Apocalypsis: Book 3 (Exodus) (39 page)

Rob gave me a look that meant nothing good.

I heard the lock clicking and moved back so we could open the gate and let them in.

“Is anyone else coming?” I asked.

“I hope so,” said Rob.  “We couldn’t wait around to see what was going on.”

Ronald and I ushered them into the lobby, the rest of our friends running out the front door to help.  Jamal locked the gate behind us.

Fohi was laid out on the ground near Jenny, and Winky and Peter got to work making him comfortable.  I pulled Rob and Yokci over to the side, out of their way, and Bodo, the twins, and Gretchen and Bianca joined us.

“So what the hell happened?  Where’d you guys get jumped?” I asked.

“Just outside Kahayatle.  Near the canoe rental place,” said Rob.

“You were there, too?” I asked Yokci.

“Yeah.  I was helping them get their stuff together.”

“Were you going to come here, though?”

He shrugged.  “Probably eventually.  This just sped up the process.”

“Who was it?” asked Gretchen.  “Someone you know?”

“Canners,” said Rob.  “Guys who got away when we came to their place, I think.  Plus some of their new friends.”

“So they tracked us back there,” I said, thinking out loud and feeling guilty as hell.

“Dey already knew about da kids in da swamp.  Kiersten told me all about it.  She said your days were numbered.  Dat’s a funny expression.  I alwayss pictured a calendar with da days crossed off.  It’s spooky, really.”

“Tell me about it,” said Rob.  “We were ready to come meet you here after talking to Kowi and Trip, and
bam
, there they were.”

“Who else was hurt?” I asked, not sure I wanted the answer.

“Lots of kids.  Several of them were killed.  Those assholes had serious guns and lots of bullets.  Several of our tribe got away and went off to the ranches where we have the livestock.  We can’t afford to let them get to that stuff, otherwise life will become even more difficult.  I’m not sure how we’d come back from that.”

“They need to get here,” I said.  “We can protect people here.”

“Well, that’s good news,” said Yokci, “because here is where everyone’s coming.”

“What?  Are you serious?” I asked.

“Yeah.  Apparently, Trip had a change of heart for some reason.  I guess he missed you guys or something.  He told us to tell you that you could come back anytime, but that if you didn’t, he and Kowi would send supplies.  And he also told everyone that anyone who wanted to come join you could.”

“Yeah, and the talk around the swamp was, a lot of people were interested.”

“And now that the swamp’s been infested by something worse than gators…,” said Yokci, leaving his statement unfinished.

“Guess we’d better figure out how to feed these people, and quick,” said Gretchen.

“And get rid of all those bodies,” added Bianca.

“Bodies?” asked Yokci.

“We found some of the dead in a sealed fridge,” said Jamal, “courtesy of my curious brother.  So we need to move them out of the building.”

“We can help,” said Rob, nudging Yokci.

Yokci nodded, a little reluctantly.

I took a big breath and let it out in a whoosh.  “Thanks, guys.  I really appreciate you coming all this way.  I know it had to be hard as hell, especially for Fohi.”

Rob gave me a half-smile.  “Well, let’s just say that Fohi had a little personal incentive to get over here that made the trip easier for him.”

I looked over and watched Winky leaning over Little Bee to work on his stomach wound.  He was staring at her, watching her every move.

“Nice,” I said, nodding.  “I’m not sure if he’s tough enough for Winky, but it’ll be interesting to find out.”

“Oh, he’s plenty tough,” said Yokci.  “Trust me on this.  I’ve tried to kill that little pest about five times, and so far nothing’s worked.  He’s hard to kill.”

I laughed at his serious tone.

“Come on,” I said.  “Let’s go see if we can help.”

We spent the rest of the day tending to the sick and injured and investigating our new home - a huge warren of hallways, rooms, and untold riches of general supplies, beds, food, clothing, and equipment.

Bodo laid out the area we planned to use as a place for a mass grave, nowhere near the living facilities and future gardens, on the farthest edge of the property.  We found heavy-duty garbage bags and body bags in storage lockers, not enough for all of the bodies but enough that we could make the job somewhat easier.

There were carts used in the kitchens that would do for moving them, and plenty of disinfecting liquids.  It would be a grisly job, but having all these pieces in place at least made it seem do-able.

We sat around eating our dinner of dried meat and fruits, making plans for the next day, eventually bedding down next to each other again when it was time to sleep.

None of us wanted to be alone tonight, not even Bodo and me.  We fell asleep holding hands, and I dreamed of a safe haven where everyone lived in peace, had food in their stomachs, and a comfortable bed to sleep on.  It would have been a perfect dream if it hadn’t ended with Loco knocking on the front gate, smiling at me with his yellow-brown teeth and asking to be let in while holding up a key to the door.

***

“Bryn, wake up,” said Bodo, right in my ear.

I reached up, wrapping my arm around his neck languidly, pulling him down for a kiss.  I smiled sleepily, anticipating the tickling sensation I was about to get all over my body from the passion he always aroused in me.

He resisted though, and I frowned, pulling harder. 
Why doesn’t he want to kiss me?

“Not right now.  You haff to get up.”

I opened my eyes, blinking a few times in confusion, letting go of Bodo’s neck.  The room was still dark, but I could hear whispering.

I sat up, looking around, trying to figure out what was going on.  All the beds next to me were empty, and everyone was standing at the glass doors, looking outside.

“Come on,” said Bodo, holding his hand out for me to take.

I grasped it and stood, pulling my shirt and shorts down, trying to make myself presentable.  I licked my furry teeth, wishing I had time to run my toothbrush across them.

“What’s the big deal?”  My voice sounded weird, being so loud and echoing across the room, so I lowered it before continuing.  “Why is everyone up so early?”

“Come see,” said Bodo, pulling me along to the door.

He nudged Gretchen and Bianca gently to the side, making room for me to get up to the front of the glass.  “Giff her some room,” said Bodo.

Ronald and Jamal split apart so I could stand between them.

I looked out the window, not sure what I was seeing.

“What is it?” I asked.

It was dark.  I couldn’t see anything past the gate.  Something was blocking it.

“I think,” said Ronald, in a carefully measured tone, “that we are seeing the first influx of settlers into Haven.”

I turned the lock on the door and pushed it open.

“Wait!” said Ronald, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.  Jamal placed a helmet on my head and the girls passed a flak jacket and then a shield up to me.

I looked at all of them as I put the jacket on, trying to read their expressions.  Gretchen and Bianca were crying.  Winky was smiling, looking proud like I’d just won a spelling bee or something.

The sleep was still muddling my brain.  “I don’t get it.  Why me?” I asked.

“Because you’re the mayor,” said Ronald, smiling and opening the door for me.

“And because you’re the reason they’re all here,” said Jamal.  “Now go greet the newcomers.”

“Aren’t you coming?” I asked.

“Do you really need to ask that?” said Ronald as he plunked a helmet on his head.  “We can’t just let anyone in here.  We’ve gotta do some checks at the gate.  Jamal and I are on it.”

Jamal had put his helmet and jacket on too and was taking his shield from Bianca.  “Thank you, gorgeous,” he said smiling.  “Ready to go!” he announced, puffing out his chest.  “I still feel like a cop!”

Bodo stepped closer to me, pushing the shield out of the way.  “Be careful.  I will be right here if you needt me.”

“Why aren’t you coming?” I asked, confused why he was taking a back seat like this.

“Dis iss your moment.  Let dem see you in front, being Bryn.  Dat’s who dey want.  Dat’s who dey need right now.  Not me.”

“But …”

“I’m not goingk anywhere.  Don’t worry.  It’s not a problem … I got your back.”  He winked at me.

“I luff you,” I said, smiling nervously.

He leaned down and kissed me.  “I luff you, too.  Hurry up.  My lips are already getting coldt.”  He smacked me on the butt as I walked away.

Ronald held the door open for me and Jamal and then followed us out.

I walked slowly up to the gate, my lips moving as I silently counted heads.  There were at least thirty kids out there, several of them bleeding, all of them looking like they needed food and shelter.

I stopped just a few feet from the fence, making sure I was still far enough away that no one could reach through and grab me.

A kid I’d never seen before was in front of everyone, right by the opening to the gate.

I stood facing him and waited a few seconds before speaking, taking in his ultra-skinny six-foot-tall frame, his brown, unkempt and unwashed hair, and his intelligent but serious eyes.

“Hi,” I said.

“Hi.  Are you Bryn?”

“I am.  And who are you?”

“I’m Derek.  I heard you’re starting a new place down here.  A cannibal-free zone.”

My heart stopped as the sound of my dad’s name came from his lips.  I was unable to speak for a few seconds, feeling like I was seeing a ghost - my dad from another time and place.

Jamal nudged me gently from behind.

“I guess that’s true,” I said, my heart beating double-time to get back to its normal rhythm.  I took a slow breath in and out, calming my nerves that were threatening to run away from me.

“We’d like to join you.”

I raised an eyebrow.  “All of these people are with you?”

He nodded.  “Most of them.  Some we picked up recently.”

“Where are you from?”

“Tallahassee.”

“You’re a long way from home,” said Ronald.

“We have no home anymore, but we want one.  And we’re willing to work for it,” he said, nodding his head firmly.

I wanted to believe him.  He shared my father’s name, making him instantly credible in my heart.  But I put my own feelings aside, knowing I needed to be smart and protect the interests of my community regardless of how I felt personally.  I had to find a way to determine whether he was a good kid needing a home, or a canner trying to breach our defenses.

“How do I know you’re not a canner … a cannibal?  Or a sweeper?”

“I don’t know what a sweeper is, but you know I’m not a cannibal by looking at me.”  He gestured to his gaunt face and skeletal frame.  “Do I look like I’ve been indulging in any barbecues lately?”

“He’s got a point,” said Jamal, looking the guy up and down, shaking his head sadly.

Derek turned and gestured to the group.  “We’re all starving.  Some of us barely made it here.  We’ve been on foot the entire way.  We’d almost given up hope of finding any safe place to live until we came upon the waystation.”

I frowned.  “Waystation?” 
He can’t be serious.

“Yeah.  The Crackerbarrel?  Jimmy and Sissy?”

I laughed, unable to help myself.  “Seriously?  You found me through them too?”
  I guess they really have forgiven me for breaking that door.

“Yeah.  Word’s getting around.  And they’re good people.  Totally anti-canner.  They help anyone who’s on the same side.  They’re telling everyone you’re down in the swamps.  We started out going there, but then we heard you were coming here.”

“Who told you that?”

“A girl we met by the beach.  She said she met you just the other day.”

I shook my head.  “I can’t believe it.  How is that possible?”

He shrugged.  “It’s a small world, now.  We don’t have the Internet anymore, but we don’t need it.  We’ve got word of mouth.  And word on the street’s you’ve got a good thing going - that you don’t tolerate cannibals or hurting kids or kicking people out who need you.  So that’s why we’re asking.  Can we please come in there and be a part of your community?”

I looked out over the faces, all of them drawn and tired, sunburned and dirty.  Their clothes were ragged, some of the shirts barely covering the important body parts.  Kids who couldn’t have been more than fourteen looked decades older.

But no matter how crappy and exhausted and worn down they appeared, there was one thing that this cruel world had not taken away from them yet.  And that was hope.  I saw it on every single face out in that crowd.

“Open up the gate,” I said, raising up my chin.  My helmet slipped down, and I quickly pushed it up so I could see again.

“You sure?” asked Ronald, holding up the keys.

I spoke up so everyone in the crowd would hear me.

“Everyone?  My name is Bryn.  This town is called Haven.  It was founded just yesterday by my friends and me.  Anyone who wants to live in peace and be a contributing member of our family is welcome in here with us.  Anyone who comes through these gates must be willing to sacrifice his needs and desires for the good of our group as a whole.  We promise, in return, to do everything we can to keep you safe, fed, sheltered, and cared for.  But I warn you now; do not try to mess with us or hurt us, or you we will make you very sorry.  That’s a promise too.”

My eyes scanned the crowd, making sure each and every one of them knew I had absolutely no hesitation about backing up what I said.  Once I knew I had their attention, I finished my speech.  “You make your pledge as you enter, or you stay outside the gates.”

I stepped back as I heard the gate’s lock clicking open.  Jamal rolled the gate open and then stood next to me, his brother on my other side.

We greeted each person as they came through the entrance.

Peter had opened the glass door to the building, and our other friends were standing there, waiting to greet the new arrivals.