The QuaranTeens, #1

by Keith B Darrell

  Nessa reached for the papers and crumpled them up. “Nothing. I was making decorations to celebrate Covid and the others returning but it doesn’t matter. They’re not coming back.”

  Tristan shrugged. “Well, they might.”

  Nessa shook her head. “They’re probably all dead. I thought they’d come back and things would be better. But they’re not better, are they? They’re worse. You’re the most cheerful person in the bunker and look what happened to you.”

  “I’m still cheerful. It’s just hard to see with the boot print on my face.” Tristan grinned, causing Nessa to smile. “You’re pretty when you smile. You should do it more often.”

  “I haven’t had much to smile about lately.”

  “I know what’ll cheer you up. Lucian told me he wrote a new song. Let’s grab the guitar from the social area and I’ll play it for you while Lucian sings.”

  Nessa laughed. “You only know how to play four notes.”

  “That’s okay. Lucian sings like a creaky door. But his songs are always good.”

  Nessa laughed again. “All right. Let’s go.” A few minutes, later they joined Lucian in the social area.

  Tristan held up the guitar. “We’re ready to debut your latest masterpiece.”

  Lucian smirked. “Just don’t drown out my lyrics with your pitiful attempt at guitar playing. Better yet, wait until I finish each line before strumming your sour notes.”

  “I’ll save my magnificent string plucking to accent each line.” Tristan struck a chord. “So what’s this one called?”

  “The Tyrant King.” Lucian beamed. “It has a catchy beat. Listen:

  Of thee I sing,

  O tyrant king

  the boy who sought to soar.

  Promises to keep

  made to all the sheep

  lambs led to the slaughterhouse door.

  The day will come, O tyrant king

  And what a reckoning it shall bring

  Your downfall has begun.

  You lie, you cheat, you steal

  with crooked friends you double-deal

  all the while your people suffer.

  You misuse your power

  causing the people to sour

  abusing their trust; making lives tougher.

  The day will come, O tyrant king

  And what a reckoning it shall bring

  Your downfall has begun.”

  Tristan’s jaw dropped. “That's awesome!”

  Hearing Lucian’s song lifted Nessa’s spirits. “Can you teach me to write songs?” she asked enthusiastically.

  “Sure. We can start tonight if you want.”

  “Sing it again,” Tristan said. “I want to memorize the lyrics.”

  Lucian smiled. “Of thee I sing, O tyrant king…” The kids in the social area started gathering around him. By the third rendition they were joining in verse, their young, uneven voices singing:

  The day will come, O tyrant king

  And what a reckoning it shall bring

  Your downfall has begun.”

  Chapter Ten

  It had been twenty-four hours since Maga had eaten or had anything to drink. Her stomach grumbled and her lips were parched. She had tried to stay out of the sun as much as possible, waiting for nightfall to travel. It was cooler and there was less chance of being seen. But that also meant she had no idea where she was going. She knew as long as it was far from Utopia she had a chance to survive: but not much more than that. Dawn was breaking and she saw a settlement ahead. That meant people and with them the prospect of food and water… and possibly death.

  Maga didn’t have the strength to journey farther in search of sanctuary. Even if she did, would sanctuary look any different from this settlement? There was no assurance the next settlement would be any friendlier nor any less hostile. The only certainty was it wouldn’t be closer. And between here and there – wherever “there” might be – were wolves and snakes and Raiders and God knows what else. No, this was it. It had to be. Maga took a deep breath and approached the settlement.

  “Granny!” Robin called out. “There’s a woman headed this way. Should I wake the others or just pick her off from here?”

  Granny rubbed her eyes and yawned. “It’s just one gal?”

  “Far as I can see.”

  “Is she on foot or horseback?”

  “Walking. She ain’t got no horse.”

  “Armed?”

  “Don’t look like it.”

  “Then, let’s find out why an unarmed gal’s walking fer miles to come see us. Ain’t you got no natural curiosity, girl?”

  Archer woke up. “What’s going on?”

  “Someone’s coming down the trail,” Robin said.

  “Want me to ring the bell?”

  “Not yet,” Granny said. “Old folks need their sleep more’n you young’uns. No sense in waking up the whole Outpost if’n she ain’t a threat.”

  Covid and Destine, sleeping on the floor of Granny’s trailer, stirred. They overheard the conversation and jumped to their feet. “Let’s find out what she wants,” Covid said, heading to the door. He stepped outside followed by Robin, her bow drawn; Destine; Archer; and Granny. Robin notched an arrow. “That’s far enough. What do you want?”

  “Water. Food. Sanctuary.” Maga dropped to her knees, prepared to meet her fate, whatever it might be.

  “Sanctuary from who?” Granny asked.

  “The Utopians. If they catch me, they’ll kill me.”

  Granny turned to Robin. “Put your bow down and fetch her a drink of water. I reckon that gal’s got a story to tell and she’s gonna need to wet her whistle to tell it.” Robin went inside the trailer and returned with a pitcher of water. Maga gratefully accepted it and poured the water down her throat and onto her face.

  “Thank you,” she sputtered.

  “You’re welcome,” Granny said. “Now who are you and what’ve you done to piss off the Utopians?”

  “My name’s Maga. I was a servant in one of the great houses. They blame me for allowing their prisoners to escape.”

  “Raiders from one of the other outposts?” Archer asked.

  “No. That’s what made these prisoners so special. They were young, like you,” Maga said to Archer. “A girl and a boy.”

  Covid’s ears perked up. “It could be Corona and Kai!”

  “I think I heard them called that. The girl was friendly and although I only glimpsed the boy once he was handsome.”

  “It must be them,” Covid said.

  “We can’t be certain,” Destine said. “Maga, you said they escaped?”

  Maga nodded and took a gulp of water. “I left the girl’s door open. She freed the boy and they stole a security vehicle. That was two days ago; as far as I know, the patrols are still searching for them.”

  Covid’s eyes met Destine’s. “If it is them, then we have to find them first.”

  Granny nodded. “Archer, round up enough horses fer them.”

  “Can we go with them, Granny?” Archer asked.

  “Can we, Granny?” Robin chimed in.

  “I was hoping you’d ask,” Granny said. “Keep ‘em from getting themselves killed. Good friends are hard to come by these days; once you find ‘em, you gotta stick by ‘em.”

  “I’ll get more arrows.” Robin darted off.

  Granny leaned in to Destine. “You take good care of my grandkids, too – now, and in the future.”

  Destine nodded. “We’ll use your map. Maga can come with us and show us which area to search.”

  Maga shook her head. “I don’t want to go anywhere near Utopia.”

  “That’s understandable,” Covid said. “Show us on the map where we should search and you can remain behind with the Raiders.”

  Maga gulped. “Raiders?” She looked around the collection of dilapidated trailers as the rest of the Raiders emerged curious to learn what the early morning din was about. Maga realized she was in the camp of the dreaded enemy whose raids the Utop
ians had feared for years and whose captured family and friends her people had harvested for organs or food. “I changed my mind. I’ll go with you.”

  Archer returned with the horses. Robin showed up a moment later carrying four quivers of arrows. She secured a quiver to each of the horses.

  “Bring another horse around for Maga,” Granny said. “She’s going with you.”

  “I’ve never been on a horse,” Maga said.

  “We’ve never ridden by ourselves either,” Destine said. “But we have plenty of travel time to learn how and besides, the horses will do most of the work.”

  The five young riders waved goodbye to the older Raiders and rode out at a slow gait.

  Kai and Corona lay on their backs gazing at the stars. “It’s so beautiful at night,” Corona said. “Think of how many nights like this we missed, staring only at the concrete ceiling of the bunker.”

  “Are there really millions, or even billions, of stars out there? How big is the sky? It looks like it goes on forever.”

  “The Earth, too. Everything’s so much bigger than we ever imagined. If only the others could see it, too.”

  “Even this grove of trees is incredible.” Kai picked up a fallen leaf and held it at eye level in the moonlight. “As tiny as it is, it’s so intricate. And yet, this leaf was part of a living tree that’s part of this forest that’s sheltering us from the Utopians.”

  “I think they call it nature. At least, that’s what our biology whiz Destine would say. She would explain all that stuff I’ve forgotten learning about: chlorophyll and carbon dioxide and how it all works. But I don’t think she would ever simply lay here and discuss its wonder and beauty.”

  “Speaking of wonder and beauty, I never thanked you for rescuing me back in Utopia.”

  “You’d have done the same for me.”

  “Yeah, but guys are supposed to rescue damsels in distress. At least they did in all the storybooks I read.”

  Corona grinned. “Girls can rescue guys, too. You’ve just been reading the wrong books.” She stared at the sky. “Do you think it’s safer to hide here for another day or to risk heading out on foot?”

  “Depends. Once we leave these trees there’s a lot of open land. If the Utopians are still searching for us, then they’ll see us as we try to cross it. If we stay here, the only way they’ll find us is if they decide to search the grove.”

  “They may have given up searching. We might be able to leave now.”

  “Assuming they’ve given up.” Kai placed his hand atop hers. “Are you in such a hurry to leave this little paradise?” He leaned in and kissed her.

  Corona gazed into his eyes, caressing his cheek. “I’m supposed to be an explorer, remember?” She kissed him back. It was a longer, passionate kiss. “Although, we could always explore right here.”

  Later that night:

  The moon discreetly retired behind a patch of clouds. Corona, lying beside Kai in the darkness, reached out for his hand. She felt its warmth as his palm pulsated in hers. “You’re so quiet; are you all right?”

  “Just a bit sore from the other day back in Utopia.”

  “Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t realize—”

  “It’s fine.”

  “I’m so thoughtless. How do you feel?”

  Kai grinned. “Like the last man on Earth.”

  Proctor paced across the study of the mansion in the domed city of Utopia, unconsciously twirling his St. Sebastian medal between his fingers. It had been three days since the prisoners had escaped and all the patrols had reported in with the same response. Proctor could only conclude the escapees had managed to elude them and breach the perimeter. He looked at the map again.

  Dr. Carstairs entered the study. “Forgive me, I didn’t know you were preoccupied.”

  “I’ve been perusing the map. The closest settlement in any direction is the Raider outpost in the old mobile home park. They’d have to go quite a few miles farther before reaching the next batch of Raider outposts.”

  “They said they were lost. If they don’t know their way around, then they might have gone to the East or the West instead.”

  “If that’s the case, then they would have found themselves weeks away from any settlements, with no food or water. We have to hope they traveled in the direction of the Outpost if we want to find them alive.”

  “Are you still determined to lead an expedition there?”

  “It’s not something I’m looking forward to. But you know better than anyone the results of his medical exam. He’s the best potential donor we’ve ever come across. It’s as if he somehow lived his entire life unexposed to the pathogens the rest of us have been forced to accept since the pandemic. You say the girl’s test results were similar?”

  “Yes, her organs are superior to anything in the general population. I can’t explain it. It’s a medical anomaly. It’s as though they were somehow preserved in amber, untouched by the pandemic or its aftereffects.”

  “That’s why we must recover them, for the good of Utopia. I’ll be back by this evening if not sooner.”

  “Would you like me to accompany you?”

  “No, thank you. That won’t be necessary. My driver will be armed and I’ll have a second Humvee follow us with four men. I’ll arrange for each vehicle to have an extra battery installed. That should be a sufficient complement to capture a pair of unarmed children.”

  “But the Raiders—”

  “You forget, Doctor, that particular Raider outpost is composed of a handful of doddering pensioners. My men are armed with rifles; I don’t expect any difficulty. My only concern is we may not find the children and that Kai and Corona may be lost to us forever.”

  Dr. Carstairs arched an eyebrow. “Is that your only concern? Isn’t that outpost where your—?”

  “No offense, Doctor, but my personal life is not open to discussion. Rest assured, I’ll do whatever is necessary for the good of Utopia. Any other allegiances I may have had are in the past.”

  “Of course. I meant no offense myself, sir.”

  “None taken. Any word on the missing maid?”

  Dr. Carstairs shook her head. “Probably eaten by wolves. She had nowhere to go. If the wolves or the Raiders didn’t get her, the sunstroke likely finished her off.”

  Proctor nodded. “Let’s hope our specimens have been more fortunate. If not…” He ruminated. “Doctor, do you think there might be others like them?”

  “If I hadn’t examined them myself, I wouldn’t have believed they existed, let alone others. But as they do, I suppose it’s possible there may be more of them. What a tremendous acquisition that would be, if there are.”

  “Hold that thought, Doctor. We shall discuss it upon my return.” He strapped on a holstered side pistol. “For the moment, I must be off.” He marched out the door, deep in thought.

  “Let’s stop here and let the horses rest,” Archer said, after they had traveled some distance from the Outpost.

  Covid dismounted his steed. “I think I’ve got the hang of this.” He glanced at Maga’s ashen face and realized the young woman was too terrified to climb down from her horse. “Let me give you a hand,” he said, offering to help her.

  Destine spread out the map Granny had given her. “We must be right about here,” She pointed to a spot on the map. “Now, Granny drew this ‘X’ to mark Utopia’s location. If Kai and Corona were fleeing, which way would they head?”

  “They’d have a tough hike heading north,” Archer said. “It’d mean climbing hills and stepping on plenty of stones. It’s hard enough on horseback.”

  “So, a steep incline and rocky terrain,” Destine said. “Not the most inviting route for someone looking to make a quick getaway. Southeast would take them back to the bunker…”

  Covid shook his head. “I know my sister: the last thing she’d do is turn tail and come home in defeat. What’s over here?” He pointed east on the map.

  Robin shook her head. “The river runs south a few m
iles to the east. They might cross it but the current’s strong; it could drown ‘em if they tried.”

  “Then, they’re probably nearby,” Destine said.

  “How did you work that out?” Covid asked.

  “The river. Flowing water always seeks the path of least resistance. The terrain must decline as you go south. They’d go where the geography made it easiest to travel. That means south. But not southeast because that’s the way they came and it would take them back to the bunker. Not to mention, if they went too far east they’d hit the river. So that leaves—”

  “Southwest,” Covid said. “The direction we’re coming from.”

  Destined perused the map. “What I don’t understand is why we haven’t seen any sign of them yet. They left three days ago; it wouldn’t take them that long to be well past where we are. We should have seen some evidence they were here: footprints, broken branches, discarded items…”

  “Maybe they haven’t gotten here yet,” Covid said. “We have the luxury of traveling at our own pace. They don’t. Maga said the Utopians were sending search patrols to hunt them down. They may have had to stop and hide for hours at a time.”

  Destine nodded. “I hadn’t thought of that. Good thinking, Covid. Now, accounting for that variable, I think we should continue in this direction.” She drew a cone on the map.

  “What’s that?” Covid asked.

  “A cone of probability. It starts at a single point, Utopia, and widens the farther out it goes. I’ve adjusted for terrain and geographic obstacles on the map. I’ll assume they’d stay close to the western-most portion of the cone since they don’t want to return east to the bunker. So this is the path we’ll take.”

  Covid nodded. “We’ll fan out on the horses to cover more territory. If anyone spots them, call out.”