The Crash Box Set, page 113
part #1 of EMP Crash Series
“Something bothering you?” Maggie replied dryly.
“They come in here, and we're supposed to just let them run riot over the place, doing whatever they want, all because we're supposed to be friendly? I know we're trying to be inclusive, but that doesn't mean we should just let them get away with whatever they want. I like what Mack is trying to do, but they just seem to be taking liberties. I don't think they should be given special treatment just because they were stranded on a ship. We've all been through a lot, and none of us are special. I don't trust them one bit.”
“I agree with you,” Maggie said. Luis looked at her, shocked, since he didn't expect her response.
“Pardon?”
“I think you're right,” she said, closing her book.
“I wish Mack would be firmer with them, but until they actually do anything that's illegal, we can't do anything. So far, they've annoyed people and probably eaten more than their fair share, but they haven't done anything that pushes any serious boundaries.”
“I still think we should lock up a few of them. Just for a night. Just to remind them that their actions have consequences. I don't like the way they just saunter around and think they can take whatever they want, or just go after any woman they like.”
Maggie studied him for a moment, and correctly guessed that one of them had made an advance on Grace. She had to hide her smile, for it was cute to see Luis get so worked up like that, especially when everyone knew that Grace wouldn't have done anything to hurt Luis.
“I know your pain, but you shouldn’t let emotions control you. You need to calm down and take a step back, because going after them is not going to do any good. Let’s show them a little understanding, and if they do end up stepping over the line, then we'll be there to take them down.”
“I hope they do,” Luis said, gritting his teeth. Maggie didn't have anything to say in response to that, and decided to try letting him work through his anger by himself.
In the couple of days that the sailors had been in New Haven, Mack had spent quite a lot of time with Flint, and the two of them found they were cut from the same cloth. Both of them knew what it was like to have to lead a ragtag group of survivors to safety, and the pressures that came with it. Flint was a hard man, but he had a good sense of humor about him, which was surprising considering the hardships he and his men had endured. In those first couple of days, Mack spent a lot of time talking with Flint as they shared tales of their previous lives, and also of their lives during the apocalypse.
“It was hell, it really was,” Flint said, running a hand across his beard.
“I tell you, Mack, there were times when I really thought we were done for it. I used to stand on that deck, and look all around us, and see nothing but the sea. Our throats were dry, our stomachs were rumbling, and there didn't seem to be any hope at all. For all we knew we were the last people alive on Earth, and it seemed like an ignominious end. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you, but at least you had the land to nurture you.”
“We did, but with that came its own dangers. Not in the least were other people. I'm sure you know as well as I do how dangerous other people can be. We had to tread carefully. There were more than a few times when our lives hung in the balance, and we only just managed to pull through. Then there were wild animals as well, and now the changing seasons. It's going to be a tough winter, and we must make sure we have enough food to last,” he said, trying to hint at the concerns of the settlement. Flint caught his tone, and gave him a knowing smile.
“I know, my friend, my men have shown some more exuberance than what you may have been prepared for. I shall talk to them, and make sure they know to calm down a bit, but they're tired of fish, and it's nice to have some variety in our diet again. And you can be sure we will help out in any way we can.”
“I appreciate that.”
“But what of after the winter? Do your plans stretch that far ahead? Beyond survival?”
“I have plenty of plans,” Mack said, looking wistfully out the window.
“I want this place to grow, maybe not to the size of the city that came before it, but just big enough so that we're strong enough to defend ourselves and anyone who comes here looking for sanctuary. I want word to spread about New Haven so people can know there are people out there who have made it through the end of the world, and also to show an example of what others can do if they set their minds to it.”
“That's an admirable goal.”
“There's a place for you and your men here, if you want it. I'm aware that we have a food problem, but we're going to need able-bodied people to help us grow, especially ones who know how to survive.”
“We certainly know that,” Flint said, his teeth gleaming as he smiled. “I'll certainly take the offer under consideration.”
Tristan awoke in a darkened room, head throbbing. He tried to move his arms, but found that his wrists and legs were tied to the chair that he was sitting on. His throat was dry, and when he cried out his voice was raspy and raw. The last thing he remembered was the pain. Instantly, he was filled with a sense of guilt and shame at having let everyone down. He should have seen it coming. He should have done better. He was convinced that Grace or another one of the adults wouldn't have been caught so unaware, but he was also sure that nobody else knew he was there, or else they surely would have come after him.
He was afraid for himself, and for New Haven. The last thing he wanted was to play a part in another enemy making their way to the settlement and threatening the safety of the people who lived there. He had come to feel safe in New Haven, and didn't want anything to happen to the people there, people who had taken the time to care for him after everything that had happened. His cry was met with more muffled moans, and he knew that some of his companions were with him. Although he didn't get a chance to know all of them, as shortly after he made a noise the door opened and a brutish sailor strode in.
Tristan wasn't sure how long it had been since he had been knocked out. All he knew were the echoes of pain that traveled through his body, and the hunger and thirst that ached within. The man stood above him and grabbed Tristan's neck. He yanked it back and put a metal cup to Tristan's lips. The water trickled in and around his mouth. Tristan gulped eagerly, and in his thirst for water he probably missed more than he actually would drank, and was left wanting more when the sailor had taken the cup away.
“What do you want?” Tristan gasped.
The sailor smirked. Tristan was sure he was going to get beaten as his eyes roved across the man's muscular physique with dread. But instead the sailor merely spoke, and his hands left Tristan's body untouched.
“Just some assurances, and patience. Don't worry, things will become clear soon.”
“But you said we could be friends. We were going to help you!” Tristan wailed.
The sailor chuckled dryly. “That was your mistake,” he said, then turned and walked away, leaving Tristan wondering how he was going to get out of the situation, and what was going on with the people he had left in New Haven.
Chapter 2
Back in New Haven only a few days had passed. The people were unaware of the fate that had befallen Tristan and the others who had volunteered to stay at the dock, and none of them were worried, for there had seemed to be no rush to bring them back. The exchange program had been welcomed by both parties and the sailors were happy to stay in New Haven and experience everything it had to offer. However, they were just a few days in, and already they were beginning to overstay their welcome. The signs from the first day were ominous, and hadn't been dealt with at all. Although Mack had had a word with Flint it, seemed the sailors still were unconcerned with the issues that had been raised. They ate with abandon, and although some of them did try scaling back the amount of food they ate, they were so hungry for the things they had missed that they were eager to fill their bellies until they were fit to burst.
They also hadn't backed away from the women either. Anna's attempt to dissuade them had caused them to move onto other targets, but they were quick to make lewd offers and cheap attempts at flattery. Some women drew their attention more than others, and a division began growing between the people of New Haven and their guests. All of them wanted to try making the effort to help the sailors acclimatize to New Haven's way of living, but they needed the sailors to meet them halfway, and they simply weren't doing that. The women who were subjected to the sailors' attractions were perturbed at being seen in that way, and the men who were involved with these women felt as though they were being disrespected, too.
Unfortunately, Grace was one of those people who felt as though they were being disrespected along with the women. She had admired how Anna had dealt with the situation before, and afterward she had sought out the older woman's advice. Now that they had come to know each other a bit, the two of them had become firm friends and were happy to share tips and advice about certain things. Anna regaled her with tales of her youth, and told her the best thing to do was try ignoring the sailors. That the men were looking for a reaction more than anything, and the worst thing she could do was play into their hands. Although it was difficult Grace had taken this advice to heart, and only responded when she felt she absolutely had to, and even then, she replied with the bare minimum.
However, Luis did not follow the same advice, and could not control himself to the same extent. His anger and jealousy burned within him, and he found himself unable to let it go. Grace and Maggie separately had told him that he shouldn't let it bother him so much, and that he was only playing into their hands.
“Part of the reason why they start in on me is probably because they know it bothers you so much,” Grace had told him one evening.
Luis rolled his eyes and accused her of blaming him, but that was not what she was saying at all. The whole thing was beginning to put a strain on their relationship, and that put Luis into an even more bitter mood. He already had been spending a lot of time walking around the settlement, keeping an eye on the behavior of the sailors, but it was obvious he was trying to catch them doing something worthy of locking them up.
Maggie had warned him not to keep going near them because it only was antagonizing them and making the situation worse, but Luis was convinced their presence was detrimental to the settlement and he was going to figure out what they were doing. Maggie knew she couldn't argue with his paranoia, she just had to let it play out, even though she could see exactly what was going to happen.
“Back again? If you want to join in, all you have to do is ask,” one of the sailors said, a man named Jerome.
He was tall and tattooed, and had a gold tooth on the bottom row of his jaw. He was the only who had flirted with Grace, and one to whom Luis had taken an instant dislike. Luis grimaced and stood above the small group of sailors, who were sitting around a table playing cards. A low fire burned near them, crackling soothingly, and it cast them in an orange hue. Most of the other sailors were sitting nearby and looked upon this exchange with interest. They didn't have much respect for Luis, even though he was a deputy, because they didn't see him as having any real authority. The card game was suspended while the scene played out.
“No, I'm good, but just make sure you keep it down. There a lot of things to be done around here, and people need to be at their freshest. So, don't make too much noise,” Luis said.
“I'm sure we won't. Besides, we have you here to keep an eye on us. It's like we have our very own nanny,” Jerome said, and his comment was met with a loud cackling laughter.
Luis bristled with anger again, and if looks could kill, Jerome would have dropped dead instantly. Luis' fists clenched by his side, impotent. For all the authority that his role as deputy sheriff gave him, he still was beholden to the law and the guidelines that Mack and Maggie had set out for him. He couldn't just wipe the grin off Jerome's face, or tell him to stay away from Grace, even though that's exactly what he wanted to do. Instead, he had to try setting an example, and be better than what his instincts told him to be. Yet, everything inside was telling him to defend the woman he loved and show these men they couldn't treat the people of New Haven in this manner.
“You'd better watch your tone. I know you're used to setting your own laws out there at sea, but you're not at sea any longer. This isn't your ship, and you don't get to tell us how to live our lives. You're here at our discretion, and you're lucky Mack is so forgiving, because you could be kicked out at any time. We don't have to keep you here, you know, and with the way you're acting you're on own borrowed time,” Luis said, voice trembling with anger.
“Please,” another sailor said, a smaller black man with a deep voice named Kevin, “from what we've heard, Mack just would let people walk all over him. We're here to stay. This place is pretty nice, a paradise compared to what we're used to. You people have done all the work, and we can enjoy the benefits. I just hope you can find enough food for us to last through winter, because I'm not going to starve myself. I had enough of that out at sea.”
If Luis had been more conscious of his environment, or more experienced in observing people, he would have noticed an uneasy shift in the posture of the sailors around him, and the glances that were exchanged, and the eyes that fell to the floor as if in shame. But Luis was focused solely on his own anger, and in later nights he would chastise himself for being so inwardly focused that he had forgotten the job, and his mission.
That was to come, however, for now he was tired of the sailors treating New Haven as a resort. He and the others had suffered and bled to build New Haven into what it was. People had died for the cause, and these sailors were trampling on the memory of all of them, and Luis had had enough. The final straw came when one of them referenced the fact that Luis being with them meant that Grace was alone, and perhaps a few of them should go to pay her a visit.
“Obviously, things are getting bad in this world if a girl like that is going out with a guy like him. We should have no trouble there,” one of them said, and this was enough to make Luis fly into a rage.
He yelled with frustration and threw himself across the table, bringing his fist back and driving it into the face of the sailor who said the offending words. The movement was so quick that Luis was able to bloody the sailor's nose. But the other sailors reacted quickly, and soon enough, Luis felt strong arms coiling around his body, dragging him off.
The laughter had died down and a foreboding silence descended upon them as Luis was held down, struggling in vain. Jerome walked up to him. “You've made a mistake now. This was all fun and games, but it's clear you want a fight. So, I'm going to give it to you. You think you're so tough because of what you've built here, but you're all just ordinary people, and you're going to learn just how ordinary you are.”
With that Jerome punched Luis in the stomach, winding him and making him double over in pain, but the other sailors held him up. One by one, the sailors took turn punching him, and soon blood was pouring from his mouth, but his anger only was increasing. It wasn't long before others realized what was going on, and they ran to help him, Saul being first. He was used to a brawl, and threw himself into the middle of the fight, tearing the sailors away from Luis. Saul had taken a few hits, but was tough enough to endure them, and he soon relished the fight, for it took him back to his youth.
Luis pushed himself up after taking a few moments to regain his composure and spit out the blood. Fueled with anger, he let his fists fly. A red mist descended upon him, and he didn't much care who he hurt, just that he hurt someone. He could have ended the fight easily by drawing his gun and aiming it at them, but he was hungry to release the turbulent emotions inside him. Other residents of New Haven joined as they saw Saul and Luis in need of aid. Soon enough, the whole fight turned into a riot, with punches flying and loud grunts and shouts echoing out, drawing the attention of everyone in the settlement.
At the center of it all were Luis and Saul, the two men fighting side by side. Despite his age, Saul was giving a good account of himself. Luis was bloodied and bruised, but he kept going as well, even though his fists were aching. He wanted to see every sailor writhing on the ground in pain, and he wasn't going to stop until he did.
Then a gunshot was heard. Everyone stopped. Mack and Maggie yelled at everyone to stop what they were doing as they made their way through and separated the two sides. When they got to Luis, Maggie gave him a withering, disappointed look.
“You're all going to have to come back with me and spend the night in lockup,” she said, barely taking her eyes off Luis.
Luis was sullen as he walked away, and as he did so, Grace caught up with him. He thought she would give him words of support, but instead she told him they would need to talk about this soon. Luis was left feeling empty, and hated the fact he would have to spend a night locked up with the men he hated. Saul was being walked off, too, but seemed unconcerned about it, although had a much better reception from his lady. Alison came up to him and planted a firm kiss on his lips, seemingly proud of how strong Saul was and the display of masculinity, promising him she would give him a surprise when she next saw him.
Mack was furious when he learned of what had happened, and had to use all his self-control not to let his temper fly when he was outside. He worked with Maggie to bring in everyone involved in the brawl somewhere secure and then had to take a few moments to himself. He barely could stomach looking at Luis and Saul, because he thought they should have known better, along with the other members of New Haven. However, he was equally annoyed at the sailors. He had tried to do all he could to make them feel welcome, even going to Flint himself to try smoothing out the disputes that had arisen, all seemingly to no avail. If there was one thing Mack hated, it was being taken advantage of; Flint and his men were doing exactly that.
