“We’ll just take our vehicles and be on our way mister,” Rose said, her rifle still pointed at Baja Joe’s chest.
Baja Joe shrugged, “It’s your choice I guess. But let me tell you, if you go driving around south of here, near Parker or Bluewater you’ll attract some bad hombres.”
Local knowledge or local lies? How do we know we can trust this old guy—?
Mercy stared at the Stryker boat, “You got more of these boats?”
Baja Joe looked at the Stryker, “Sure we do young lady. One of the things we’ve got plenty of around here, is boats. Havasu City was boat central back in the day. So… what you got cooking in that head of yours then?”
Rose glanced at Mercy, “Mercy—?”
Mercy held up a hand, “OK, Baja Joe. Here’s what’s gonna happen, “You’re gonna radio your buddy Mojito, and tell him you’re fine. Tell him you’re going to be back a little later than you thought, make up some shit about the boat or you’ve spotted more ducks or something. Then you’re gonna come back with me and my friends to meet the rest of my crew. Then we’re gonna do some more talking. You OK with that?”
Baja Joe shrugged, “Sure, it’s all good. I don’t seem to have much choice anyway.”
We’ll see what the others make of this guy. This is one decision we need to make together—
Chapter 21
Shattered
They escorted Baja Joe back to the Lake Havasu State Park ranger station. Mercy brought Jade, Annalise, Tawny, and Barnes up to date with events. Baja Joe sat centre stage in the middle of the room. Mercy pulled up a chair, reversed it, and sat down using the back as an armrest.
OK. Let’s test this guy’s local knowledge, see if he tries to bullshit us—
“Jade, why don’t you tell us what you found out about the Colorado River Aqueduct as a route west?” Mercy said, pointing to the high-res relief map on the wall.
Jade went into detail using the map to describe the aqueduct’s path through the desert and mountains. “There are sections which we wouldn’t be able to pass, like in the high mountains and the underground sections. But for a lot of it we could follow the canals and conduits. For the rest, there’s the service roads, and State Route 62 west—”
Baja Joe interrupted Jade and pointed at the map, “See those mountains, they’re our backyard, part of our ancestral lands. We share the land with the Colorado River Indian Tribes; the Mojave, Navajo, and Hopi. We’ve been here since the beginning. I know someone who can guide you through the mountains, all the way to Palm Springs. He may even take you further.” Baja Joe turned to Mercy, “You were asking about boats earlier on. We can provide a boat to take you down Lake Havasu to Parker Dam. If you stay on the north side of the Colorado River, on Parker Dam Road you’ll avoid the Phoenix bandits who patrol on Route 95 south of the river—”
Barnes shook his head, “You’re being real helpful mister. Maybe a little too helpful. How do we know we can trust you? And what do you want in return?”
Baja Joe raised his hands and gestured at Mercy, “Like the young lady told you, the medicine in your truck has helped my people. If you go by the lake you’ll be safe from the dangers of the road. You’ll get a guide who’ll source horses for you once you reach Big River beyond the town of Parker. If you go that way you’ll have no need for your truck and off roader. We’ll keep the vehicles and the medicine. After all, you won’t be able to take everything away with you—”
“There it is, right there,” Tawny said, jabbing her finger at Baja Joe. “That’s what it’s all about, he wants all our stuff, and his life back. As soon as we let our guard down or agree to this we’re finished—”
Baja Joe looked at Tawny, concern in his eyes, “What happened to your face? Your skin looks… burnt—”
Tawny brought a hand up to her face. She glared at Baja Joe then stormed out of the room.
Mercy raised her hand, “Tawny’s got a point. This could turn out to be a huge double cross. We need proof of everything you’ve told us before we enter into this deal.”
Annalise stepped forwards, “Send Tawny over to the island with someone else to see if what he’s said is true. We’ll keep him here as insurance. When Tawny’s back we can decide what to do.
Annalise, you don’t say much but when you do it’s good—
“Yeah, that works Annalise. I’ll go and pitch it to Tawny,” Mercy said. She turned to Baja Joe, “Meanwhile, you get to radio your folks and tell them what we’re gonna do. I’ll send two of my people in to verify what you’ve told us, they can use your boat. If there’s any trouble it won’t go well for you.”
Baja Joe shook his head, “There won’t be any trouble, like I said, now we know you’re not linked to the Judge or the Vegas warlords there’ll be no problem.”
Mercy turned to Flynn, “Give him the radio. Monitor what he says. I’m going to talk this through with Tawny.”
Mercy went outside and found Tawny smoking a cigarette beside a long abandoned RV.
“Look what I found inside this relic,” Tawny said, showing Mercy two packets of Camels. “Want one?”
“They’ll be stale but stale is the new luxury, ain’t it babe?” Mercy said, taking a cigarette.
Tawny leant forwards and lit Mercy’s cigarette. Mercy took a lungful of smoke and looked up at the sky.
Let Tawny speak. Give her space—
“What do you make of that asshole?” Tawny said, after a minute.
“Too good to be true I reckon. If something’s too good to be true it usually is. No one is out to help anyone in this world, leastways not like this. Everyone’s got an agenda, an angle. I reckon he’s full of bullshit. That’s why I think you and me should go and check his story out—” Mercy let her words hang in the air. She took another drag on the cigarette, inhaling the smoke deep into her lungs.
Let her chew on that—
“You’re taking the piss,” Tawny said, turning to Mercy.
“Rock and a hard place, babe. He’s got our vehicles, we’ve got him. He says the country south of here is infested with bandits. It may or may not be, but the trouble is we don’t know, do we? It makes sense to travel south by boat on Lake Havasu. Me and Jade had already examined the wall map in there. The Colorado River Aqueduct looks like a viable alternative to the highway. We need to get west by any means possible,” Mercy said, exhaling a cloud of smoke.
“I know,” Tawny said. “He’s over a barrel and we’re over a barrel. Rock and a hard place, like you said. I just wanted to play bad cop, let him know we’ve got his measure.”
You had me fooled—
Mercy smiled, “Remind me not to play poker with you Tawny.”
Tawny grunted, “That bastard mentioned my face. I’ve not taken a look since the acid attack. How is it? Be truthful, I can take it from you but not from that piece of shit in there—”
God. Be honest with her, she knows anyway, she just needs someone to say it—
Mercy looked at Tawny, “It’s not good. The goggles saved your eyes but where it got onto your cheeks… it’s like the burns are blistering, even though we washed it off. It looks like there’ll be scarring. You’ve got streaks down your cheeks from the acid. Sorry Tawny—”
Tawny nodded and took a pull on her cigarette. She closed her eyes, then stiffened, “Wait a minute.” She disappeared into the RV.
Mercy leant back against the RV, her eyes scanning the overgrown carpark. She heard a crash inside the RV and turned towards the open door. She reached for her pistol and rushed inside. Tawny was standing in the RV’s shower room, her back to the door.
“Tawny? Are you OK?” Mercy said, moving towards her friend.
Mercy reached the shower room and looked in to see a smashed mirror. Blood dripped from a cut on Tawny’s hand.
Shit, she’s taken it out on the mirror—
Tawny was shaking. Mercy touched her friend’s arm, “Hey babe, it’s OK, it’s OK. The burns will improve. Maybe the biotech will help it heal. Maybe
they can do something at the naval base. They’ve got a medical facility there, you remember what Barnes said? It’ll work out—”
“It looks like tears. The scars on my face. They look like tears,” Tawny said. She turned and put her arms around Mercy. “I’d love to eviscerate the bastard who did this to me. A bullet I could take, but acid, why the hell did they use acid?”
Mercy said nothing. She held Tawny and buried her face in her friend’s hair. Tawny sobbed for a few minutes then released Mercy.
Tawny rubbed her eyes, “Thanks. I needed to let off steam. I guess what that prick said in there just set me off.”
“Hey babe, it’s OK. We’re still here, we’re still fighting,” Mercy said.
“Yeah, every day is another life sentence, huh?” Tawny replied, looking at the broken mirror. She caught Mercy’s eye. “Know what this means?”
“Yeah,” Mercy said, “seven years bad luck.”
“Well, now that I look like one badass motherfucker. I can dish out my seven years bad luck on all the other pricks out there, can’t I?” Tawny said, a hint of a smile on her face.
“Yeah, I guess,” Mercy said. “Karma; share and share alike.”
“Share the pain,” Tawny whispered, peering at her distorted reflection in the shattered mirror.
“So what about it then?” Mercy asked.
“Let’s do it. I’m in,” Tawny replied. “Let’s get onto the island and see what’s what.”
That’s the spirit girl—
Mercy nodded, “Good. Now let’s get your hand patched up. There’s a first aid kit on the wall out there.”
Mercy cleaned and dressed Tawny’s hand and they headed back to the ranger station. Flynn met them at the door, his eyes flicked to Tawny’s bandage but he said nothing.
“Well?” Mercy said.
“Yeah, Baja Joe spoke to his people. It’s on. All agreed. Two of us are to take his boat over to the island now. We’re guaranteed safe passage. They’ve accepted his voice as proof of life, we’re good.”
They entered the ranger station. Mercy looked at the others, “Me and Tawny are going across, keep that radio here. We’ll communicate with you using their comms. We all good?”
Barnes caught Mercy’s eye, “Me and you, Mercy… and Tawny. A quick word.”
Barnes walked over to the door and stepped outside. Mercy glanced at Tawny, they went after him.
“It’s just that you need a safe word or phrase. You’ll need to insert it into your radio transmission to let us know you’re not being forced to say anything,” Barnes said.
Mercy nodded, “Of course.” She looked at Tawny, “Safe word Tawny? Any ideas?”
Tawny spat on the ground, “Yeah, it’s two words; acid test. Seems apt, under the circumstances.”
Mercy winced, “Acid test? You sure?”
Tawny nodded, “Yeah, we’re not likely to forget that one now, are we?”
Barnes gave Tawny a knowing look, “OK, acid test it is then. Understood—”
Chapter 22
Paradise Casino
Flynn and Barnes accompanied Mercy and Tawny to Baja Joe’s boat. Mercy and Tawny checked their weapons and familiarised themselves with the Stryker’s controls. When they were ready Flynn pushed the boat away from the shore. Mercy started the engine and reversed through the reeds out into Lake Havasu. When she looked back Flynn and Barnes had disappeared. Mercy turned her attention to the lake, and to the island in the distance. She met Tawny’s eyes.
I wonder how this is going to pan out—
Tawny looked out over the water, “Well, they told us to pull up at the dock beside London Bridge. So, I guess we’re not gonna miss that landmark are we?”
“Well, you never know. I have my moments,” Mercy said, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
Tawny remained silent. They stared out over the lake, lost in their thoughts.
“There’s the channel on the left,” Mercy said, a few minutes later. “Keep your eyes open—”
Tawny pulled out her binoculars and inspected the island’s shoreline. “Yeah, they’ve got reinforced fencing right down to the water. There’s the odd trope here and there, some bodies piled up in places. They must have a fence patrol to keep the trope numbers down, and do repairs.”
Mercy pursed her lips, “Quite an operation. They’ve obviously got enough people in there to make it secure.”
“Looks that way,” Tawny replied.
Mercy steered the Stryker into the narrow channel and reduced the throttle. The boat slowed to a crawl, water slapping against its inflatable hull. Mercy’s eyes were drawn to the impressive London Bridge looming in the distance.
I wonder what the story was behind that. Did they really cart that thing half way across the world?
The bridge’s five sweeping arches looked out of place under the hot Arizona sun.
Wow, impressive, it looks so... British—
“This is weird. It looks strange, slapped down here in the middle of the desert,” Tawny said, her tone disapproving. “Why couldn’t they have just built a normal bridge? Like…”
I know what she’s going to say—
“A mini Brooklyn Bridge. Now that’s a proper bridge if you ask me—” Tawny finished.
Yes Tawny—
Mercy steered the Stryker towards the island shoreline. She spotted the marina in front of the first arch.
“Looks like we’ve got ourselves a welcoming committee,” Tawny said, her voice tense.
A man and two women stood on the boardwalk, their hands shielding their eyes from the bright sun. Further back, on dry land, two battered Ford pickup trucks lay waiting, a group of people around them. Mercy’s shoulders tensed, a dull ache gathered at the base of her skull.
Oh, Christ no, not a headache, not now—
Mercy gritted her teeth and focused on bringing the Stryker in smoothly. They reached the marina. Tawny threw the mooring rope to the man on the dock. He caught it and lashed it to the nearest stanchion. Mercy threw out the stern line to one of the women who tied it to the railings. Tawny gave Mercy a look.
This is kind of awkward—
“OK, people, how do you want to do this?” Mercy said, her eyes searching the man and two women for weapons.
They’re not armed, not that I can see. Doesn’t mean there’s not some guy with his sights on us right now though—
The man on the dock smiled, “Welcome to our island. Here, let me give you a hand.” He reached out to Mercy.
Jesus. Leap of faith—
Mercy looked into the man’s eyes then took his hand. She stepped over the short gap onto the dock.
The man released her hand and stepped back. “My name’s Edward but people call me Mojito. This is Maria and Angelina,” he indicated the women on either side. “We don’t normally allow outsiders to bring weapons onto the island but this is a… unique situation. So if you feel safer you may bring your guns with you, but make no mistake, if you use your weapons against us you will be shot. There are only two of you, and many of us. Are these terms acceptable to you?”
Mercy glanced at the two women on the dock, one was in her twenties the other was older, in her forties.
They look fit, lean… healthy. They look OK. Jesus, I’m probably going to regret this, but he does have a point, there’s only two of us. We’ve got to establish some kind of trust here—
“OK, Mojito. We’ll leave our rifles in the boat and just keep our handguns with us. How’s that?” Mercy said.
Mojito nodded, “Yeah, that works. Angelina here will stay with the boat to keep an eye on things. Is that OK?”
Mercy gave Tawny a look and Tawny stepped away from their rifles in the bow. Mojito offered his hand to Tawny but she ignored him and jumped across the gap to the dock in one swift movement.
Mojito’s gaze lingered on Tawny’s face and he nodded, “I spoke with my father on the radio. He explained the situation. We have your vehicles and supplies which my scouts found on our land. You h
ave my father who is the head of our community. I will show you around and offer you hospitality. You are to meet our people and see for yourself how we live here. Then you will go back to your people and decide what to do. This is my understanding of your visit, have I missed anything out?”
Mercy shook her head, “No, sounds about right to me. Tawny? You got anything to add?”
Tawny eyed Mojito and the two women, “Yeah, I want to meet the kid that was bit by them dogs. Little Fox is his name—”
Mojito frowned, “Yes, Little Fox… he is my son.” His face softened, “His fever has broken… with your medicine. He is getting better.” Mojito smiled, “I guess I should thank you for bringing the medicine to us in your truck. The older a person is the longer it takes to recover from an injury or sickness. The younger ones though, always seem to recover quicker. Youth… it’s a form of magic, isn’t it?”
I’ve seen a lot of my friends die mister—
Mercy shrugged, “I guess.”
Mojito turned to the younger of the two women, “Angelina? Please can you stay here and watch the boat?”
Angelina nodded, “No problem.”
Mojito held his arms out and smiled at Mercy and Tawny, “Please, follow me. We have transport to take us to our place.”
Mercy and Tawny followed Mojito and Maria to the pickup trucks.
Mojito spoke as they walked, “I say place, but our true home is the land.” He pointed at the distant mountains, “Our people have been here since the beginning, we are the land and the land is us.”
The group of men and women parted, making way for them. They reached the pickup trucks. A few young children were scattered among the adults, they stared wide-eyed at Mercy and Tawny.
Kids. Real live kids… I’ve not seen kids since the aircraft carrier. That’s a good sign—
The Survival Chronicles | Book 8 | Final Mercy Page 13
