Plagued: Book 1 (10 page)

Chapter 11

Bloody Nuisance

“Hand me the camera, Viscount Junior, and I'll give you back your binoculars. There's some interaction with the deer and the gazelles.”

She traded him the binoculars for her mom's Canon. They really were very good binoculars, for whatever pervy reason he had them.

“Oh look,” Hugo pointed over her shoulder. “Zebras.”

They watched as a herd of around ten zebra wandered in from a stand of black oak. None of the grazing herbivores paid any attention. Sky gave a quiet, “whoop!” and grabbed some shots.

Hugo flipped over on his back, resting the binoculars on his stomach and putting both hands behind his head. “This little bubble you Bay Area people live in is quite compelling. No wonder the population here is growing so quickly.”

She had her camera trained on the grazers and snapped a few shots. “Why would you say we live in a bubble? Life here isn't so different than other parts of America. Survivors face the same problems everywhere.”

“You honestly believe that? How far have you traveled from here during your life?”

A couple of black-striped gazelles walked right through the herd of deer.

The shot was perfect and she snapped rapidly before speaking. “Not far at all. That's what you want to hear, I can tell. We drive to Monterey pretty frequently. My mom inherited a little cottage there by the beach. It's really safe now that Fort Ord is open again. I've done some training there. Let's see, I've been to San Francisco a bunch of times. We went to the Academy of Science after it re-opened, the Golden Gate Bridge, Coit Tower, the Ferry Building, that sort of thing.” Lowering the camera, she ran through the shots on the screen to make sure they'd turned out. “Not much more than that. Let me guess. This is where you tell me my world view is micro, not macro, and I am childish and naïve.”

'That's true. Not, however, what I was going to say. I see your skeptical frown.”

Sky glanced up from the camera.

“Yes. That frown.” He touched the furrow between her brows. “Right
there
. My comment had no hidden verbal traps. This
is
a bubble. Not the only one in this massive country of yours. What I worry is that people will become apathetic about conditions elsewhere in the world.”

“And you're not? With your title and your dad's super elite status? You're such a man of the people.”

He frowned and she felt her comment had hit home. “Appearances are not always what they seem.”

“I can say the same for this area.” Sky looked at him directly as she spoke. “No one becomes apathetic as the summer winds down. School closes in a couple of weeks. That means flu season is coming. And isn't the whole point of surviving about bringing back civilization? Fewer worries. Getting on with making a life.”

Hugo abruptly changed the subject. “Are there problems with the deer population growing out of control?”

She made an impatient noise. Obviously he didn't want to get into an argument and was changing the subject. “No one is doing any studies on that sort of stuff anymore. From what little I've found online, there is so much empty land that won't be a problem. Probably ever. Also, the dog packs now function like coyotes, probably pissing off the coyotes very much, and mountain lions help keep populations in check.”

“Speaking of...” He pointed and she saw a mongrel pack of dogs move slowly in from the trail leading deeper into the hills. “They've been there awhile now. Maybe half an hour. I've been keeping an eye on them.”

Both of them watched in silence as the dogs inched closer. Creeping through the dry grass, belly to the ground. The pack seemed to be targeting the Thompson's gazelles. These feral canines were survivors after twenty years of living on their own. Most were just scavengers. The ones that had interbred with coyotes were different. More aggressive. The introduction of new deer-like species benefitted them. There were herds of cattle all through the vast San Joaquin Valley, both wild and domestic. Taking down a full grown cow or bull, though, was pretty ambitious for these dogs. 

“They're going to scatter once those dogs run in, better grab those shots fast.”

The lens on her camera was not quite as powerful as his binoculars. She still managed to get some good long distance shots of the animals grazing together. The dogs had moved closer to a few stragglers. She glanced at Hugo. He had the binoculars trained in a different direction, down towards the road.

“What are you looking at?”

“Give me a minute.” He fiddled with the settings, fine tuning.

Sky tried to see what was holding his attention. Squinting her eyes at figures in the distance.

The deer and antelope scattered in one direction and the zebra in another as the dogs charged. She left Hugo to his spying and snapped some pictures of the hunt. That would fit in fine with the project. Introducing non-native species and all. They caught one of the Thompson's gazelles and she looked away.

The sun was starting to sink behind the hills and she shivered. Time to go. She slipped the camera in her carry bag, tugged at Hugo's sleeve, and got to her feet. 

Hugo rose smoothly and silently, pulling her behind him, saying quietly, “Look.”

On the dusty trail leading to the car, several people walked into view. Four of them, men and women. They were dressed roughly, carrying backpacks.

The two groups sized each other up silently. Sky didn't feel they were a threat. Not unduly. Travelers probably. That's the term they tagged people on the road with. Searching for a different or better horizon. They looked to be in their early twenties.

Shouldering by Hugo, who had gone very still, she called out, “Hey!”

“Hey,” one of them, a woman answered back.

“Just so you know, this trail loops around and down back to where you got on at the parking area. If you're looking for a campsite, you're better off walking back to Alpine and keep going south for another couple of miles. There's a camping area with fire pits and latrines next to the old diner.” She walked boldly forward, settling her backpack and slinging her gun over her shoulder in plain sight. Most travelers posed no threat, still, no need to take chances or look like an easy target.

“Thanks for the heads up.”

She had to pass by them to get down the trail. The woman stood aside; the two others didn't move, blocking her way.

“Do you mind?” Sky said.

One of the men, short, blond with a scruffy beard, plaid shirt and old army green parka took a step towards her. “You got any change?”

She stood her ground. “No. If you're hungry, there's a help center not far from here.”

Hugo was very close behind her, so far he'd said nothing.

“Maybe you could give us a ride?” the short guy said.

“Maybe you could ask politely,” Hugo spoke at last.

“This is me being polite.”

The guy was only a few inches taller than Sky. She tensed, slowly bringing the gun under her arm. This close it would work as a club if they attacked.

“Randall! Be nice.” The woman spoke sharply, pushing the short man aside. “Is it far? This help place.”

Sky shook her head.

Hugo kept his eyes on the four Travelers but placed one hand on the small of Sky's back like he wanted her to know he was there.

The scruffy group of people huddled together. Sky heard the words 'food' and 'bath' mentioned several times.

The woman who'd spoken first said, “Would you give us a lift? We're just trying to get from point A to point B. We won't cause any trouble.”

Sky pushed by them and headed down the trail. “Come on then.”

Helping people in need was important. Only she was used to doing it in a more organized fashion rather than befriending a rough group of Travelers and giving them a ride. Whether she was just falling victim to stereotypes or not, Sky knew there was a potential for violence. She caught a whiff of a sour scent, sharp and metallic. Very close to the smell of blood. This was fear, she had smelled it before during patrol. On her friends. These four tired, nervous people were very scared.

They tramped down the trail in silence as the shadows lengthened. The dog pack barked in the distance behind.

Sky was no stranger to violence, not since she started patrol. The little place between her shoulder blades itched like she had a target on her back. This was an uncomfortable situation. Perhaps they were just what they seemed, rootless people looking for something better. Or maybe looking to take it. Hugo had dropped back to walk at the tail end. Keeping the group in sight, she was sure. He was acting less like a civilian and more like someone with tactical training.

Inwardly she gave a silent sigh of relief as they reached the gravel of the parking area. Hugo offered to ride in the cargo space of the CRV so they could all fit. The woman who seemed to be their leader rode up front with her and the two men and the other woman – who hadn't spoken once – in the back seat. It was a tight fit with their packs squeezed on their laps. She couldn't even see their faces. Oddly this was comforting. They wouldn't be able to jump her very easily with all that gear.

She rolled down her window, the Traveler's were more than a little musty and the sour smell of their fear was strong.

The woman next to her glanced briefly at Sky then looked out the window. “Good to get off my feet. Thanks.” Her face was deeply lined though she couldn't be more than in her mid-twenties, Sky thought. Beneath a green printed knit cap, her curly brown hair was pulled into an unruly ponytail.

“Sure.”

They turned off the winding country road back onto city streets, passing Redwood Shopping Center.

“I used to go there with my mother,” the woman said. “To Macy's and See's Candy for chocolates.”

“See's is open again,” Sky said.

“I wonder if it still smells the same? That deep, dusty chocolate smell when you walk in. Black and white tiles and the boxes stacked neatly. The sales ladies in their white starched uniforms.”

She sounded wistful. Sky didn't know what to say.

“You can walk there, from the shelter. If you want. They still give free samples, even if you're just window shopping,” she added. They probably didn't have money to waste on sweets.

She met Sky's eyes and smiled. “Maybe I will.”

They pulled into one end of the old strip mall near Redwood High. The layout was a big, rambling, ranch-style structure with covered walkways. Her mom said it dated back to before Sky's grandmother's days. Except for the Trader Joe's supermarket in its own building, most of the place was boarded up. The wing by El Camino Boulevard had been turned into a Traveller help center by a consortium of local charity groups. She didn't know if they actually got many people stopping by or not. Every business was desperate for workers. Nobody had to go jobless, hungry, or homeless anymore unless by choice.

That choice alone made this group of four suspect. Especially since they were young and presumably healthy. They were bundled up in sweaters and scarves; Sky couldn't see if they were Rednecks or not.

The riders dragged their gear wearily out of the car and Sky opened the tailgate to let Hugo out of the back. She was more than a little pleased nothing bad had happened.

The short guy, Randall, put his hand out. “Sorry. I was rude, back there on the trail. I hope I didn't freak you out.”

She took it and shook. “That's okay.”

They shouldered their packs and went towards the shelter.

Sky leaned back against the car, watching them go. '“That was a little tense.”

Four quick pops of sound made Sky jump. The Travelers dropped to the ground twitching spastically. Hugo pulled her back behind the car and they watched as Home Guards in full battle gear ran out from inside the shelter and between several parked cars behind them.

An officer leveled his weapon at Sky and Hugo. “Keep your hands where I can see them!” he barked.

“Stand down, Coogan!” another soldier shouted. A woman with Captain's bars. “Hugo St. James?”

Hugo waved. “Yes. Here. I'd rather you didn't shoot us. ”

The Captain laughed. “I think we can restrain ourselves.” She held out her hand to Hugo and he shook it. “Thanks for the tip.”

The Travelers were still on the ground, arms and legs flailing. They must have used poppers on them. Electric stun darts. The Guards had them black-bagged and zip-tied in seconds, dragging them along the ground towards the truck. They couldn't stand, the electricity still buzzing through their systems.

Hugo watched as the soldiers tossed the prisoners roughly into the back of a truck that rumbled out from behind the shelter. “Is she the one you wanted?” he asked the Captain.

“Yes.
Ethens!
”

“Yes, sir!” A woman soldier trotted over with a data pad.

“Take their details, then they're free to go.”

A few minutes later the Guards drove off leaving her, Hugo, and the CRV. No one came out of the shelter. No one had stopped to watch. It was like nothing ever happened.

Sky took a ragged breath. “Are you going to explain what that was all about?”