Born in the Apocalypse 2: State Of Ruin (13 page)

Chapter 33

“Well, well, well. What do we have here, boys?”

The speaker was a young man of about twenty-five or so, dressed in black and wearing a gun rig similar to mine. His gun wasn’t a Colt, though; it was more of a modern kind of revolver. He was speaking to three friends of his who lounged nearby.

I had come up from the river, heading south from Chester where I spent a very pleasant week with a community of very intelligent people. It seemed like Chester was where all the smart folks wandered to after the world ended, and by the sound of things, they had pretty much wrapped up the world’s problems by the time I got there. We’d argue about things for breakfast, agree with each other for lunch, and around suppertime we’d swapped positions on the things we argued about in the morning and had a go from the other direction. They were very curious about the things I had seen, and I was more than willing to talk about what I had done and who I had been with. They were relieved to hear there were other communities that had survived, and by the time I had left, they were already coming up with delegations to talk with other groups. I didn’t expect them to try any sort of communication with the group in Galena.

Drifting south, I kept to the interior of the state heading mostly southerly and east-ish. I was still looking for the Garden of the Gods, and as I did, I managed to stumble down a road that went through a cliff face and towards Murphysboro. That’s where I ran into my current trouble.

“Looks like he thinks he’s a gunfighter, Roy.” Another young man spoke up from the side of the road, where it looked like he was losing a fight with small shrub. A closer look showed he was working on a snare to catch small game under the bush.

Roy looked at me with a sneer, and stepped into the road. I was walking Judy at the time, and I switched her reins to my left hand as I stopped.

“I’m not looking for trouble,” I said. I marked the two other men standing behind Roy, and I could see the man with the bush clearly to my left. If there was another one out there, I couldn’t see him.

“Nobody ever does,” Roy agreed. “But trouble sometimes just comes up and gets you anyway, don’t you think?” Roy said. His smile was more of a smirk, and his eyes wandered over my belongings as I stood in front of him. He was about thirty pounds lighter than I was, with stooped shoulders and a lazy posture. But his gun was clean and it looked like his holster had seen some practice.

“Usually the case,” I said. “Do you mind if I move on? I’d like to find someplace to spend the night before it gets dark. Trippers and all.” I tried to sound concerned.

“No, I don’t mind. But I think I need some kind of payment for you using my road,” Roy said. “That gun will do nicely.”

I put a hand on my Colt like I didn’t want to let it go. “And if I say no?”

Roy’s face kept his smirk, but his eyes weren’t smiling at all. “Then I guess we find out who’s the real gunfighter here, don’t we?”

I was done with Mr. Roy so I shrugged. “Works for me. Whenever you think you’re ready, get to work.” I stepped two paces to the left to make sure Judy was out of the line of fire.

Well, that didn’t seem to sit too well with Mr. Roy. He looked back at his friends and they looked at him like they weren’t sure who he really was. I imagine other people had backed down pretty quickly, which gave him his confidence. Trouble was, you never really knew who you were dealing with, and making assumptions on first impressions was usually a bad idea.

I was confident, but in the back of my mind, I wondered if he had put in as much practice as I had. Maybe he was as good or better. I had no way to tell unless I called him out, and I did just that. For all I knew, I just made my last mistake on this earth.

I decided to push the issue, to try and put him off his game. I’d read it was a trick they used to do in the old days, just to try and gain enough of an edge to squeak out a victory.

“So what kind of payment do I get when I win?” I asked, bringing up my fingertips and blowing lightly on them before putting them back near my gun. “Can I have your gun? And what about your friends? Are they in this, too? Just want to make sure I kill the right people.”

Roy was stock-still and though the evening was cool, he was sweating. At that moment, I knew one of two things was going to happen. He was going to go for his gun, fearing the ridicule of his friends over actually dying, or he was going to face the fact that he liked life better, even if he admitted he was less of a man than he thought he was. I watched his eyes and couldn’t tell what was really going on in there. If he was really a gunfighter, he’d have made his play when I was blowing on my fingers, when my hand was furthest away from my gun. I would have.

But then it was there, that flash of
maybe
, just
maybe
he could pull it off and be the big man. Show everyone his prize, and tell the tale of how he got it. That was more powerful than survival, apparently.

I’ll give him this: he was the fastest I had seen so far. He grabbed at his gun and actually got it clear before my gun went off. My bullet struck him in the hip and spun him around, and he threw his gun off into the brush as he fell. Roy screamed in pain as he fell, and thrashed on the ground as his friends looked on. I held my gun out to cover them, but they had no fight in them. I think the shock was a little much.

I took Judy around Roy and didn’t holster my gun until I was well past the group. I didn’t think they would make trouble, but then I thought Roy wouldn’t try me, either.

I mounted up and rode away, putting some distance between myself and the shooting. I didn’t know whether or not they had any weapons other than what I had seen, but I wasn’t going to stay and find out. They were going to have their hands transporting Roy, though. I’d hit him hard, and if he lived, maybe he’d have learned a lesson.

Chapter 34

The town of Murphysboro was a small community, even back before the Trippers. A single street ran through it, and small side streets full of homes made up the rest of the town. The town seemed like it spilled over a series of hills, growing larger as they went south. To the north, the land was flat as I was used to it, but the road I was on was the division between prairie and hills. If I had time, I would explore the difference, but the group of people coming out of their homes to meet me on the road put that notion to the side for the time being.

A large man leading a group of four more large men broke away from the people and blocked the road. He raised his hand and I reined Judy up. I was still about twenty yards away, but I could hear his voice as easily as if I was standing next to him.

“Hello, stranger! I guess you got past my guards on the road?” he called.

I called back. “No, I met them.”

“Why didn’t they come with you?” The man seemed genuinely perplexed.

I put a hand on my leg near my gun. “They are busy right now with a wounded man,” I said.

There was general muttering as this news circulated around. The man in charge took a few steps forward.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I was coming up the road, and I was challenged to a gunfight. I won,” I said.

The large man swore a blue streak the likes of which I hadn’t heard since the time my father found out I was trying to dry fish in my closet. When he calmed down, he looked at me pointedly.

“Is he hurt bad?”

I shrugged. “I hit him in the hip, so it may be a flesh wound or I may have broken something. He should live. But I would recommend someone take his gun away before he gets himself very dead.”

The man nodded. “Maybe this will be the lesson. I’m obliged to you for not killing my stupid son.”

I had to admit he was taking this a lot better than I thought he might. Maybe Roy wasn’t a very popular person.  But if I had the chance to move on without trouble, I was taking it.

“Anything down this road?” I asked.

The man nodded. “There’s another town about five miles down the road, but it’s not safe. There’s been rumors of attacks, so if you’re headed that way, mind yourself.”

I nodded and kneed Judy to move. The people parted and I could hear them talking about Roy. Truth be known, maybe I did them a favor.

The road east was a wide one, and it would take a while before nature took this one back. It wound around hills and passed a few large buildings. One looked important and had the name of a clinic on it. It looked like it had seen a fire and a couple of earthquakes.

I kept to the road, and as I did, I could see movement between the buildings I passed. Furtive shapes that stayed to the shadows, yet stared out with hungry eyes. I didn’t know if they were Trippers or not, but I knew how to find out. Ahead of me, there was a tall building, and another next to it. The road passed next to them, and as I rode through, I brought up my rifle and fired three shots down the space between them. There were four shadows in there, and the shots went near their heads.

I figured they’d duck away, and the rest of the shadows would follow, not wanting to run the risk of getting shot.

I didn’t figure the shadows would charge, wheezing in rage, trying their best to get to me to rip me apart. I also didn’t figure the shots would galvanize every Tripper within earshot, and they literally came pouring out of every alley, every building, and every home within five hundred yards.

“Go, Judy! Go!” I kicked her hard and she leapt forward as if she’d been stung, running hard. She moved swiftly, dodging a couple of large Trippers who were moving to intercept us. I managed to kick one as we went by and he crashed through a store window.

We cleared the cluster of buildings and rode around a sweeping curve in the road. Behind us, hundreds of Trippers wheezed and raged, following at a loping trot. I had no illusions about what would happen if they caught us. There would be nothing left of me save bones.

I took Judy towards the grass to save her hooves, and she ran better for it. In a few minutes, she had cleared the town and we were running from the Tripper horde. I knew we had to keep going, and I knew Judy couldn’t run at that speed much longer, but we had gained enough ground that I was able to dismount and lead her away, walking quickly. I had no idea where I was going, all I knew was that I was trying to get away from what was little different than a school of piranha.

The road was flanked on both sides by dense vegetation, and I could see a wide forest in the views I had to the south. Ahead, there was a clearing, but instead of being a field, it turned out to be a large lake.

Looking back I could see the pursuit in the distance, so I couldn’t stay too long. I let Judy have a small drink before we kept moving. I wished the road would turn or something, but it remained damnably straight. The only thing I could see in the distance was a hill, and it wasn’t a very big one at that.

At the other side of the long bridge, there was a small brick building next to a road leading off to some kind of peninsula on the lake. The road at this point was blocked with a six-foot brick wall, something I hadn’t seen when I first looked up the road. The wall had been painted on the near side, and from a distance, it was hard to tell it was there.

I didn’t see a door, and I was about to go swimming with Judy when a voice came over the barrier.

“You a Tripper?”

The question took me a little by surprise. “Do you ever hear anyone say yes?” I asked in reply.

There was a low chuckle as the person on the other side of the fence considered that.

“Can’t rightly say as I have. Hold on.” There was a clink, a clank, and a section of the brick wall swept back on well-oiled bearings to reveal a small man with a graying beard and a rifle slung over his shoulder. His eyes swept over me and my horse as we walked through. He closed the gate and threw the deadbolts which secured it.

“Welcome to Crab Orchard Lake. I’m Jubal. And you are?” the old man asked.

“Joshua Andrews. Nice to meet you. Thanks for the help.” I walked Judy a bit down the road then checked her out from head to tail. I spent a good amount of time on her hooves, since I didn’t want to see any cracks that might become a problem. Jubal watched me with what might have been approval.

“Good to see a man take care of his horse. Tells me a lot about you. You plan on sticking around?” Jubal asked.

“Just passing through. I’m on my way to the Garden of the Gods,” I said.

“Well, you’re headed the right way. Follow this road until you start to see the signs. You can’t miss it.”

“Anything I need to worry about?” I asked.

“You just rode through a city of Trippers and made it out alive. I’d say you’d seen the worst of things around here,” Jubal said.

“Thanks. How’s life around these parts?” I was curious to see how things were in what I considered the more remote parts of the state.

“Pretty much the same as it was before things went south. The only thing we miss around here is utilities, but we’ve adapted. Most homes have windmills and such for power, and water is hand pumped,” Jubal said. “We’ve moved everyone south of Route 13, and it’s been pretty effective. Haven’t had a bad outbreak in a while, and Carbondale is the only no-go zone. Murphysboro has people there, but they’re their own kind, if you get me.”

“Very nice.” I thought for a minute. “Jubal is a name I’ve not heard in a while. Your dad a L’Amour fan by any chance?” I asked.

Jubal smiled broadly beneath his beard. “Yes, he was. Nice to meet a well-read man.” Jubal put out his hand and I gladly shook it.

“Well sir, I appreciate your help. I’ll be on my way,” I said.

Jubal nodded. “If you’re of a mind to settle down around here, you’re more than welcome. Plenty of room for everybody, and I daresay you can earn your keep if you’re out here by yourself.” He looked down at my Colt. “You any good with that?”

In response, I drew my gun in a flash, aiming between him and Judy. His eyes got big, then thoughtful. I put it back in its holster as I nodded. “Probably better than I ought to be, but it’s saved me a time or two.”

Jubal sighed with a slight smirk. “Well, if you’re of a mind, we might find a place for you as a kind of lawman for these parts. We have a gent, but he’s older, and some of the younger crowd have been testing him more than they should. Might be you could apprentice to him for a couple years then take over. If you’re interested.”

Well, there it was. A strange feeling came over me, like someone was standing behind me and placing a hand on my shoulder. I almost believed that if I turned my head, I would see my father standing there. Right then, I knew what I was, and what I was supposed to do. It was also a place I could belong, a place that finally wanted me there.

“Jubal, I have some things to take care of first, and some places I want to see, but yours is the best offer I’ve had. I do have to say I’m only sixteen,” I said, suddenly worrying that he might take the offer back.

Jubal smiled again. “Son, I’d say you’ve been a man since about four years back. You do what you need, and I’ll talk to the people I need to talk to in the meantime. Come to think of it, I’ll let them know you’re headed that way. Wouldn’t want them to cause a fuss. I figure you’ll be back sometime before winter hits us?”

I mounted up on Judy. She was much better and ready to walk at least. “I’ll plan on trying to be here before winter, if not, I’ll for sure be here by next spring.”

Jubal patted Judy then shook my hand. “Sounds good. We’ll be expecting you. Just get yourself to Marion and tell them who you are. The man you’ll be working with is Bennett Adams. Good man, just not able to keep up like he used to.” Jubal chuckled. “Who can?” he asked, referring to himself.

“My thanks, Jubal. Up to now, I was just drifting, not sure where I would end up. But this feels right, if you know what I mean,” I said.

“I do, son. I had a funny feeling when I saw you that you were the right one to make the offer to, and I’m glad I did. See you in a few months.”

“I’ll be here,” I promised. And I meant it like nothing else I had meant before.

Judy and I rode along the road, and I felt like I was practically floating. I had a purpose, and a place that would want me. I considered for a moment not going back to Frankfort, just staying here. But I had some things of my father and mother that I wanted to bring down, and there was Kim. I hoped she would want to come with me, start a life in a place that seemed to still be alive, instead of existing on the edge of extinction.

We reached I-57, and it took me a minute to realize that this was the same I-57 that went all the way up towards my home. I scratched Judy behind the ears.

“Well, Judy, since we’re headed back this way anyway, I guess the Garden of the Gods will have to wait,” I said, patting her on the neck. “We’ll find a place to rest for the day and night, then head up in the morning. Sound good?”

All I got for an answer was a single ear pointed back at me.

I met with some people who as it turned out were waiting for me. We spoke for a good while, and I told them about my father and what he did after the Trippers came. I learned about the area south of 13, and it was an interesting tale. Turns out that the glaciers that once covered the land ended here, and the land they pushed in front of them created the hills that protected the southern end of the state. The hills were essentially a time machine. On the north side, you could see what the land looked like after the glaciers stomped them flat. On the south side, you could see what the land was like before the glaciers. We spoke for a long time, and I felt like I was taking part in a kind of interview.

The men asked me to demonstrate my skills with gun and bow, and were suitably impressed with both. I learned there were a lot of bow hunters in these parts, so they took those skills seriously.

At the end of things, I was offered the apprenticeship officially, and I gratefully accepted. Bennett Adams was there to shake my hand, and he seemed genuinely pleased to be getting me as a trainee.

After a couple of days resting up for the journey ahead, Judy and I took to the trail one more time.

We walked up the ramp to the road, and from there, I got a good look at Marion. I could see quite a few lines of smoke from cook fires, and I lost count of the number of windmills that were sticking up like iron wheat over the city. A man in a watchtower raised a hand to me, and I tipped my hat in return. I guess Jubal made his call.

“See you soon,” I said, smiling to myself.