get harder. We’ll have to travel farther for game.”

  “Oh, I see,” Savanah said. She did see. More people would mean more competition for the same resources. Over-hunting could lead to less food for all of them.

  “We could work something out. We could divide our territories into sections. We could take north and east of our camp. Would that help?”

  The woman slowly turned to face her. She shrugged one shoulder. “It might. You’d be risking running into the military. You willing to take that risk?”

  Savanah didn’t want to reveal that her husband and brother were part of the military stationed at Little Rock. She smiled.

  “I think we would be.”

  “They can be brutal, we hear.”

  “I don’t think they’re patrolling and rounding people up like before. They believe everyone is already at the shelter.”

  “Not the military at the Army base,” the woman said, returning to poking the fire. “The others.”

  Savanah swallowed hard. She struggled to open her mouth and form the words. Her stomach turned and almost rejected the stew as she spoke.

  “The Chinese?”

  The woman looked over her shoulder at Savanah.

  “No. They ain’t Chinese. They’re Americans. I’m sure of that. They speak perfect English and drive Department of Homeland Security vehicles.”

  Savanah choked.

  “What? Department of Homeland Security?”

  Fourteen

  Will

  Lake Sylvia

  Perryville, Arkansas

  Event + Nine Months

  From the moment Will heard of the presence of Department of Homeland Security officials in the area, he was ready to pack up and head back to Texarkana. He had a duty to let his superiors know this information and should have headed straight to Little Rock to report it, but he wasn’t supposed to be where he was. Secondly, he wanted to hear what Stephens had to say about the presence of DHS forces first. Stephens was CIA, and he knew there was much about what the government was doing that she couldn’t tell him. But why had she not revealed the fact that they could run into DHS officials around Williams Junction?

  Isabella and Savanah were quiet on the ride back to the shelter. Will could hear Pam and Erin talking up in the cab of the truck. They weren’t yet aware of the news about the DHS presence. They were discussing the pros and cons of moving to Williams Junction. Will wished Pete, Rob, and August were there. It would relieve Will of the enormous responsibility he felt for thei
r families.

  Kathy leaned in toward Will.

  “You gonna talk to that lady agent about those DHS goons hanging around north Arkansas?” Kathy asked.

  She’d obviously overheard his conversation with Jason and Savanah on the topic. He should have told her himself. She was a smart lady—not much slipped past her.

  “I am.”

  “I’m hoping she has a satisfying explanation.”

  Will had thought after the ladies saw how rough life would be back out on their own, they’d opt for the safety and security of the shelter—at least for the near future. But after coming upon Evie and Mark and then the Lake Sylvia camp, they seemed to be emboldened in their choice to move to Williams Junction. Even after learning about the DHS presence in the area, Savanah was still entertaining the idea. Whatever they learned from Stephens would likely sway their decision one way or the other.

  Jack parked the truck in the garage of a house four blocks from the shelter, stashed the rifles in the crawl space of the house across the street, and the group walked to the gate. After showing the guards their passes, Will and Isabella said goodbye to the others and headed straight for Stephen’s office.

  “I don’t think she knows, Will,” Isabella said.

  “How could she not. She’s in on all the intelligence briefings,” Will said.

  “Maybe they don’t know. They didn’t even know Lake Sylvia was still occupied,” Isabella said.

  Will stopped outside Stephens’ quarters. If Isabella was right, what else didn’t they know? The Chinese could be occupying the countryside and they wouldn't know if they didn’t institute regular reconnoitering.

  The door to Stephens’ building opened.

  “We’re about to find out,” Will said.

  “She said the decals on the vehicles definitely said Department of Homeland Security?” Stephens asked. She poured herself a glass of water from a pitcher in the middle of the conference table.

  “That’s what the woman told Savanah. She asked her to describe their vehicles and they weren’t anything we’ve been using out there. They must have been MRAPs or something else we don’t have,” Will said.

  “So, you didn’t know about this?” Isabella asked Stephens directly. Her tone wasn’t as accusing as Will’s would have been. It was obvious to him by the concern on her face that she was as unaware of this as he had been.

  “I didn’t.”

  Isabella poured Will a glass of water and then one for herself. “What do you make of it?”

  “I’m not sure,” Stephens said.

  From her tone, Will could tell she was holding something back. Something likely way above his security clearance.

  She stood and pushed in her chair. “I’ll pass this information along to Little Rock. They can check it out.” She moved toward the door and turned. “I’ll leave your names out of it.”

  “And the Lake Sylvia group?” Isabella asked. She didn’t want to cause them trouble. She didn’t think Stephens would either.

  “I’ll claim it came in on radio chatter,” Stephen said.

  Radio chatter. There were still people out there with working ham radios?

  “So, we should hold off moving up to Williams Junction? At least until the military finishes their sweep?” Isabella said.

  “I wouldn’t plan on leaving the shelter for a while, Isabella. Let me find out what I can.”

  “What about the Lake Sylvia folks. The military might decide to search there now.”

  Stephens looked skyward and pursed her lips. She returned her gaze to Isabella. “You said they saw this DHS convoy due north of Little Rock heading east. That's where I'm going to recommend they search. If something changes, I’ll let you know, and you can alert them to break camp and move south until the recon team has finished their search of the area.”

  “I guess that will work—I hope,” Isabella said.

  Will’s thoughts went to Lake Sylvia and the community the folks had built there. If it were him, he’d want to know well in advance and not have it sprung on him at the last moment. Telling them would likely destroy any trust they might have gained with the group. The animosity from not being honest about their military status in the first place could make it difficult for Savanah and the others to make a home at the compound in Williams Junction and have a good neighborly trading relationship with them.

  Will held the door open for Isabella as they exited Stephens’ office. “I think we should give the Lake Sylvia folks a heads-up. I don’t know how they avoided detection the last time the military searched the area, but they deserve to know so they can prepare.”

  “I agree. We’ve brought this upon them. We have a duty to alert them.”

  “Savanah won’t like the consequences.”

  “That’s a bridge we’ll have to cross when we come to it,” Will said.

  Isabella shook her head.

  “You know your sister. She had her heart—and more importantly, her mind—set on moving to Williams Junction.”

  He knew how stubborn Savanah could be, especially when she felt she was protecting her children. That was precisely how he was going to approach the subject with her. It wouldn’t be safe to move to an area where you’ve already pissed off the neighbors.

  Fifteen

  Isabella

  Texarkana Refugee Center

  Texarkana, Texas

  Event + Nine Months

  Days had passed since Will and Isabella had informed Stephens about the movement of DHS vehicles in and around north Arkansas. Will had attempted to see her several times but was told she was out of the area. Isabella assumed she’d gone to Little Rock to lead the surveillance and intelligence gathering mission herself.

  Isabella, Will, Jason, Walker, and the others from their unit had received orders to report back to the base in Little Rock. It was unlikely they’d be part of the teams going out searching for the DHS vehicles. They were more likely to be sent out on the mission that had been planned prior to the discovery, the nature of which they’d still not been briefed on.

  They all hated goodbyes. In this new world, everyone was keenly aware that each goodbye could be their last, so they made sure to leave nothing unsaid, and they expressed their deep love for those they left behind.

  “You need to stop growing, young man,” Isabella said, tousling Cayden’s out-of-control hair. “And get a haircut.”

  She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. She noted he’d had another growth spurt, and she could no longer kiss the top of his head. In a few months, he’d be fourteen and old enough to begin training in the Reserve Officer Training Corps, or its equivalent. Cayden had scored high in testing and might be assigned to a civilian program instead of ROTC to train as an engineer or something else to aid in the recovery effort. Of course, that was Will and Isabella’s hope, if they weren’t able to get everyone moved out of the shelter by then.

  Savanah was determined to keep her children with her. She was adamant that no one force her to send her “babies” off to war or to unsafe cities to finish their education. “I can teach them everything they need to know about how to survive,” she’d insisted. After the stories Isabella had heard about the crime still plaguing the cities, she understood Savanah’s position.

  “You look out for my dad out there. He’s kind of accident prone,” Cayden said.

  Isabella chuckled. It wasn’t that he was accident prone, he’d just had the misfortune of being stabbed—two separate times. At this point, they all wore their own battle scars. Some were visible, like Will’s, but others were hidden, like Savanah’s.

  “I will,” she said.

  They all knew the risks. There was a very real possibility that either she or Will, or even both of them, might not return to Cayden. Isabella refused to think about that. It wasn’t productive. Instead, she’d focus on the after—when this mess was finished and they were all together again—hopefully at the farm. Maybe even back in the Fontenot homestead in Louisiana. That was what she was fig
hting for these days.

  After giving Cayden one last hug, Will stepped forward and pulled him into an embrace. Isabella fought back tears. She knew how much they would miss each other, and how much Cayden would worry about them. Will would struggle with concern for his son, but necessity required him to put those thoughts aside so he could do his job out there. As she often did, Isabella cursed the enemy who’d brought all this upon them.

  “You know how much I love you, son,” Will said, giving Cayden one last squeeze.

  “I love you too, Dad.”

  Will lifted Kylie off the ground and spun her around. “You try to be good for your mom, okay?” She giggled as he placed her back on the ground and tickled her belly. He said goodbye to each of his nieces and nephews and then hugged his sister. They held the embrace for a long moment. Isabella could tell Will was whispering something in her ear. She looked away, not wanting to pry into their secret conversation. Isabella closed her eyes and said a silent prayer for her own sister, far away in Oklahoma. She also prayed for her parents, although she doubted they would have survived this long—not with their health issues. Pushing the grief down and locking it away for another day, Isabella climbed into the back of the Humvee.

  Savanah’s tear-streaked face ripped new wounds in Isabella’s heart as Will and the rest of the unit loaded into their Humvees. Savanah’s arm was draped over Cayden’s shoulder. They continued to wave as the convoy of military vehicles pulled away. Will sat across from her with his head down. Jason was fiddling with something attached to the rucksack at his feet, looking bored but she knew they were all preparing their minds and making the transition back to badass fighting machines on a mission.