Deadland Rising (Deadland Saga) (S) (7 page)

Whether Justin knew about our other Humvee and supplies, he gave no hint when Charlie and he returned a couple hours later with bowls and a stockpot filled with something steamy that smelled of carrots.

“Potato and carrot soup,” Charlie said as he set the pot down. “We don’t have anything fancy around here, but it gets the job done.”

Justin started handing out plastic bowls, cups, and spoons. “Marco had said you’ve done a pretty good job in regards to eating balanced meals, and I can tell. You can’t understand how much hope it gives me to see that you’re not only healthy but thrived out there.”

“
Thrived
is a strong word,” I said.

“You have a pregnant woman, a child, and none of you are sick. That alone is a miracle. Many people here will be excited to hear about you. Most folks who arrive at New Eden’s gates look half-starved and a day away from getting turned into zeds. Nevertheless, we’re always happy to see any survivors make it here. In fact, the capital has announced that’s our primary directive: to save and rebuild.”

“Hm,” I said as I thought through it. “Shouldn’t the primary directive be holding off zeds?”

“We don’t have to worry about zeds anymore.”

I frowned. “The herds will be back in the spring. We have to be ready for them.”

Justin shook his head. “No, they won’t.”

“What makes you so sure?” Clutch asked as he handed me a bowl of soup and sat down with a second bowl for himself.

“They won’t be back because we nuked the South.”

I jerked back. The spoonful of soup I was about to eat splashed off the spoon. I barely registered the gasps around me. “You—”

“—bombed the South?” Clutch completed the question for me.

“As in nuclear warheads?” Jase added.

Justin replied. “Yes, the government dropped nuclear bombs on the south to wipe out the herds. Any remaining zeds will be dead soon enough, because the capital ordered all available resources to head south to finish off zeds that escaped the kill zone. Marco’s squadron would’ve been sent south as soon as they returned. So, you can see why zeds aren’t our primary issue now. They’re nearing extinction.”

“No more zeds,” Hali said softly.

“But we released nuclear warheads on our own soil,” Griz said.

Justin stammered. “Well, yes. More accurately, what’s left of the United States, Canadian, and Mexican governments released warheads on U.S. and Mexican soil.”

“But, there would’ve been survivors down there,” Vicki said with a frown. “How many innocent survivors were killed?”

Justin answered. “When the herds started to cross into Missouri, the capital sent every plane and bus south to save survivors before the herds reached them. From what I hear, they pulled out over ten thousand total, which is a lot better than the alternative. With the numbers in the herds, it’s safe to say the herds would’ve found anyone alive down there.”

Marco had mentioned some part of the government had survived, but I hadn’t realized they had control over that much firepower—let alone that many resources—that they could support taking on that many survivors. I hadn’t even imagined there could be ten thousand total survivors left in the world. Hearing the number sent a strange sensation through my body. That number, coupled with the idea of the zeds going up in flames…It almost felt like…
hope.

Justin continued. “We’ll clean up the zeds in this area as we come across them, but we have to first focus on pulling in survivors before winter hits. Every province has been charged with rebuilding the country. New Eden may be one of the smaller provinces, but we have to pull our weight, just like everyone else. Unfortunately, all we have left is the New Eden security force and part of one squadron. So, every able-bodied man will be a huge benefit to us.”

“How’d the government contact you?” Clutch asked. “Camp Fox was on the radio every day trying to reach someone, and this is the first I’ve heard of it. We were never contacted by anyone in government—no military, no politicians, nothing.”

Justin shook his head. “They didn’t find us by radio. They use drones to fly over the country and take pictures. They map out all survivors sites and reach out to any settlements of significant size. They said that for the longest time, they were losing more sites than they were finding. There were too many zeds spread everywhere for them to provide rescue support. It wasn’t until the migration started in Canada that they started planning Operation Redemption: eradicating the zed threat and building our new country.”

“It’s crucial we find survivors quickly,” Charlie said. “There are so many more deadly risks besides zeds out there.”

“Like dogs,” I said.

“And bandits,” Vicki muttered coldly.

Charlie nodded. “Yes, but there are even far worse threats out there, which we have no control over.”

“Like what?” Jase asked.

“Winter, for one,” Justin replied. “Most folks in the freeze-zones don’t know how to survive without electricity. Outside of New Eden, I expect we’ll lose many survivors this first winter to cold and starvation. Then, there’s dysentery and all the diseases that come with that. It was a miracle you made it here. Marco told me the route you took here, from the Mississippi River to Highway 20, onto I-380, and then across I-80.”

“Yeah, so?” I asked, confused.

“There’s a nuclear plant down between Highway 20 and I-380. Its reactor melted down last week, probably within a day after you drove through.”

“Holy shit,” I muttered, but no one else spoke.

“That’s probably going to happen to every nuclear power plant in the world. Without maintenance—and most of these have had no maintenance for nearly a year—it’s only a matter of time.”

“You made it, but most won’t make it on their own. They need our help.”

“And you have enough food to take on more?”

Justin grimaced. “It’s not easy, but we’ll make it work. The capital has distributed rations and has promised to send more. But, we have to be able to rely only on ourselves.”

“That’s smart,” Clutch said. “It’s never a good idea to put all your eggs in one basket, especially when that basket involves politicians.”

Justin smiled. “Marco told me a couple of you were in the military, so you may have a bit more experience with politicians than I have. I sold insurance before this. I could get you the best rates for your auto, house, or boat. I loved what I did. I went home each day knowing I was doing my best to ensure people were protected so when disaster struck, they’d be back on their feet in no time. In a way, I still have the same job, except it’s more important than ever. If we don’t get people back on their feet after this disaster, they’ll die, and we’ll never get the chance at building a new country. It’s going to take every single one of us working hard day in and day out to rebuild this world so our children can thrive. It won’t be the same world as before, and maybe that’s a good thing. But, if New Eden is a sign of things to come, it’s going to be worth it.”

Justin was about to say more, but an armed guard stepped inside, and looked straight at him. “Thea’s looking for you.”

Justin stood. “Duty calls. Charlie will answer any more questions you have. Please remember, you are not to attempt to leave this building under any circumstances. We don’t mess around inside the fence. Security’s orders are to shoot-to-kill anyone and anything that may pose a risk to us. With that said, I hope you make the best of the situation. You are safe within these walls, so sleep well.”

Not waiting around to take questions, Justin left with the guard.

Charlie chuckled. “Funny when Justin talks about sleeping, since he never sleeps. He’d have to stop working for five minutes first.”

“And, Charlie sleeps enough for both of them,” Marco joked. “From what I hear, your wife complains you’re out like a light the moment your head hits the pillow. That’s no way to please a woman.”

“I can assure you, Sarah has never been disappointed in my husbandly duties,” Charlie replied quickly.

“That’s because she’s never been with a real man,” Marco added.

Charlie raised a brow. “Just because you’re popular with the local sheep, doesn’t make you a man.”

“Ha, ha,” Marco replied drily before flipping the other man the bird.

“I think a few more of my brain cells killed themselves,” Jase said.

“Not to interrupt this fascinating conversation,” Hali said, “but, what happens next? Once we’re done with quarantine?”

“Finally,” Griz said, “someone says something intelligent.”

“Your quarantine will end at three p.m. tomorrow, once you each have a physical exam. Marco vouched for you, so Justin is bypassing your interviews. He said it’s clear you’re not bandits. I’ll give you a tour, and if you decide to stay, you will be assigned homes, and you’ll sign up for jobs. You may not get your first pick, but I can guarantee there’s something for everyone.”

“Sounds fair enough,” I said. After all, the system mirrored what we’d had at Camp Fox.

Charlie stirred the stockpot. “It’s almost curfew, and I need to get home to Sarah before she starts to worry. Whatever leftover soup you have will be your breakfast, and you can get drinking water from the sink. Any last thing before I head out?”

No one needed anything, so Charlie left, and I heard the lock click in place. Griz went around and turned off all the lights except a small lamp. He turned and eyed Clutch. “What do you think?”

“I think we’re safe here for the night. Tomorrow, we’ll see.”

I could see Griz shrug in the faint light before he turned off the lamp, leaving us in darkness, with only moonlight from the window.

Clutch went to lie on the floor. I tugged his arm, and he crawled into the small twin-sized bed next to me. I lay in his arms as I tried to clear my mind of nuclear bombs, zeds, and winter.

“What about the zeds like Henry? What if they can recover?” Deb asked softly, to whom, I had no idea. “If they went with the herds to the south, they would’ve been killed too, along with other survivors, like us. What if we lived a couple states farther south?”

When no one answered, I spent the next couple of hours pondering her questions until at some point my mind mercifully drifted off.

* * *

Charlie Martel and his wife, Sarah, made excellent tour guides. After cold soup for breakfast and a light lunch of applesauce and flatbread, the couple proudly granted our freedom from quarantine and led us outside.

Charlie spoke. “If you decide to stay—”

“And we hope you do,” Sarah interjected before handing out business cards to each of us. On the front read,
Charles Martel, Chief Operating Officer, S&C Technologies.
Scrawled across the back of each business card were handwritten numbers one through fourteen, but several numbers were already punched out.

“These are your ration cards,” Charlie said. “Every Sunday, everyone gets ration cards. Each card has fourteen punches, which comes out to two meals per day. How you use those punches is completely up to you, but once they’re used up, you’re waiting until Sunday for your next card. Since this is Tuesday, we already took off what would’ve been the last two days’ worth of rations.”

“How do we get new cards?” I asked.

“You’ll take a job,” Charlie replied. “Everyone who takes a job gets a weekly card. Any exceptions must be approved by Justin.”

“Rations are available in the general store. Over there.” Sarah pointed. “It’s about two blocks from your house.”

Charlie added, “Justin has house number Twenty-Six set aside for you. Most survivors are assigned rooms in other houses. We try to fill up each house before starting with an empty one. But, Marco said you’d all prefer to stay in the same house if possible. Twenty-Six is a three-bedroom bungalow. But, it should fit ten of you fine.”

“Ten?” Deb turned to Marco. “You’re staying with us?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “I used to stay in the squadron house number Three.” He sighed, “It doesn’t feel right now—”

“I’m glad,” she said.

“You’re one of us,” I added.

He smiled. “Thanks.”

“How about house keys?” Clutch asked.

Sarah shrugged. “Sorry. We don’t have any keys. We only found keys in a couple houses. And, we don’t have the ability to make keys. So, pretty much all the houses remain unlocked, but I suppose you could put a chair against the door or something if it makes you feel safer.”

“Hm,” Clutch replied.

As we walked through the neighborhood, I observed how busy everyone seemed. Two men were pushing wheelbarrows full of food into the general store, where a short line had already formed. I was surprised at how normal everything seemed. One woman was pruning a rose bush. Two kids were on swings that creaked with every back-and-forth movement. Many of the houses reminded me of my small bungalow in Des Moines. Old, nothing fancy, and needing some TLC. Even before the outbreak, this town looked like it’d been struggling.

“You can’t even tell any herds passed through this area,” I said.

“Oh, they came through here, all right,” Charlie said. “It was the first time we had to use the missile silo. We stayed down there for a full week before we risked coming out.”

“We quickly learned that the silo wasn’t ready for long-term occupation,” Sarah added. “Justin has doubled efforts to improve the structure and better equip the silo. Our goal is to have it ready by winter in case our power goes out or it’s as bad a winter as folks up north are saying it could be. Below ground would be much warmer and safer if we need to hibernate.”

Charlie motioned to a woman covering a garden with leaves and mulch. “We’re expecting an early winter. Justin’s contact in the capital says they already have a foot of snow on the ground.”

My eyes widened. “Where’s that?”

“Saskatchewan. Canada, the northernmost parts of Mexico, and the U.S. have merged into one nation. They’re still working on names, laws, and all that, but we needed each other to survive.”

“We’re Canadian now?” Jase asked.

Charlie shrugged with a smile. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Hali added with a grin as she enunciated “about” as “aboot.”