by Lee West
Chet had warned everyone that the day might come when an outsider would try to paint a false picture of the world beyond the gates. He said those outsiders would manipulate everyone to gain access to the camp.
“We’ve been on the run the entire time. We barely managed to get out of the city before the troops closed it off. They barricaded its entrances, making it near impossible to pass without detection,” said Mike.
“Finally, we made it to the university, where we’ve been for a while now,” said Joe.
“Again, I ask—why are you here?” said Chet with obvious annoyance.
“We’re here because the troops have been coming to the campus more frequently. They’ve even started searching it,” said Meg.
“Where are you hiding? How come they haven’t found any of you so far?” asked Kim.
“The university has a tunnel system. They used it as part of the hospital and research facilities. We hide in there most of the time,” said Joe.
“Like rats hiding in the sewer. Nice way to live,” said Chet. His air of superiority was fully restored as he criticized the university’s setup.
“It’s actually fine. We have everything we need. However, we’re concerned that eventually the soldiers will find us. That’s what brought us here. We’re hoping you guys will let our group stay at the camp,” said Joe.
Jeff had dreaded this moment. He had hoped that Joe and the others merely came to the camp to check on his well-being. Asking Chet for help would not go well.
“Why should we?” asked Chet, his arms crossed firmly over his chest.
“We can bring medical supplies, a doctor, and our own food. Unless you have access to a physician, I’d imagine your medical supplies are somewhat rudimentary,” said Mike.
Chet considered them for a long moment. His signature intense stare bored into each newcomer. Jeff had never been able to read Chet’s stone-cold facial features. Like the rest of the group, he waited for a response as the murderous man stared at the only family he had.
“How many people are we talking about?” asked Bruce, breaking the tension.
“Around fifteen or twenty, give or take. I’m not sure everyone would want to relocate. Plus, people come and go from the university all the time,” said Joe.
“Fine. Bring them here. It would be nice to have a doctor around the place. You never know when someone will get seriously injured. We could use a camp doc,” said Chet.
Jeff immediately sensed something off about Chet’s reaction. Chet prided himself on preparedness but had failed to ensure the camp had a physician. The others had bested him and Chet knew it. The fact that he had not thought of everything they needed to ensure their safety in an emergency had been exposed.
“You should get them settled. It’s starting to get dark,” said Chet to Jeff.
“You guys can stay with us! Our cabin is a little ways into the woods,” said Kim.
“Thanks, Chet. This means a lot. For what it’s worth, I’ll take responsibility for them,” said Jeff.
“Yes. You will,” Chet replied curtly.
Kim and Jeff led the group away from the Center toward their cabin. Once out of earshot, Jeff began to relax. The exchange had been disconcerting to him. Crossing Chet would never result in anything good happening. Jeff hoped Chet had been sincere in his invitation, but deep down he feared the man had an ulterior motive for his show of generosity.
— 19 —
Joe followed his brother and Kim through the woods, entirely unimpressed by the camp. Everything about the place reeked of amateurs trying to build structures without any technical expertise.
The so-called cabins looked like hovels hastily built from leftover plywood. It reminded Joe of the ramshackle structures industrious homeless people often erected on the outskirts of a city. It could never be something he would call home. Meg grabbed his hand and squeezed it softly. They shared a knowing glance. They had been married long enough for him to know that Meg likely thought the same thing as he did.
“You’ve been staying at the camp the entire time? Since the event happened?” asked Meg.
“Sure have! We were here when the event occurred. Luckily, Chet let us stay on, not like the others,” said Kim.
“What do you mean, the others?” asked Meg.
“We were in the middle of the summer intensive. There were several families here for Chet’s shakedown course. After the event occurred, Chet made them leave so we could preserve our supplies,” said Kim with obvious pride.
“So the others just walked out of here?” asked Mike.
“Oh no. Chet drove them back to the city. He never allowed anyone to know the location of the camp. Instead, he’d pick up people in the city, blindfold them, and bring them to the camp,” said Jeff.
“That’s a little intense, don’t you think?” asked Meg.
“Not at all. Chet’s really careful. Our survival depends on it,” said Kim.
Jeff and Kim sounded like true believers. Their fervent defense of Chet alarmed Joe.
“Did you see them drive out of here?” asked Mike.
“Like, did we wave goodbye to them?” asked Kim. She looked at Mike like he must be the stupidest person on the planet. “No. Chet decided to take them back to the city at night. That way he wouldn’t be detected when driving them back.”
“We woke up one morning with far fewer people at the camp. I’m glad he chose to be so efficient about moving them out of here. We have much more room and resources without all those mouths to feed,” said Jeff.
“How did he get everyone out of here at once?” asked Meg.
“He used the Better Way school bus,” said Jeff.
“Did you see the bus return?” asked Meg.
“Nope.”
“Or hear it leave?” said Joe.
“No. But we couldn’t hear it this far out, anyway,” said Jeff.
“It’s parked in its usual spot on the other side of the camp,” said Kim.
“Why all the questions? You guys have never been into being survivalists. Now suddenly you’re concerned about it?” Jeff had an edge to his voice as he defended their choice to remain at the camp.
“Not at all. Just curious, that’s all. Everyone has a different story after the event. We’re just figuring out what happened to you guys,” said Joe.
Joe hoped to put an end to Mike and Meg’s questioning. He knew everything he needed to know about the camp from meeting Chet. Clearly neither Jeff nor his daft wife, Kim, suspected Chet of being anything less than their savior. He needed to focus his energy on getting out of the camp alive.
Walking to Jeff’s cabin, Joe could not help but notice that Chet must have assigned the smallest and most poorly located cabin to Kim and Jeff. Neither of those things seemed to bother Jeff, who showed them his home with pride.
“Home sweet home!” he said as they approached the cabin.
“Wow! This is a lot nicer than I would have imagined,” said Meg approvingly.
“We sure like it. It’s a little out of the way, but it suits us just fine,” said Kim.
The cabin consisted of one bedroom, a large sitting room, and a small porch. Nothing else.
“Where do you cook?” asked Meg.
“Everyone cooks at the Center. It’s a communal kitchen,” said Kim.
“We also eat over there,” added Jeff.
“And the toilet? Let me guess, that’s communal too?” said Mike.
“Of course! Chet made sure everyone has to leave their cabins to eat and use the bathroom. He claims the group will be stronger if they share facilities to handle these needs,” said Kim.
“That makes sense. And he joins you guys in eating and using the facilities as well?” asked Joe.
“Of course not! He stays in the main house. He comes out to teach us and lead the camp,” said Kim.
“You guys will have to sleep out here in the living room, if that’s okay,” said Jeff.
The rough plywood floor had not been leveled bef
ore building the main frame of the so-called cabin around it. As a result, the sparse furniture in the room looked canted. They would have to sleep with their legs pointed down the slope, like one would do if tenting in an uneven spot.
“I’ll get extra pillows and blankets for everyone!” said Kim.
— 20 —
Joe felt extremely uncomfortable at the camp. Something was off, but he could not pinpoint what bothered him the most about the situation. Chet appeared to be a loser who had created a little fiefdom in which to lord over people. The survivalists in the camp, including his brother and sister-in-law, followed Chet blindly. Maybe their blind trust in the man was what bothered him most. Disturbed was more like it—to the point where he felt compelled to get out of there as soon as possible. His entire being revolted against the place in the same way an animal’s instincts would tell it to run from a predator. Except he could not determine who or what posed the threat, though his money was on Chet.
Joe sat on the boards of the rough porch of his brother’s cabin, unsure of what he should be doing. Kim and Meg walked out of the cabin, laughing.
“Are you sure you don’t want to go? You could meet everyone,” said Kim.
“I’m sure. You and Jeff go. We’ll be fine here. We brought our own food, no worries. We’ll catch up when you guys get back. Anyway, I could use the rest. It’s been a long day of biking,” said Meg.
“As long as you’re sure. I’ll bet Chet can find extra food around here for the three of you. He’s pretty resourceful,” said Jeff.
“No. We’ll be fine. Let’s talk when you get back,” said Joe.
Mike joined Meg and Joe as soon as they’d set off for dinner. The three of them sat in silence, watching as Jeff and Kim made their way through the woods toward the Center.
“Sorry to say this, but I’m glad they’re gone. Joe, your brother and his wife freak me out. This reminds me of the cults I read about as a kid. It’s like they’re true believers, and that guy Chet is their messiah. I have a really bad feeling about this place,” said Mike.
“You sure it’s them or this place? I’ve been sitting here feeling the same way, but can’t pinpoint why,” said Joe solemnly.
“The whole thing is creeping me out. I wish we didn’t have to stay the night. I think the entire setup is wacked. They seem brainwashed to me, too. I don’t want to be anywhere near this place. I’d rather stay at the university and take our chances with continued raids,” said Meg.
“I know what you mean. If I could leave right now, I would. Did you catch what they said about the other people who were here when the lights went out? If I had to bet, I’d say Chet did more than escort them to the city. We know that none of the vehicles, besides the military ones, are working. How could Chet drive those people out of here without a working truck? It makes no sense,” said Mike.
“I did catch that, but my brother and Kim didn’t seem to think anything was amiss. They probably have no idea about what really happened out there,” said Joe.
“No. They didn’t think anything was off. It really freaked me out. I wish we never came here,” said Mike.
“I say we get up early and leave before we’re forced to mingle with the others again. Chet is bad news for sure, but the other two guys seem even worse. They scare me. I feel like they’d slit our throats without giving it a second thought. I’d rather not stand at the gate and have a tearful goodbye with those two standing over us,” said Meg.
“Okay. I agree. Let’s get a decent night’s sleep and leave as early as possible. I’ll let Jeff and Kim know our plans tonight when they return. With any luck, we can be at the university by lunch tomorrow,” said Joe.
“Sounds good to me, but maybe we can sneak away without anyone knowing—including them? I can’t imagine that guy Chet letting us leave here. He’s so concerned about the location of the camp being a secret. Now he’s suddenly cool about us bringing all these extra people around? Just for a doctor? I don’t buy it at all,” said Mike.
“I don’t buy it either. That guy is up to something. I want out of here,” said Meg.
“What about my brother? I feel bad leaving like that. It seems like he went out on a limb for us. I can’t just ditch them without even saying goodbye,” said Joe, “or trying to get them out of here. What if Chet punishes them for our sneaking away?”
“We need to get out of here. I don’t trust either Jeff or Kim to keep our leaving a secret. I wouldn’t put it past them to tell Chet. No—Mike is right, we need to leave without telling anyone. We’ll make peace with your brother once everything has blown over and we’re all safe,” said Meg.
Meg and Mike looked as stressed about everything as Joe felt. They assessed the situation correctly. They needed to get out of there right away.
“Alright. Let’s shoot for leaving long before dawn. I won’t say anything to Jeff. Eventually, we’ll catch up and I can explain why we bolted.”
Meg visibly relaxed when Joe finished talking.
“Thank you,” she said, and squeezed his arm.
— 21 —
Jeff tossed and turned for the better part of two hours, trying to fall asleep. His stomach churned with the acidy feeling he always associated with classroom presentations in high school. The nervous energy gathered in his stomach and hands, rendering him a sweaty-handed, nauseous wreck. Chet had put him in charge of Joe and the other newcomers, and the responsibility weighed him down. Without coming right out and saying it, Chet had made it clear he didn’t like his brother and the others. Then again, Chet didn’t exactly act friendly to him either, despite the time they had put into the camp.
He and Kim had been coming to Better Way for several years and enjoyed the experience very much. Over the course of their time at the camp, they’d learned a great deal about how to survive in various emergency situations. However, despite seeing the same people year after year, he never felt as though he and Kim had developed a closeness with any of the others. It felt as though their position remained on the outer edges of the camp’s social circles—by Chet’s design.
Unable to drift off, he decided to give up on sleeping and grab some air. He slid out of his side of the bed, careful not to wake Kim. At times she slept so deeply, not even the loudest alarm clocks could ensure she would make it to work on time. The rest of the time, even the slightest move or sound woke her immediately. He could never tell which mode he would find her in, so he always assumed the latter. Fortunately, tonight wasn’t one of those nights. She remained asleep as he put on some shoes and tiptoed out of the bedroom. He stepped over his guests as they lay sprawled and slumbering in the cabin’s sitting room.
Once outside, he took a deep breath of the cool, moist night air. The moonlight shimmered its light on his path through the camp. Once at the Center, he decided to lie on one of the benches in order to gaze up at the stars. Looking at the night sky had a way of calming him. The stars made his problems feel insignificant compared to the expanse of the universe.
A strange noise caught his attention. He could not be certain if the sound of breaking branches came from an animal or human approaching. The forest did not contain dangerous animals, so he knew there should be nothing to fear. The sound likely came from a raccoon or possum looking for a nocturnal snack. A second later, two men emerged from one of the trails. He turned his head and tried to focus his eyes on them.
Noland and Bruce, the men closest to Chet, emerged from the trail, headed toward him. Before he could announce his presence, they turned and quickly walked toward the manager’s shed. As far as Jeff had seen, Chet never allowed anyone inside his shed. He crouched low and observed their movements, curious if there was more to Chet’s favorites than he’d originally suspected. The two men mounted the steps and disappeared quickly inside. What if they were breaking into Chet’s shed?
Jeff swung his feet around, planting them firmly on the ground. He decided to play detective, spying on the other two men so he could report their deception to Chet. Jeff
could think of no good reason for the men to be in Chet’s shed in the middle of the night. Chet would likely be in the main house, fast asleep, unaware that the men had broken in. Jeff knew Chet would reward him for discovering and foiling whatever malfeasance the men intended. Maybe he’d finally earn Chet’s trust and improve his lot in the camp.
He crept toward the back of the shed, where he planned to listen to their conversation. If possible, he wanted to find a hiding spot that would allow him to look inside at the same time. Once behind the shed, he lowered his body toward the ground in order to conceal his location should either man look out the small window. Listening closely, he could hear them talking.
“Why don’t we take out their entire cabin tonight? Problem solved. Then we wouldn’t have to look at the other two ever again,” said one of the men.
Jeff willed his ears to listen more intently. He could not make out everything they said, but it sounded like there were three men in the shed.
“No. You need to go with them to the university tomorrow. Doing it here will be too messy. Kill the three of them on the road and dump the bodies. You don’t have to go far. Hell, I don’t give a shit if you do them right outside the gates,” said one of the men.
This time Jeff recognized the third voice as Chet’s. Holy crap. Chet had ordered the men to kill his brother and the others. On top of that, it sounded like Noland and Bruce had suggested killing both him and Kim.
“Doing them right outside the gates sounds like a good plan to me. But what’ll we say when we come back quicker than expected? Jeff and his ridiculous wife, Kim, might get suspicious,” said Noland.
“Say anything you like! I’m sure those two will believe whatever story the two of you concoct. They aren’t the swiftest people at the camp!” said Chet.
The men laughed at Jeff and Kim’s expense. Hot red blood flushed Jeff’s face as embarrassment spread through him. Chet and the others thought him a fool and he never knew it.
