Storm Surge, page 36
part #1 of Storm Surge Series
After the meal, Owen got up and said, “There’s something I wanted to show you.”
Maxine cleaned her plate and followed him.
Staying out of the sight of locals, Owen slipped between a few buildings and headed toward the greenhouse. He pushed open the door and allowed Maxine to enter. Potted flowers lined the shelf. Herbs and spices grew in abundance. The oxygen was clean.
“It’s beautiful,” Maxine said.
The moon was their only source of light.
Maxine smelled one of the flowers. “How long has this been here?” she asked.
The moment she twisted back, Owen pressed up close to her.
Maxine stumbled back, nearly knocking over one of the plants. Owen held her hips and kissed her.
“What if someone sees?” Maxine asked.
“I sneak out here almost every night,” Owen said between kisses. “No one will interrupt us.”
Maxine kept an eye on the door. That night, she melted away her stresses in Owen’s arms.
The sun breached through the dim glassy windows. Birds chirped. The air was cool and fresh. Owen and Maxine lay next to each other on the floor. They used their removed jackets as their blanket.
Maxine opened her eyes. Owen looked back at her.
“Something wrong?” Maxine yawned.
“I missed your smile.”
Maxine grinned. “You’re full of it, you know that?”
Owen brushed some hair off Maxine’s cheek. He noticed the small cuts on her skin. “We should get married.”
Maxine chuckled.
“I’m serious,” Owen said. “We already have the chapel.”
“I don’t know, Owen. I have enough stress. Planning a wedding isn’t something I want to add to the list,” Maxine replied.
Owen smiled at her. “Bad excuse.”
Maxine sat up. She shuddered. It was a little chilly this morning. “I just don’t want to be locked down right now.”
“Is it Roy you’re worried about?”
“Maybe,” Maxine said. “He killed the last guy that tried to get with me.”
“That was years ago,” Owen said. “No offense to Roy, but I’m not scared of him. We went after arms dealers and terrorists, remember?”
“It’s not just Roy. It’s life. At any second, some could shoot you, you could get sick, there are a million ways that we can get killed now.”
“That’s the way things have always been,” Owen said smoothly. He rested his head on his palm and his elbow on the floor.
“Things are different.”
“True, but love is eternal.”
Maxine grinned. “Gosh, I forgot how cheesy you can get.”
“I’m a romantic,” Owen said, “Besides, last time I remember, you said yes to our engagement.”
“I’ve not forgotten.”
“So why are we waiting?” Owen asked.
Maxine turned to him. “Owen, please. Let’s discuss this some other time.”
“Does Roy really scare you that much?”
“No, it’s…” Maxine sighed. “It’s Sarah that I’m worried about. She was captured, and to be celebrating our wedding while she’s being tortured is just wrong.”
Owen sat up and put an arm around her. “I’m sorry that happened.”
“Me too.”
“Do you have any ideas about how you want to get her back?” Owen asked.
“Maybe some of the people here can help me,” Maxine said.
“The people here are happy because they stayed out of people’s affairs.”
“They ambushed your truck if I remember correctly,” Maxine reminded him.
“Their tactics have changed since then. The community has had better luck warding people off with their signs than any guerilla force.”
Maxine thought for a little bit. “What if I earned their trust?”
“Anything is possible. Besides, it couldn’t hurt to have favor with the higher-ups.” Owen groaned and sat up. “Actually, I need to get ready for my shift. Head to the chapel. That’s where they’ll sign you up for your role.”
Maxine got dressed and headed that way. She made sure to sneak through the community, not wanting to raise any suspicion. She arrived at the chapel. The rest of her crew was waiting outside.
Roger smiled at Maxine. “Someone snuck off last night.”
Maxine smirked.
Roy looked down at his feet.
Nicolas and the rest of the Elders approached. They pulled out their key fob and unlocked the chapel’s door. The place had a sobering vibe to it. Rows of pews ran up the center of the room. Hazy light streamed through the towering windows. The Elders took them to a classroom off to the side. They sat across from them and pulled out a pen and some paper. They asked questions about everyone’s past career and were shocked to hear that most of the men were criminals. The Elders whispered among themselves.
Nicolas finally said, “What is past is past. You prove to us that you can work hard, we’ll make sure you’re looked after.”
Abel was put into construction, his old job before he was sentenced for homicide. There were some buildings that needed to be fortified along with expanded outhouse space. They assigned Roy to the wall. He’d do patrols, keep an eye out for any invaders, and work as a guard. Jacob requested a job as a hunter or logistics in the armory. The Elders denied both and made him a builder. Because of Roger’s accounting background, he was assigned to logistical duties but had to work under constant supervision. Maxine assumed that the Elders thought that Roger would fudge the numbers so if the storehouses were ever robbed, there was no way to trace it back to the books. Pretty Boy got offended when they put him on laundry duty. Maxine was put into medical. Because of her veterinary background, they had her look after the animals too.
She learned that Ike worked for the Elders, serving them food and running errands around the compound. Twice a week, he’d work with Owen as a landscaper/gardener, which was a job Maxine never thought she’d see Owen ever doing. Chase worked with them as well.
The local ladies helped Maxine take care of Jude. Maxine would stop in every few hours to breastfeed the baby, but it was the others that mothered the child. Because the community wanted to save matches and candles, most work shifts ended after dark. Being in medical, Maxine was the outlier. The only other person was a nurse’s assistant whose heart wasn’t in her trade anymore. She’d burned out sometime before the EMP and felt less of a drive now. Maxine quickly climbed to the rank of the lead practitioner. She dealt with everything from stomach bugs to genital problems. Needless to say, she got the least of amount of sleep of anyone in the community. She learned quickly that Jack had left the compound on the first night she arrived. Because he was so lazy, no one knew that he was gone until a couple days later.
Two weeks went by before Maxine could blink. She rarely had time to talk to Owen. Roy was always on patrol. Jacob stopped by a few times, asking how she really felt about their home.
“It’s what we have,” Maxine replied.
“They won’t help you get Sarah,” Jacob reminded her.
Suddenly, the infirmary door burst in. Shouting, a group of men hurried inside.
“What’s going on?” Maxine asked.
The gaggle of people carried in three men. Blood seeped through their thin bandages. One of the men carrying them said, “Ambush.”
32
Proving Grounds
Maxine managed to save one of the three men. The other two died on the operating table. Their blood leaked across the metal bed and hard cushions. Maxine tossed out her bloody gloves, making sure not to touch them with her bare skin. She wiped her damp forehead with the top of her forearm. The sole survivor rested. Maxine had kept docile him with painkillers. It was the only way to stop his screaming.
The crowd that had carried the men waited outside. Maxine walked out to greet them. Jacob was among the crowd. The nurse trailed behind Maxine. Her stare was distant and hurt. Maxine eyed the anxious men. “Anyone care to share what happened?”
“They were hunters,” one of the locals said. “We heard the gunshots and ran as fast as we could, but could only do so much.”
“Did you see who shot them?” Maxine asked.
The local shook their heads.
The Elders called for a meeting that evening. While people flaked around the park tables, patrolling guards doubled. Extra torches were lit on top of the walls, making the fortress look more imposing.
The Elders sat on a row of five chairs on stage. The nervous people chattered among themselves until Nicolas spoke.
“As you’re all probably aware by now, there has been an attack against our community. Two of our hunters are dead. One is under constant supervision. Make no mistake, this will not go unpunished. These bandit swine think they can spill our blood and we’ll wait idly by. Foolishness. We will show them that we are a force to be reckoned with. I’m looking for volunteers to get rid of this filth.”
A middle-aged man in a trucker hat stood up.
“Jerry,” Nicolas replied. “Glad to see your eagerness.”
“Nic, I’m not signing up. Honestly, this whole situation makes me feel queasy. Frankly, it makes us all feel sick.”
Nicolas listened.
Jerry continued, holding his hat close to the chest and talking with his eyes downward. “We know that the good books tell us not to kill anyone. Isn’t the Word the foundation of everything we do? Wasn’t the whole point of building this place for that purpose?”
Nicolas replied, “I understand your grievance, but we aren’t just a church anymore. We’re a nation within a nation. We need to defend our borders from attackers. If we draw back, that will only encourage the enemy to keep pressing us until eventually, they’ve climbed the wall. If we launch a counter-offensive now, we can hit them when they least expect it and keep the rest of us safe.”
“I still don’t like it,” Jerry said. “I’m sorry, Nic. But I can’t support you in this.”
He took his plump wife’s hand and helped her up. They left the meeting with a third of the people. The other two-thirds were silent. Nicolas asked, “Now that we’ve seen who cares about our home, who would like to volunteer to be part of the strike team?”
Maxine stood and raised her hand.
Nicolas looked shocked. “What about your duties here?”
“I’ll be much better on the field. I worked as a paramedic for years.”
Roy stood up. “I’ll go too.”
Jacob rose as well. “Count me in.”
Seeing the competition rise, Owen stood also. Along with him were Chase, Abel, and Alberto.
Nicolas said, “I must say, I was not expecting to see you fighting for us.”
“Just point us in the right direction,” Maxine replied.
The Elders returned their weapons to Maxine’s group. Roger and Pretty Boy were the only two that didn’t join them in the mission. As they loaded up in the armory, Jacob said, “Why now, Maxine? Finally got tired of the good life?”
“I want to get Sarah,” Maxine said. “That can be done by winning Nicolas’s trust.”
Jacob said, “We need to get the job done right. No survivors.”
Abel said, “I didn’t volunteer for that.”
“Then back off,” Jacob said. “We leave one alive, he’ll seek vengeance. No witnesses. No problems.”
“Yeah, but what about our souls?” Abel asked.
“Societal-conditioned morality,” Jacob said. “You were set free of that the moment the government fell apart.”
“You make it sound like it’s a good thing,” Chase said.
“Depending on your perspective, it is,” Jacob said unapologetically.
Roy sighed, “Before we decide who lives or dies, let's find the shooters first.”
“I agree with Roy,” Owen said, “We’ll assess the situation and then handle it accordingly.”
“You ever read The Art of War?” Jacob asked.
Owen nodded. “Many years ago.”
“Victors win before the battle begins,” Jacob replied.
Maxine packed her weapon. The anticipation made her jittery. They set out from Hope’s tall walls, walked along the swamp field, and entered into the wilderness. The men were shot at less than five miles east of the settlement. Maxine made sure to keep her eyes open. They walked in arrow point formation. Jacob led the way. They followed some old blood on the road, which eventually entered into the woods. Knowing that they’ll find their targets within, Maxine drew out her pistol and kept it low. Jacob tracked the enemy’s trail for two miles before spotting a few tents in the distance. They stopped and huddled behind various trees for cover.
With quiet steps, they moved from tree to tree. Maxine’s heart pounded. Her hands were sweating from holding the gun. Owen and Chase looked just as nervous as herself. Sweat droplets dotted Abel’s large forehead. His massive frame made it difficult for him to sneak. Jacob moved like a leopard. Every movement was slow and precise. It took them forty minutes to move a hundred yards. Eventually, they had the drop on the camp.
The wind rushed through the tattered tents. They appeared to be old and decayed. A soot-filled fire pit marked the middle. A cooking pot on top had been knocked over. Jacob left cover and carefully approached. Maxine aimed at the woods surrounding the campsite. She kept expecting to see someone pop out. Jacob called them over.
One by one, they joined him in the opening where the tents stood. Jacob kicked aside the pot, revealing the old food inside. “This place hasn’t been touched in a week. Maybe more.”
“Guys,” Chase said.
Maxine headed that way.
The twenty-three year old stood over the half-buried body. It was a woman. Decay and insects had eaten much of her face, she appeared to be in her thirties. She was naked. Owen looked queasy.
Roy remarked. “Animals.”
“Welcome to the human race,” Jacob replied and continued searching the camp.
They found clear signs of a struggle. Whoever attacked the place had also robbed it. Jacob decided to head deeper.
At nightfall, they agreed not to build a fire. They didn’t want to attract any more unwanted attention. Jacob convinced Chase to climb a tree. He did so and kept a lookout while everyone else settled on the ground.
“Wait, guys,” Chase said. “There’s something out there.”
In the black of night, it was impossible to see much of anything. Even the trees blended into the nightly shadows. Chase lowered the binoculars. Straddling a branch, he said, “There’s a fire.”
“How far?” Jacob asked.
Chase replied, “A half mile maybe.”
The party exchanged looks.
Roy said, “I say we go for it.”
“No time like the present,” Abel added.
Owen nodded.
He whispered to Maxine. “You ready?”
“Can anyone be ready for this?” Maxine replied.
Alberto raised a torch, allowing Chase to descend the tree without falling. Alberto led them. They followed his torch-lit path. If any enemies spotted them, Alberto planned on tossing the torch while everyone else scattered. They agreed only to split up as far as shouting distance, to ensure no one would get lost.
Bugs swarmed them. An owl hooted. A blanket of stars painted the skies, and the restless wind shook the trees.
Maxine listened to the small crunch of leaves and twigs beneath her feet. She faintly remembered her long trek through Miami. It felt like a lifetime ago. She glanced over to Owen, but could barely make out more than his body shape. He walked with his head slightly down. Thoughts of marriage ran through Maxine’s mind. She knew this was the worse possible time to think of such a thing. She focused her thoughts on the forest ahead. Compared to Miami, rural Florida was a completely different world. Instead of vibrant lights and cluttered traffic, there were an endless amount of bugs and wilderness that extended forever.
Through the trees and branches, a small orange glow tinkled in the distance. Alberto quickly doused the torch.
Jacob whispered. “Stay close.”
They walked in groups of two. The one in the back put a hand on the other’s shoulder. The one in front guided. Owen groped at tree branches. Maxine followed. A root snagged her foot. She escaped it before tripping.
It didn’t take long before the campfire was in sight. Maxine crouched below a felled tree covered with fungi.
Five men set around the firepit. They roasted chunky meat on the edge of sticks. The squirrel skin and fur sat in a clump a few feet away. The men laughed. Their shotguns and rifles were nearby. They wore dirty t-shirts and shorts. One of them furiously scratched his head. The rest had shaven. Maxine imagined they were dealing with a lice epidemic. A sixth man urinated on a tree. The silhouette of the seventh man was visible through the tent wall. The light inside projected his shadow. It appeared he was cleaning his weapon.
After taking a leak, the sixth man returned to fire. “I need another woman.”
“Hell no,” the one scratching his head replied.
The sixth man took a seat on the ground. “How was I supposed to know that the last one would die?”
“That’s what happens when you squeeze someone’s neck,” one of them replied.
“Screw you,” the sixth man said.
One of the men asked, “When are we going to Hope?”
“Whenever their defenses drop,” the sixth man replied.
One of the men swigged his beer. “One step at a time.”
With hand gestures, Jacob assigned targets for everyone.
Staying in groups of two, Maxine’s group spread out around the camp. They moved slowly and quietly. The intensity of the situation had Maxine wanting to rush inside and end it now. However, such a feat would end in certain death. They moved like jungle predators, never once taking their eyes off their prey. Though they couldn’t see each other across the camp, they had a fair understanding of each other’s locations.
