An Uncertain Fate, page 8
part #3 of An Ungoverned World Series
Nick was talking calmly to the man, trying to make him see that everything was okay. “It was a mistake. That wasn't supposed to happen. You can trust me, I promise you that. I'm not going to hurt you. We're here to help. I'm Nick, okay, I'm Nick, what's your name?”
“Charlie,” the man gasped. His word was followed by another sharp howl of pain.
“Okay, Charlie. I'm going to take this knife out. It's going to hurt like hell, but it's gotta be done. After that we'll find something to stop the bleeding.”
“It won't be fatal. I didn't want to kill him, just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to shoot at us anymore,” Gina said as she sauntered up.
“Well, you made damn sure of that,” Nick growled.
He placed his hand around the hilt of the dagger and told Charlie that he was going to count to three. Charlie braced himself, and then on two Nick pulled with all his might. There was a sickly squelching sound as the dagger came out of the flesh. Charlie’s eyes bolted open, wide and white with the sheer anguish of pain that flooded every part of his body. Nick quickly ripped off some of his shirt and placed it over the wound, holding it down to stem the gurgling blood. It wasn't the most hygienic thing in the world, but it was necessary.
“Okay, Charlie. The knife is out now. You're must clean this wound and you'll want to change the dressing to make sure it isn't going to get infected.”
“It won't take too long to heal,” Gina said as she took the dagger from Nick and wiped the blood on her pants, then sheathed it again near her ankle. “These are my little friends. They don't make big wounds, but there sure as hell hurt a lot.”
Nick grimaced as he turned away from her and back to Charlie, who looked pale. Nick held onto his trembling hand. “It's okay, you're safe now. Nobody is going to hurt you.”
“I don't care about me, just them. I don't want anything to happen to them. It's my job to protect them. I have to keep them safe.”
Nick glanced up at the others and saw a mixture of expressions. Abe was just as curious as he, Gina and Paolo seemed to be unconcerned, and Tanya was looking at Gina in awe. Backdraft was standing beside Nick, ready to defend his master if Charlie proved to be a threat.
“Who are you talking about, Charlie?”
“My family,” Charlie said in a beleaguered and frustrated tone.
“Who else would it be? Jenny and Luke. We've been making our way together since this all happened. Thought we'd try finding safety. At first, we thought it was going to be an adventure. We always said we wanted to spend more time together. I worked too much you see, far too much. But this world isn't what it was supposed to be. We never were supposed to be like this. There's too many people out here. Too much danger.”
Charlie was breathless. Nick was confused. He quickly scanned the surrounding area but couldn't see signs of anyone.
“Do you want to call out to them? Tell them it's safe?” Nick said. He wondered why they weren't coming out yet, why they weren't with Charlie. Charlie shook his head.
“They're nearby. Just don't hurt them. Please. Do anything you want with me, but don't hurt them,” he said, his chest still heaving.
Nick helped him to his feet and tried telling him again that they weren't there to do him any harm, although that was more difficult a thing to convince him of now that Gina had slammed a dagger into his shoulder. He admired the aim and the skill it took, but the actual act wasn't necessary.
“You'd think they'd come out, even if they did think he was in trouble,” Nick said.
“Maybe they're just scared. Judging by the looks of him he's been through a lot. Can't blame him when you know what's been happening throughout the city. I think maybe we should try helping him. People shouldn't be left out here alone to fend for themselves. We'll take them back home with us. The kid will be safe, too. It's no place for a child out here,” Abe said.
“Charlie,” Nick said, wrapping his arm around Charlie to offer him support, “I know we haven't gotten off to the best start, and you probably have good reason not to trust people. Hell, we all do, but your best chance right now is to take what we're offering you. We have a safe place and you and your family can get out of this city to be with other people. You won't have to worry about anything anymore. Take us back to your family and you can come with us. We'll keep you safe, I promise.”
Even though Nick hadn't yet been to the place Abe was taking them, it felt natural for him to be an ambassador. The words came out of his mouth without him even realizing it. It was amazing how quickly Abe had earned his trust. Nick only hoped it wasn't misplaced. But again he had to keep telling himself that if Abe wanted to cause them any harm he could have done it on multiple occasions. Cosmo's words echoed in his ears. So Nick made sure to be careful, because often what seemed too good to be true was, but Nick didn't want to be so careful that he missed out on an opportunity to help people. Either way it was going to be safer for Charlie and his family to come with them rather than stay here in the chaos of the city.
His earnest plea met Charlie's ears and the man nodded. He staggered forward. Nick let go of him. The gun remained on the ground.
“That was a good pitch,” Abe said. “I think you have a future with me as a ranger. We need more men like you.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Nick said, and he truly did.
The thought of having something like a job again had tremendous appeal for him. Life was so vague and inconsistent. He wanted something he could hold onto, something that gave him structure. If this community could give Nick the same thing that the fire department had given him, then he would be happy, and it would be a place he could call home.
The group snaked through the buildings. Gina and Paolo were looking around for any sign of trouble. Abe still had his pistols drawn, but he seemed more casual about it. Nick admired the older man's attitude. He was very casual about the state of the world and seemed to take everything in stride. Tanya was hovering between Nick and Gina. Nick still wasn't sure Gina was a good role model for Tanya, but it wasn't as though he had any say in who Tanya’s friends were. Backdraft wasn't giving any sign that there was trouble, so Nick felt Charlie was telling the truth.
The buildings were in a sorry state. Once upon a time, this place would have been a hive of activity with all the stores filled with people ready to spend their money, but now all of it was worthless. Nobody needed the fancy clothes or the sparkling jewelry. All the luxuries of life had been rendered meaningless. Even the acquisition of wealth meant nothing anymore. Not that it had mattered much to Nick anyway. Money always had been a means to an end for him. He hadn't joined the fire department for the paycheck. If he had, he'd have been insane.
Same with Samantha. She'd wanted the glory and the recognition more than the money. Why was he thinking about her so often recently? He shook his head, trying to jostle the thoughts out of his mind. Samantha was miles away in another city. There was no reason to think of her, and yet she was lodged in his mind. There was something about this world...he couldn't help but wonder if things would have been different had they met in these circumstances. The problem had been that Samantha wanted to chase her dreams, but in this world, dreams were entirely different. Maybe things would have been different, maybe, but it didn't do much good thinking about them now.
While they walked Charlie was rambling about his family. “Jenny is really the sweetest woman ever. We met when we were in high school. You don't get that often nowadays. I've never even looked at another woman. All I wanted to do was give her a good life you know, give her everything she deserved. When Luke came along we were so happy. We always planned to have more. It would have been good for Luke to have a little brother and sister, but we kept putting it off and then this all happened.
“I tried to put a positive spin on it first. We stayed in our home as long as we could, but then we had to leave. We kept to the shadows, only really came out at night. That was the trick, you see. We hid during the day, and then at night we had the city to ourselves. We've heard things, though, dangerous things. And there are people out here, nasty people. We try to stay away from them as much as possible. We like to play our games. Twenty Questions and I Spy. Things like that. They're old, but they help keep us occupied. We also talk about what we'd like to change about the world. It's mostly a silly thing. Luke wants everything made out of chocolate,” he said, and a sad smile adorned his face. Nick was a little envious of him. A family was something he'd never had, and it was probably too late in his life to think of something like that.
“You sound like a good father. Your family is very lucky they've had you to keep them safe,” Tanya said.
Nick knew how much that meant coming from her. He didn't want to let himself define her by her past. Yet, every time he looked at her he found it difficult not to think about everything she had been through. He just wished she could see what a strong woman she had become in spite of it, even if she didn't think that was true.
“Thank you, but it's a struggle,” Charlie replied.
“We've all been there. There's a place for you and your family,” Abe reassured him. Charlie smiled.
They walked a little farther until they reached a store with a wooden panel over the doorway and windows. Charlie pulled one back and sneaked through, gesturing for the others to follow him. He called out to his family that it was safe and that he'd brought back some people to help them. Nick wondered what they were going to be like. When he entered the room, something made him shiver. He glanced at Abe, who looked equally dispirited.
“It's okay. It's all going to be okay now,” Charlie said to his family.
But there was no family there. Clothes had been arranged on chairs to look like a woman and a little boy, and suddenly Nick realized Charlie's family must have died a long time ago. Charlie was talking to them as if they still were there. Nick's heart was filled with sorrow. The man had lost everything, including his sanity.
“Charlie...where--” Tanya began, but Nick gripped her hand to stop her.
“Charlie, your family looks lovely,” he said, and then gave encouraging nods to the others, indicating they should follow his lead.
“Yes, it's, ah, lovely to meet you, Jenny,” Abe said. Charlie smiled at them.
“I'm so proud of them. Jenny, these people have offered to take us to a safe place,” he said, and then tilted his head as though he was listening to them.
He nodded and then pressed his lips together. He turned to the others. “I'm sorry to say that they don't feel comfortable leaving. Thank you for the offer, but if they don't want to leave, I can't make them, and I don't want to leave them either. My place is with them. I know it doesn't look like much, but this is our home and I think we must stay here. You're welcome to stay as long as you like, though.”
“That's okay, Charlie. We'd love to stay, but we must get back. I hope you and your family remain safe,” Nick said.
“I'm sure we will. All we need is each other. That's all we've ever needed,” he said, and his eyes glistened with tears.
One by one, Nick and the others bid farewell to Charlie and left, sliding the door panel over the door. They could hear the faint sounds of Charlie talking to his family. Nick never would know what had happened to Jenny and Luke, but Charlie had found a way to cope. There was nothing else they could do for Charlie. Nick imagined that if they tried taking him away, he'd only fight them, and someone would end up getting hurt. Maybe the only way to help him was to leave him to his fantasy.
Chapter Twelve
Joe was sitting in the dark room with the children sitting all around him. Tori was standing near the door, listening in. Joe still wasn't sure what he thought about her yet. In many ways she reminded him of Tanya, but in the important ways it just wouldn't come close. There was nobody who could replace his daughter, but he'd been in this city for a long time now and there was no sign of her. The likelihood was that she died a long time ago. The poor thing was a fool if she thought she could survive without Joe's guiding hands. Running away from him had signed her own death warrant, and it was time he moved on.
Tori was a fun little distraction, or at least she would be in time, when she let go of all the baggage she was carrying. These girls just couldn't handle a little hardship. There was Millie, though, Jackie's girl. The young thing would be a princess if she was given the right guidance. It was important to get to them at the right age. Joe didn't think much of Jackie's parenting style, and it was his responsibility to make sure these kids received the advice they needed. Millie needed some special attention, but it was so hard to be alone with her when everything was so closed in.
These times were his favorite, though, when it just was him and the children in a dark room. Only the dim light of a lantern provided any light. He could look into their eager eyes and watch as all their attention was totally fixated on him. The stories came to him easily. They always had. Even when Tanya was young he used to sit her on his lap and tell her stories until she fell asleep in his arms. Those had been good days, when she had been a good little girl, before she turned into a rebellious woman, taking too much after her mother.
“...the princess wasn't going to stand for that. She was far too ferocious. Nobody ever had given her any credit. All they wanted was for her to look pretty and wear lovely dresses and do nothing with her time but sit by the window and listen to the birds chirping. She'd never liked doing that and wasn't about to start now, especially not with her family in danger. The kingdom was at war and she needed to fight, despite what her advisers were saying. A number of princes had been killed on a quest for glory and nobody wanted the princess to suffer the same fate. She was supposed to be protected, but the princess knew she was stronger than any of them had given her credit for. It was her realm, her family, and her responsibility. She was growing up more quickly than any of them realized, and she was determined to do her part.
“Unbeknownst to anyone she secretly had been taking archery lessons from a young age. She rode out into the night and fought the minions of evil until none of them were left. She took them by surprise, you see, and none of them took her seriously as a worthy foe. She rescued her family and the realm, and she was celebrated as a mighty queen eventually. Nobody ever dared argue with her or confront her in battle, and her reign was long and fruitful.”
The kids all smiled with glee and begged him for another but, of course, he had to tell them to wait. He hoped his message got through, though. He smiled at Millie, who looked back at him with those wide, innocent eyes. The kids scampered away, talking among themselves.
“That story was amazing. You're really good with those kids,” Tori said.
“Thanks. It's just a natural talent, you know. I think stories are the best way to educate people, especially when they're that age. I just hope the message gets through to them, though.”
“And what message is that?”
“That they're stronger than they realize. I'm getting a little sick and tired of the attitude around this place. People keep treating these kids like they're invalids. There's nothing wrong with them, and we need to change our perspective in this world. These kids are smart and they can be used more. We're going to have to teach them how to survive in the world at some point, but if you look around here nobody gives them any credit.”
“You can't blame us, though, after what everyone's been through. It's a scary world out there.”
“All the more reason to educate them now, before it's too late.”
“Are you saying you'd have been okay with training your daughter like that when she was that age?”
“I'd have done anything to make sure she made it through this world,” Joe replied bluntly.
He was getting tired of talking and thinking about Tanya. It was difficult enough to try letting go without Tori there. She reminded him of Tanya so much, and yet it was as though he only had a reflection of her. They left the room and he noticed how Jackie’s eyes shot daggers at them from the entrance to the dinner hall. Millie was by her side. Joe had to make sure Millie didn't end up like her mother. Jackie was an old crone who had some silly ideas about her own attractiveness. A wave of revulsion swept across Joe as he thought about her thin hair, her cackling laughter, and the wrinkles lining her face. It almost made him shudder to think he ever considered being intimate with her even for an instant, just as a distraction.
He almost liked that she was jealous of Tori, though. It amused him to see things be shaken up, and he wanted to see how far he could push Jackie. In fact, Joe thought it would be a good idea to go have a few words with her now. He excused himself from Tori and sauntered up to Jackie.
“Still spending time with the hopeless cause, I see,” Jackie said. Joe merely smiled at her and then bent down to talk with Millie.
“What did you think of the story?” Joe said.
“I loved it! I want to be just like the princess when I grow up!”
“I'm sure you will be,” he said, ruffling her head as he stood up. He let his hand linger on her head a little more than was comfortable. “Tori has been through a lot and I'm just trying to help her. There's no need to feel threatened,” he said.
“I know. I'm sorry, Joe. There hasn't been much in the way of happiness for me to focus on and I was looking forward to us spending some time together like we talked about.” As far as Joe was concerned there was only one of them who had done the talking. “I like that you have this caring side about you, I really do, but it's girls like that you have to watch out for.”
“I appreciate that, Jackie,” Joe said as she reached out a hand to squeeze his arm. He had to stop himself from recoiling as her thin fingers curled around his arm.
“How about I come by after dinner tonight? I can tell Millie a bedtime story and then me and you can have a chat.” Both Millie and Jackie's eyes lit up at the suggestion. It was difficult to tell which of the two were happier at the prospect. Jackie agreed and then Joe left with a smug smile on his face. It would be interesting to see how Tori would react to that.
