The Crash Box Set, page 17
part #1 of EMP Crash Series
As he grew closer he could see it was the body of a man. The neck lolled back, head dipping below the water occasionally, long, thick gray hair was matted together and clung to his face and upper body. His burly frame was clad in heavy clothes, and it was a wonder he had not sunk to the bottom of the river yet. With a final few strokes Mack made his way to the body and wrapped his strong arm around the chest, lifting it up so the head was above the water and the mouth could receive valuable oxygen. Although at that moment, Mack didn't know if the man he just had rescued was alive or dead.
Turning around, Mack swam with one arm, thankful that in this direction the current was with him. Water came up around his mouth and he spat it out, trying not to swallow as he was concentrating on breathing. Luis and Grace already were getting in the water to help Mack when he returned. Even though he was fit and strong, the act of carrying the weight of the body back all by himself while trying to keep his head above water had drained Mack's energy. So he was grateful when his companions dove in and supported the weight of the body. Mack crawled back to shore and rested his head back against the ground for a few moments as he attempted to catch his breath. Then he quickly pulled on his underwear as Grace and Luis dragged the man out of the river.
“He's got a pulse,” Luis said, pressing his fingers against the man's neck.
Grace pulled the hair away from the man's face and tried talking to him, but there was no response. His entire body was soaked through with water, and it was amazing he hadn't succumbed to his death throes yet. Mack stormed forward and began pumping his chest hard in an effort to drive the water from his lungs. Mack breathed air into his mouth and, for a few terrible moments, it didn't seem as though his attempts would be successful. Grace and Luis watched, worried, concerned, and helpless.
There was nothing they could do other than hope the technique would work. And, just when they thought they had lost the man and Mack's efforts had been in vain, the body convulsed and sputtered and water splashed out of his mouth. Coughing heavily, the man heaved in air. The trio supported him as he sat up. They winced as they heard the raspy cough, water continuing to pour out, until there was nothing left. Then the man began groaning as he held his stomach and chest.
Eventually, he became aware of his surroundings and began breathing normally again. He looked around at the three people beside him and his brow creased.
“Thanks,” he said gruffly, nodding to Mack, who turned and got dressed.
The new man looked warily at Grace and Luis, and his wariness was shared by the other two. Now that they had rescued this man there was the question of what to do with him, and who he was. There was no telling if a stranger was going to become a friend or an enemy, but when action had been called for Mack had been the one to stay true to his convictions and help someone in need. He held out his hand and helped the stranger up, having to tilt his head up as this man must have been about six and a half feet tall. The tension in the air was palpable. None of them knew who was going to make the next move; they hadn't had much chance to think ahead.
“I'm Mack. This is Grace, and Luis,” Mack said, hoping to start a dialogue,” What's your name?”
“Saul,” the man growled, his voice still raspy.
He didn't offer anything else. Mack's confidence had suffered from his dealings with people in the new world. He had misjudged Kathryn and then, later, the man on the wagon who had held Willie's farm ransom. Despite them having the numerical superiority he was afraid of making another mistake. There was no telling who Saul was or what he was capable of doing, and there weren't too many good reasons why a man would be unconscious in the river.
“So what happened here?” Mack asked.
It took Saul a long time to answer. It was impossible to tell the wrinkles from scars on his face, and a gray goatee framed his pink lips. His eyes were beady and impassive, and it was clear Mack wasn't going to intimidate him into saying more.
“There are some bad people around,” Saul eventually said, a vague statement that told Mack nothing more.
Perhaps Saul was a good man and had fallen afoul of some bad people, and now he just was trying to play his cards close to his chest in case the three of them turned out to be disreputable, too. Mack tilted his head and tried profiling Saul quickly. He was wearing dark clothes with a lot of leather, not particularly appropriate attire for the surrounding area. So it was likely these were his clothes from before, and he was used to wearing them. His general appearance was that of a biker, and Saul had the posture of a confident man, an alpha male who played by his own rules and didn't particularly care about authority.
These were the type of people who could thrive in the new world in terms of what they could gain rather than what they had lost. They saw this new life as an opportunity, something they could turn to their advantage. They could finally be free after a lifetime of being shackled by bureaucracies and arbitrary laws that seemed to serve no other purpose than keeping them from having fun. But bikers usually were found in groups. So if Mack's profile was accurate, then what had caused Saul to be separated from his group?
These thoughts ran through Mack's mind in a whirlwind, but before he could say anything further Luis became nervous and blurted out something. When Mack talked to him about it later, Luis said he had had bad experiences with people such as Saul, and that back at home the bikers were not tolerant of other cultures or races. So seeing Saul standing there had put him on edge.
At the time, Luis' voice was shaking and the silence seemed deafening.
“Yeah, there are a lot of them around, and there is a mental hospital as well as a prison in the area. Who knows what kind of people have escaped from them?” he said.
“What do you mean by that?” Saul snapped defensively, instantly taking Luis aback. The young man's mouth moved up and down, but no words found their way out. He looked at Mack with desperation.
“My friend didn't mean anything by it,” Mack said, placing a reassuring hand on Luis' shoulder, “we haven't run into many people around here.”
“Count yourself lucky then,” Saul said, glaring at Luis. Then he sighed and ran his fingers along his drenched clothes, flicking away the drops of water that had collected on his fingers.
“Mind if I dry off a bit?” he asked. Mack nodded. Saul walked over to a ledge.
The sun broke through the trees and illuminated this ledge perfectly. It was here that he rested and let the sun beat upon his back. Mack cocked an eyebrow as he looked at Saul. The man was relaxed, and if Mack hadn't just dragged him from the water himself, he never would have thought Saul almost had died. Luis and Grace continued staring at Saul, but Mack urged them to leave him alone. Evidently he had been through something traumatic, and perhaps all he needed was some time to collect his thoughts. Mack finished getting dressed and noticed Luis and Grace weren't looking directly at each other.
“Is everything okay between you two?” he asked.
“Yes,” they answered at the same time, and all too quickly for Mack's liking. He pursed his lips but didn't ask them further, instead moving away to rummage through his bag, where he pulled out some water and food to offer to Saul.
“What do you think his story is?” Grace asked in a hushed whisper.
“I have no idea,” Luis said, “but I wouldn't be surprised if he was in that prison. Maybe there was a guard chasing him and he had to fall into the river to try escaping.”
“He really didn't like it when you mentioned that place.”
“I know, I wish I hadn't said anything now,” Luis said, and laughed nervously.
After a few moments had passed he said, “I'm sorry for what happened earlier. I didn't mean to be a peeping Tom, it was just bad timing.”
“Well, good timing from your perspective,” Grace said, offering a teasing gleam in her eyes. That didn't help Luis as he became more flustered and didn't know whether to compliment her on her body or just to leave it alone.
Eventually, Grace laughed and told him to forget about it. “These things happen,” she said, “and, to be honest, if we're going to be traveling together for the foreseeable future, I imagine the three of us are going to learn way more about each other than we'd like.”
“Yeah, that's probably true. Thanks for being cool about it.”
Grace shrugged. “We're all adults here.”
“Some more than others,” he said, giving her an impish grin as he tossed his head toward Mack and Saul.
“Your tattoos look really cool, by the way,” he said.
“Thanks,” Grace replied, and blushed a little, “I don't tend to show them off that often.”
“Did you get them because they look cool or because they have meaning?”
“A bit of both. I went on a bit of a spree between seventeen and nineteen. The musical notes are from the chorus of my favorite song, the webs symbolize how we're all caught within our own bodies and minds. All our lives are this tangled web of decisions and actions and consequences, and we're totally trapped by them. The writing is an old philosophy quote that I came across a while ago. The fairy godmother is to try reminding me to never stop believing, and that there are always more stars to wish upon, but I'm not sure how much I believe that anymore. I did have plans for more, but I guess that's going to have to wait.”
“I'm impressed you managed to find so many things to get tattoos of. I've always thought about getting one but I never could think of anything that had enough meaning that I'd want it to stay there forever.”
“Sometimes you just have to do something and hope for the best. I never tried thinking long-term about these things. I wanted them at the time, and anything else was a problem for future Grace.”
“And does future Grace regret any of these tattoos?” Luis asked.
Grace looked down at her body. “Not yet, but then again it's only been a few years. We'll see what will happen when I make it to forty. Hell, the way things are going, let's make it if I get to forty.”
“I know what you mean. It's only been a few weeks, but already more has happened to me than in the rest of my life. When I was being kept in that cellar, I really thought I never was going to see the light of day again.”
“I know what you mean.” she said, “When the plane went down, I mean,” although she also had meant how her future was going to be sitting in a prison cell. She still had not told Luis about that, and by this point she wasn't sure if she ever was going to do so. “What did you think about?”
“The usual things, I guess. How I wished I had done more with my life. Even when I went backpacking across the country I still didn't see or do as much as I wanted. One of the ideas I had for a tattoo was to get my home tattooed on my heart, and then whenever I went to a new place I'd get that added. So by the time I died my body would be a map of everywhere I've ever been.”
“That's really cool,” Grace said, impressed by his originality.
“Thanks, but it wasn't really accurate to get my home on my heart. What about you, what did you think of?”
“I didn't really have much time to think at all. The plane went down so fast it's all just a blur. I guess I just thought about what my life really had meant. Had I really lived as much as I was able to?”
“I think we all feel that way. I must admit I feel more scared now than I did before. If Mack wasn't here then I don't know what I'd do.”
“We'll get through it together. I'm scared, too, and I know he probably wouldn't admit it, but I think Mack is as well. I guess the only thing we can do is take each day as it comes and try to keep going.”
“You ever think about those times when people asked you where you see yourself ten years in the future? I guess all those questions don't mean anything anymore.”
“Yeah, but it is interesting to think about what this world is going to be like ten years from now. Will we actually manage to make it through, and will people start working together? What about the rest of the world?”
“I wonder how many people out there are having the same conversation right now? I know it's bad, but part of me is glad this happened. I wasn't getting anywhere in life and I don't think there was going to be a place for me in that world. At least now I don't have to feel bad about disappointing my parents or never being able to afford a house.”
“You and me both. I think it's different for them,” Grace said, nodding toward Mack and Saul.
“They had lives that were established. They'd worked at careers and had built up things, but we didn't have anything like that.”
“The only thing I ever built up was debt,” Luis said, smiling sardonically.
Then they looked over at Mack, who seemed to be in deep conversation with Saul. The two youngsters moved toward Mack and Saul to listen in. Saul was munching on the biscuits that Mack had given him, and still was sitting with his back turned to the sun. Alongside them the river still flowed, and there were not any signs of life other than the four of them. Just to be on the safe side, Grace kept one eye on her bow and arrow in case Saul tried anything, but for the moment at least the big, burly man was docile.
Chapter 4
Mack left Luis and Grace to talk as he wanted to try getting Saul to open up. One of the techniques that he was sure still would work was that of reciprocation. That being, if you gave someone something or did a favor for someone, they would be inclined to feel positively toward you. Mack offered Saul the meager bits of food, and while Saul eyed them suspiciously at first, he soon had finished all the biscuits.
Of course, Mack would have thought that saving the man's life would make him inclined to feel positive toward him, but he supposed that because Saul was unconscious at the time it didn't have the same effect. This time Mack did not try forcing the conversation. Instead, he stayed beside Saul and relaxed his muscles, showing the newcomer that he was not a threat. Mack made no effort to talk, and in time it was Saul who did the talking.
“That was a hell of a thing you did back there,” he began.
“I did what anyone would do. I'm just glad we managed to spot you in time. If we hadn't stopped there...
“Guess I was due for a break,” Saul said, laughing dryly.
He ran his hand along his mouth and shook his head. “Not sure that everyone would have done that, though. Right now we live in a dog-eat-dog world and there aren't too many folks who would put their necks out like that. So, really, thank you.”
“Just don't forget you owe me one,” Mack grinned. Saul took the comment with good humor and nodded.
“So you've had a rough time out there?” Mack added.
“You could say that, but I'm sure the same could be said for you. Have you just been in these woods since it happened?”
“Yeah, we've come across a few people, but we're trying to make our way to the city. Have you had any word from them?”
“Not that I recall, but I can't imagine it would be anything good. That many people in once place? Just a recipe for disaster if you ask me. That's why I like it out here. It's quiet and peaceful.”
“You been on your own for long?” Mack asked. Saul tried sizing up Mack.
“Look, you folks seem nice enough, but I'm going to be on my own. If I had any advice for you it would be to make your way out of these woods and don't look back. There's nothing good here, and eventually things are going to catch up with you.”
“We know very well what's waiting for us, but you can't blame us for being skeptical. It's not every day you come across a man floating in the river. We both know there's a story behind that and I, for one, am very curious what it is.”
It was at this point that Grace and Luis joined them. Saul looked at each of them in turn and leaned his head back, enjoying the feeling of the sunlight on his eyes, before his head fell again and he raised his eyebrows.
“Fine. You know what? You people saved my life. I guess the least I can do is repay you with a story, but this don't mean we're friends, alright?” he said, pointing a finger out toward them.
“We all know the world has gone to hell and I'm sure you people have your stories, too, but let's not pretend they're anything special. We've all seen some dark stuff, and we all wish that things would be different, but you know what? Despite everything I'm kinda glad this happened because the country was going to hell anyway. Just instead of the big corporations and politicians being in charge, now it's every man for himself.”
“I appreciate this, but how does this tie into you drowning in the river?” Mack asked gently.
“I'm setting the scene. That's what you do with stories, isn't it? Had a friend once who was a writer, told me about the structure of these things. Said he was going to write a book about me, but that never came to be. Anyway, like I said, I never liked the world as it was. So I wasn't looking to rebuild it, I just wanted to find a nice place to stay and let the world pass me by. Unfortunately, there are some people who never can give a man peace. There's a bad group of people in these woods, and if you stay here for too long they'll be coming for you, too. If you don't join them they'll chase you down and throw you in the river.”
“You mean they just threw you in the river because you didn't want to join them?” Mack asked.
“More or less,” Saul replied nonchalantly.
“Thing is, I don't like anyone telling me what I can and cannot do, and these people are no exception. But mark my words, they can sure back up their threats. So I wouldn't go taking them lightly, like I did.”
“I don't suppose this group would be led by someone who goes by the name Mr. Smith?” Mack said. Upon hearing that name Saul looked surprised, and then his face turned into a scowl, and he muttered a few curse words under his breath.
“If you've met him I'm surprised you're still here,” he said.
“As yet we have not had the pleasure, we've only met some of the people who have attached themselves to him. There was a farm a way back. They took us in and gave us shelter, but then we were driven away. If we had stayed there these men threatened to burn down the whole farm.”
