“If they have them,” Krista said. “We can’t assume any of this is legit. We don’t know these people at all.”
“True, which is why I think you need to handle this. You have way more experience than I do. Do you have the list?”
Krista held up the notepaper she’d used earlier to jot down their needs. “They’re going to want an explanation about what happened earlier.”
“Do we tell them the truth?”
“Wouldn’t be my first choice. I think I’ll spin it a bit, picking something a little less red-flag-ish.”
“How about we had a radio problem? That’s why we stopped broadcasting?”
“That’ll work. Simple enough.”
“You know what they say—two heads are better than one.”
Krista gave Summer a thin smile as her brain went in search of a distant memory. One from long before her old man died. “My dad used to say, if three screws are enough, then fifteen are better.”
“That sounds about right. My dad said something like that once, though I can’t seem to remember his face anymore.”
“That happens over time. To all of us,” Krista said, enjoying their unexpected bonding moment.
“All right, let’s do this,” Summer said, sucking in a noticeable breath.
“It’ll be okay, Summer. Trust me. I’ve got this.”
“I know you do. Thank you. It means a lot to all of us to have you here, making sure we don’t screw up and get ourselves killed.”
Krista wasn’t sure what to say in response to the glowing compliment, so she decided to say nothing at all. Instead, she put her hand out and grabbed the mic stand, sliding it closer to her mouth.
She flipped the power on, energizing the lights and cooling fan of the device, then pressed the transmit button once she was sure the equipment was ready. “Blackstone, this is Eagle Base. Do you read, over?”
There was no response. Only the random static they’d gotten used to since they first fired up the unit. Krista made the same broadcast again, bringing the same result. Nothing.
“I hope they didn’t give up and walk away,” Summer said, her tone less than excited.
“Anything is possible, but if they’re as desperate as we are, they’ll be monitoring. Just need a little patience.”
“Well, you know as well as I do, patience is not my middle name.”
“Mine, either,” Krista said. “But my time in the military taught me exactly that. So give yourself a chance. It’ll come, if you let it.”
“What if they changed their mind about the trade or maybe found someone else with what they need?”
“A scientist and a Geiger counter? With a working radio? What are the odds of any of that?”
“Yeah, you’re right. I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I?”
“Just a bit. It’ll work out. Trust the process and the plan,” Krista replied, engaging the microphone again. “Blackstone, this is Eagle Base. Come in, please.”
A squelch ran out, then a series of rapid clicks before a familiar male voice erupted across the speaker. “Eagle Base, Blackstone. We read you. Glad to hear your voice again. We thought we lost you for good.”
Krista looked up at Summer, who now stood a foot closer than before. “See, I told you. Gotta have faith.”
“Probably need to answer him,” Summer said, pointing at the radio.
Krista squeezed the trigger on the mic. “We had a technical glitch, but we’re back online. Are you ready to make a trade? Over.”
“Affirmative. My commander asked me to get a list of what you need, then we’ll have a meeting with our Ruling Committee and make a plan.”
Summer put her hand over the microphone. “Ruling Committee? How about that? I guess we’re not the only ones out here trying to start over with some form of hope. That’s a good sign, right?”
“Sure, it’s a good sign until it’s not,” Krista said, prying Summer’s fingers loose from the mic. “Blackstone, Eagle Base. We agree, but let’s speed up the timetable, if we can. We’ve got women and children on this end who are in need. Time is of the essence, as I guess it is for you as well. Over.”
“Copy that, Eagle Base. We’re standing by to receive. What do you need? Over.”
Krista brought the paper in front of her eyes and read from it, sending their laundry list of needed items over the airwaves. When she was done, she said, “That’s all we have. Can you assist? Over.”
There was an extended pause before Blackstone responded. “That’s a bit more than we were expecting, but we’ll see what we can do. Over.”
“Fair enough, Blackstone. We look forward to doing business with you. Do you have a meeting place in mind? Somewhere south and west of you? We are ready, willing and able. Just need a go from you. Over.”
“Understood, Eagle Base. We will be back on the air in two hours, 21:50 Zulu, with an answer and hopefully a plan. Over.”
“Thank you, Blackstone. We await your call. 21:50 Zulu. Eagle Base, over and out.”
“That went well, I think,” Summer said.
“Mostly. But I think they didn’t like all the stuff on the list. Might want more in exchange.”
“If they do, we’ll get them what they need. Assuming we have it. No choice, right?”
“Not really.”
“By the way, what’s 21:50 Zulu?” Summer asked.
“Universal time. Based in Greenwich, England. Near London. Seven hours ahead of us right now.”
“Then these people are military?”
Krista nodded. “Probably. At least some of them.”
“So what do you want to do?”
“First thing, we need to make sure they want to meet somewhere neutral and do it quick. The clock is ticking, Summer. Can’t be too far from here, either. We have to get there and get back without wasting too many days.”
“The E.O.D. clock,” Summer said.
“It’s not going to stop for anyone.”
“At least we’ll get rid of Lipton once and for all.”
Krista snickered. “Assuming they still want the man after meeting him. That’s never a given.”
“Yeah, that would be just our luck, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah. Just our luck,” Krista said.
“Let’s stay positive.”
“I wish they’d take the Scab women, too. Get them out of our hair. There’s still something off about all that.”
Summer nodded. “I know, it’s a gut thing. I wouldn’t understand.”
“Maybe the dog, too. I’d prefer to simplify everything. Tactically and security-wise. We’re gonna get stretched thin as it is.”
“The Scabs, yes. But not the dog, Krista. He stays with me, okay?”
Krista took a second, then nodded. “Okay.”
“Promise?”
“Sure. Promise.
“We’re going to need fuel for our meet-and-greet with them. Lots of it, depending on where the rendezvous is.”
Krista nodded, working through the options. “I’m thinking we try those gasifiers that Stuart had us build last year.”
“Kind of slow, aren’t they?”
“Yeah, but they’d allow us to refuel along the way with whatever we can find to burn. Otherwise, we have to drag along a ton of extra fuel and that gets heavy, cutting down on the mileage and increasing the number of vehicles needed. There’s a diminishing return in that scenario.”
“Okay, let’s take the gasifiers. Probably need to make sure they work properly anyway.”
“Nothing like an initial live fire test in the middle of combat. Let’s hope this time it works out better than the last. We lost a ton of good soldiers that day.”
“Well, we’re not the Army. We had Stuart,” Summer said. “And this allows us to kill two birds with one stone.”
“Plus, who knows what will happen with Fletcher going forward? Just because Frost was willing to be reasonable with the fuel exchange doesn’t mean Fletcher will be.”
“Even if he h
elped us at the Trading Post—”
Krista smiled, realizing the little snotnose was starting to get it. “Now you’re starting to think like me.”
Summer laughed. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
Krista chuckled, too. “Guess that depends on who you ask.”
Summer held her smile. “No doubt.”
Krista sat in the chair and raised her hand up and held it, waiting for Summer to do the same. They gave each other a high-five slap.
CHAPTER 18
“What’s the status?” Summer asked Liz as she and Krista walked into the office attached to the infirmary.
Liz finished scribbling something on a notepad, then stood from the chair behind her desk. She adjusted her glasses, then pulled down on her smock. “The status of what? Rod or the girl?”
Summer shrugged, not remembering there were two patients in Liz’s sick bay. She’d been a little myopic in her thoughts and with her focus. “Both, I guess.”
“Girl’s responding to treatment, though I’m not sure we have enough meds on hand to stop what’s happening to her.”
“Nomad’s not going to like that when he gets back. Not at all,” Summer said.
“We never gave him any guarantees,” Krista said. “We made that crystal clear when he agreed to trade his supplies for our help.”
“Which I told him he did not have to do. We’d help her anyway,” Liz said.
“Yes, Doc. We get it,” Krista said. “But for the good of everyone, there’s nothing wrong with trading for things we need. It’s how the new world has to be run. Otherwise, we all suffer eventually.”
“Yes, a little bartering is a good thing,” Summer said.
“Okay. Agreed,” Liz said. “Either way, I told him we’d do what we could for her. Now it’s up to her immune system to chip in on its own; otherwise, she’s in for a long battle.”
“And Rod?” Krista asked.
“I patched him up, but Summer’s dog really did a number on him. His neck was a jagged mess. I’m afraid I don’t have the skills to deal with the horrible scar that will result.”
“But he’s going to be okay, right?” Krista asked.
“He’s stable for now. Though he’s lost a lot of blood. Might be touch and go for a bit, depending on how well his body responds.”
“He’s a tough old dude,” Summer said with confidence, knowing it was going to take a lot more than a dog bite to stop that crotchety old fuck. A man who was rarely on her side, but a man she respected because of his no-nonsense approach to all things Nirvana-related.
“When can we talk to him?” Krista asked.
“I don’t know. He’s still pretty out of it.”
“We’ve got questions that need to be answered, Doc. Important questions that may determine the fate of certain individuals, including him.”
“I know what’s at stake, Krista, but until he’s strong enough, you need to give him time. He’s not going anywhere. Neither is the girl.”
“Or the dog,” Summer said. “I still don’t think he needs to be locked up like that.”
“We talked about this before,” Krista said, looking at Liz, who followed her glance with a nod of her own. “It’s for Barkley’s own good and everyone else’s.”
“Yeah, but I’m still hoping to change your minds. Simms is walking around free.”
“But he didn’t take a bite out of Rod’s neck,” Krista said.
“No, but he was there. He was part of it. He let him go.”
“We don’t know anything for sure yet,” Krista answered.
“And still, you had no problem locking up one of them, while the other one is walking around free. Does that sound fair to you?”
“So,” Liz said with extra volume, letting a pause hang in the air for a few beats. “I hear you two made another call to Blackstone.”
“How do you know?” Summer asked. “We just did that. The two of us.”
“Word travels fast in this place,” Liz replied.
Summer looked at Krista, then back at Liz. “It went okay. We gave them our needs list and they are supposed to get back to us a little later with an answer.”
“And a plan,” Krista added.
“They have to think about it?” Liz asked.
Summer nodded. “Apparently.”
“I thought they were desperate?”
“They are,” Krista said. “But I’m sure they’re just being cautious, like we are doing. They can’t afford to make mistakes any more than we can.”
Liz nodded. “You’re probably right.”
Summer cleared her throat. “Ladies, now that we have a minute, can I talk to you both about something?”
Liz nodded.
So did Krista. “Go ahead, shoot. What’s on your mind.”
“Sergeant Barkley.”
Krista rolled her eyes. “Here we go again.”
“I know what you’re thinking,” Summer said to her, then turned to Liz. “But I want us to just think about all that one more time. A dog is only as smart and as obedient as its owner. Or its handler, in this case.”
“Yes, we understand. Simms,” Liz said, her tone filled with frustration.
“Actually, I mean Simms and Frost. Neither of them had the dog’s best interest at heart.”
“Look, we get it. You want to give that mutt a pass,” Krista said.
“I think it’s only fair. He doesn’t know what he did was wrong. Assuming it even was.”
“Dogs can’t claim self-defense, Summer,” Krista said.
“Actually, I disagree, if you believe what Simms said. Besides, how do we really know that Simms didn’t provoke Barkley into attacking Rod for some other reason? We only have one witness.”
“Which is why we need to talk to Rod.”
“Yeah, I get that,” Summer said, pausing. “But you’re assuming Rod’s going to tell you the truth. Does he seem like the kind of guy who will admit what Simms said he did? I mean, who would?”
“Rod is a lot of things, but he’s no liar,” Krista said. “I know this man and I’ll vouch for his integrity.”
“That’s all well and good,” Liz said. “But Summer has a point. People lie, more so when they are trying to save themselves. Which, if you think about it, is exactly the position Rod will be in when he wakes up.”
“Assuming he wakes up,” Krista said.
Summer’s tone turned sharp. “He better. For Simms’ sake.”
“And your dog,” Krista added.
“There’s a lot at stake for a lot of people,” Liz said. “But let’s take this one step at a time. For the good of Nirvana. We need to get this right.”
“Agreed,” Krista said.
“I can live with that,” Summer said. “Just looking for a little consideration and some open minds, that’s all. For everyone, even the animals.”
“And the Scabs?” Krista said with a sarcastic tone.
“Yeah, even them. They’re still people, too. Well, sort of.”
Krista’s eyes pinched. “What about Lipton?”
“Ah, screw him,” Summer said, laughing. “He’s just trade bait at this point. The last thing I would consider him is human. Not on any level.”
“Finally, we agree on something,” Krista said, laughing.
Summer smiled. “And you thought I was just some snot-nosed little bitch. See, I learn.”
“And you thought I was just some butch pain in the ass who wants to be a man,” Krista said, laughing just as hard as Summer.
Summer wasn’t sure how to respond to Krista’s statement. It was right on the mark, but maybe confirming the woman’s self-assessment was the last thing she needed to do right now. Not after this little moment they were all sharing.
Liz came forward and wrapped her arms around Summer and Krista. “Ladies, we all have our quirks and our issues. But one thing we are is a team. And teams pull together, no matter what.”
“Roger that,” Krista said.
CHAPTER 19
Nomad pulled at the wraps of paracord he’d lashed around the last of the three wooden crates ready to be hoisted. The slack was now gone, and the makeshift rope looked to be evenly spaced in a crisscross pattern around the bundle. He brought the hanging winch cable forward and pried the rope up an inch with his fingers, then slipped the metal hook under the cordage. “That should do it.”
“Okay, raise it up,” Wicks called up through the access shaft to Allison on the surface, before yanking on the rope three times.
“Hope it holds. That has to be pushing the limit,” Watson said to Wicks.
“It’ll hold. This ain’t my first rodeo.”
Nomad kept his hands on the biggest of the three boxes, eliminating the sway as it rose up through the gap in the rock formation.
When his fingers were no longer in contact, he stepped back, craning his neck up like the others.
It was a good thing the silo crew had a working winch on the front of their transport truck; otherwise, this process would have taken much longer to complete.
More than one man would have been needed on the surface, plus some kind of pulley system. Or his jailers would have made him carry the cargo up on his back, one load at a time.
“How long did it take you to find all this stuff?” Watson asked him. “The stuff you didn’t steal from us, that is.”
“Couple of years. And for the record, I never stole anything from anyone. What I acquired had already been abandoned.”
Wicks gave him a shove from behind, dislodging his feet into a one-step stumble. “That’s your version. We know the truth.”
“Believe what you want. I’m telling you the truth.”
“We lost a lot of good men that day. Some of them were my friends,” Wicks said. “Once again, men died because you were around. That dynamic keeps happening over and over and trust me, it’s not going to continue.”
“Yet you three are still alive,” Nomad said in a matter-of-fact tone, turning to face Wicks.
Wicks wrapped his hand around the handle of the knife stowed in the sheath on his hip, his fingers twitching in a grip and release motion. “Is that a threat?”
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