by Hunt, Jack
She had no idea where she was or which way was out, only that the clock was ticking and she had seconds before he managed to alert his deranged sister.
His sister, she thought. Where was she?
Panic took over but she didn’t stop running.
She went down one corridor and tried several of the doors but they were either locked or led into bedrooms, bathrooms, an electrical room or storerooms. As she came around into the living room and saw it was empty, she thought of Nate.
Erika made the decision to get him out. She dashed across and went up to the door but it was locked. They had the keys. “Damn it!”
“Erika?” She heard Nate.
“It’s locked. I’ll find the keys.”
“No. Get out now!” he yelled.
She turned and as she came back into the living room, Jesse stumbled out, holding his gun and trying to put a bullet into the magazine. He leaned up against the wall, clearly in a lot of pain. She screamed and scooped a lamp off a side table and threw it at him before racing past and trying the next cluster of rooms on the north side of the enclosure.
That was when she found it.
“Erika. Get back here now!” She turned, hearing his voice. He was closing in on her. She hurried to unlocked the door which used a mechanism like something found in a submarine. She turned a large wheel and heard bolts extracting and then after one hard tug, it opened up and she began to climb up a diagonal ladder.
Hope rose in her with every step up.
Her boots clattered off each metal rung, and fear drove her on.
She didn’t look down for even a second out of fear that he would be there aiming a gun at her. As soon as Erika breached the surface, her eyes took in the sight of a kitchen. A breakfast counter was slid over to one side. As she turned her head to get out, a dark form appeared off to her right, and something hard struck her in the face.
She was falling.
Erika sucked back the scream that tried to erupt from her throat. The sheer force of what had hit her pushed her back into the hole. Her head clattered off the side then everything went dark.
13
Blindfolded and restrained, Tyler strained to see the ground beneath him. He was beginning to regret his decision to seek out Jude. Perhaps his father was right. Although he could be an ass at times, he wasn’t a man given to lies. He felt like he’d been walking for a good thirty minutes before someone held him forcibly and told him to wait.
Around him he could hear the sound of quiet chatter but couldn’t make out what was being said.
“What the hell, Maddox? Cut him loose.”
Tyler was shoved forward so that he bent at the waist, then he felt cold steel slide against his skin before his restraints went slack, and a thick burlap bag was torn from his head. He squinted, and lifted an arm to shield his face as the bright afternoon sun blinded him. Once his eyes adjusted and he lowered the arm, he saw Jude. He was just as intimidating as the first time he laid eyes on him.
“You’ll have to forgive my son Maddox. He tends to be overly protective of the camp.”
“The camp?” he asked looking at the forest before him. He saw nothing but trees.
Jude placed a hand around his shoulders and turned him the other way. That’s when Tyler got his first look at where they were living. Buried deep within dense forest was a landscape of numerous earth-covered domes in rows with concrete exteriors. From above a pilot would have been hard pressed to know anything was there except hills. It reminded him of the Shire from the Hobbit with underground houses surrounded by farmland and bordered by woods. Except it was clear these were no ordinary unprotected abodes, they were reinforced bunkers created to protect an entire community. Outside each of them were firepits where some families were cooking. Smoke rose, and children ran freely. One lady was hanging out clothes on some wire hung between trees. Nearby men were fishing from a stream, and others were gutting a deer, preparing the meat to go into a smokehouse. Many others were tending to crops and livestock. All of them wore similar dark brown leather clothing to Jude. It was as if they had turned their back on the modern-day world and reverted to a simpler way of life, one free of technology, and all the trappings of modern society.
Around the perimeter of the camp itself was camouflaged fencing that was manned by armed guards.
“Welcome to Camp Olney.”
It was hard to tell how many were there but at a rough head count he figured there had to be at least a hundred, maybe more.
“What is this place?”
Jude chuckled. “Guessing your father never told you about here?”
Tyler was mesmerized at how people were adapting to a different way of living. It wasn’t like he was surprised that a community could exist or thrive in the wilderness, as he’d watched documentaries and read magazines on prepper survival communities, but he’d yet to see a fully functioning one. He also didn’t think that so many would be here.
“No, he never mentioned anything.”
“I shouldn’t have expected any different. Come. Are you hungry?”
“Yeah but where is my dog?”
“Ah don’t worry, she’s being looked after, as is the horse. Come, we’ll eat. We have a lot to discuss.”
Tyler glanced at him and wondered what he meant by that.
“Maddox. Go with Alexander and bring in some of the freshest meat.”
Maddox looked to be in his late twenties, his hair shaved tightly around the sides leaving a fine line of hair across the top like a trimmed Mohawk. He was around six foot two, heavily built as if he spent most of his days working out in a gym. He had a bow over his back, a firearm at his right hip and a large blade in a sheath wrapped around his thick thigh.
“But I was just about to leave and go hunting with Liam.”
“We have company. You will stay.”
Maddox shot Tyler an angry look but didn’t argue with his father. Instead, he trudged away muttering something.
“You have a large family?” Tyler asked as Jude led him through the camp. Many of the people stared at him, some smiled, others scowled.
“Yes, five kids, Maddox and four girls.” He pointed them out as they threaded around people in camp. “And we have one on the way,” he said holding his hand out and gesturing to a younger woman to come and join him. Dark hair down to the small of her back, deep brown eyes and olive skin, she looked in perfect health. The only thing that caught him off guard was her age. She was far younger than Jude. It would have been like Tyler’s father hooking up with Erika. She hurried over wearing nothing on her feet and just a thin leather dress like the kind natives might have worn. “Tyler, this is Sara. My wife.”
“Nice to meet you, Tyler.”
He extended a hand but she simply opened her arms and gave him a hug.
“I was just telling Tyler here that we have another baby on the way.”
She ran her hands over her large belly and smiled melting back into Jude’s arm. “That’s right. And many more I hope,” she said. He gave her a kiss and told her that he was giving Tyler a tour of the camp and he’d be joining them for supper.
“I will see you at supper, Tyler.”
He nodded, and smiled as she walked away.
“She seems nice,” Tyler remarked as they continued walking. “But um…”
“Slightly young?” Jude asked cutting him a glance.
“Well, yeah,” he replied.
“It’s funny how society gets so hung up on age. And yet people turn a blind eye when celebrities marry someone thirty years younger.”
“Good point.”
Jude began pointing out specific areas of the camp. “That over there is the school, we have a snack shop across from that, a shopping and entertainment facility in that larger building across the way, a bowling alley — do you like bowling?” He grinned when Tyler shrugged. “A medical clinic, horse stables, shooting range, meeting rooms, a gym, a woodworking and metal fabrication shop, hydroponic gardens and a bar. Oh,
and if you want a dip, we even have a swimming pool.”
“Hold on a second, a shopping facility? How does that work?”
He reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be a collection of round stones, each one had a symbol on it. “It’s a form of commerce. Everyone who is here from the youngest to the oldest pitches in and does a job. Hours are logged and payment is given just like you would earn an income in society. That in turn is used to purchase what people need — food, clothing, treats and so on.”
“So, you don’t just share?”
He laughed. “We do, however if we only did that, we would have a problem on our hands. Nothing would get done.”
“Kick people out.”
“We’d have no one left, Tyler. Believe me, just because the world goes to hell it doesn’t mean people change. Laziness is at the core of who we are, regardless of what a person believes. No, this gives people motivation to get up, live and stay busy. It keeps us functioning as a community.” He chuckled seeing Tyler’s confusion. “I know, even though it might look like we have turned our back on society, there are some benefits to having structure. What we have established here is fair. No one will go without if they are willing to put in the effort.”
“And these homes? Did everyone buy one?”
“No. People over the years have donated money to improve them. But originally, they were gifted to families that were selected and went through our vetting process. In exchange they bring a wealth of knowledge and talents that we can use — doctors, nurses, engineers, military, you name it, we have some great minds here. In fact the whole idea for this place was developed by myself and Andy.”
“My old man?”
He nodded, as he led him into one of the earth-covered domes. Tyler couldn’t believe that his father hadn’t ever told them about it. Inside it was all on one level though Jude said they had built some with lofts. While rural and rustic-looking on the outside, the interior was every bit as modern as any home in Whitefish.
“Each of these has reinforced concrete floors and ceilings. We’ve covered the floors with hardwood to make them look more like a home. Each one has a blast door, and an air filtration system. There is around 2,400 square feet of space and they can sleep up to twenty people, though we have about three families in each of the twenty domes. The entire place is off the grid. We utilize solar, wind and gas generators for power and store what is created in backup batteries.”
As he led him through, Jude said hello to a family that were relaxing in the shared living room. “The bedrooms are to the back on either side. We have kept an open concept for the kitchen, two living rooms and a shared dining area.” Tyler looked up at the string of yellow bulbs spread out like a web across the ceiling. “Let me show you something.” He guided him down the narrow corridor that divided up the bedrooms. “All the wooden panels are held up using these upright frames that are bolted to the floor.” Jude opened a door and showed him a room that looked like a small cinema with six plush chairs and a large-screen TV attached to the wall.
“I thought…” Tyler trailed off.
“That we had no use for this?” he asked. “Tyler, I’m not sure what your father taught you but survival is as much about looking after the mind as it is looking after the body. Familiarity helps some of our people adjust to the change. Not everyone has this kind of thing in their home but those who do aren’t looked down upon. In fact, they often invite people in and hold movie nights.”
“But my father…”
“Rejected the idea of entertainment. I know. It’s one of the many reasons we bumped heads,” Jude said before closing the door. “Andy likes his rules. Look, everyone has their opinion about what real survival looks like, Tyler. For some it’s reverting to an almost caveman type of existence where matches are outlawed or seen as weakness. I don’t subscribe to that way of thinking. If something exists, use it. If it’s useful, share it. And if people find things difficult, help them. Don’t look down upon them. Rules, structure, the old ways are good but they can also be a hindrance. That’s why so many small towns remain the same way twenty, forty years later. They resist change, they dig their heels in against improvement and that can often be their downfall.”
Tyler like the fact that he seemed easier-going than his father. Someone who was open to new ideas and didn’t just embrace one way of looking at things. He spent the next thirty minutes taking him around to the different buildings and introducing him to some of the key people in the community, including a minister, the community doctor and the guards who worked in shifts to secure the multi-acre camp and surrounding area. “Much of the work in the camp is taken up with protecting it. There are a lot of people who aren’t prepared and will come to steal and kill for food, water, gas or ammo. We have upwards of thirty-five on patrol at any given time.”
“Like the ones I encountered further afield.”
He smiled. “Yeah, we need our scouts so we stay ahead of the curve.”
He then led him into what was known as the local bar. It was a shack manned by a hefty fella with a bald head, and an overgrown ginger beard. He had a towel over his shoulder and was leaning on a carved, all-wood wraparound bar. The walls were nothing more than canvas that could be rolled up in the summer months. Throughout, there were tables and chairs, all handmade. The bar stools were made from carved logs.
“Angus, meet Tyler. Andy’s boy.”
Angus squinted and reached for a pair of spectacles in his upper pocket. They looked far too small for his head as he rested them on his nose.
“Well I’ll be, you’re no longer the squirt I remember,” he said in a thick Scottish accent.
“You remember me?”
“Aye. A long time ago. And your mother, God rest her soul.”
He diverted his eyes to Jude, and Jude pointed to some bottles along the back shelf. “Give me two,” he said tossing a few stones on the counter.
“Ah, these are on the house,” Angus said. He cracked off the tops from unlabeled bottles and put one in front of Tyler.
“Cheers,” Jude said and they both clinked their bottles.
Tyler took a big swig and swallowed while the other two looked on with a smirk on their face. Within seconds of gulping, he spat it out. “Shit. What the hell is that?”
Both of them burst out laughing, and Angus slapped Tyler on the back.
“Moonshine, my son, moonshine! Ah, I always get a kick out of a virgin drinker.” He walked away laughing. Jude sat there smiling, chuckling to himself while Tyler glanced at the bottle, reconsidering taking another swig.
“Angus makes his own. It’s an acquired taste.”
“You’re telling me.” He sniffed and coughed a little. “So, how long has this place been in operation?”
“Over twenty years, though it was just the bare bones back in those days. Nothing more than the foundations.”
“And you said my father was involved.”
“Very much so. And your mother Dianna”
“You knew her?”
His brow furrowed and he got this pained expression on his face.
“Yes. We were very close. All of us were.”
Jude chugged from his bottle before wiping his lips with the back of his sleeve.
“What changed?”
“Ah….” He breathed in deeply and sighed. “There were a lot of things.” He sipped at his drink and cast him a glance. “He never told you or your brother about me?”
Tyler shook his head. “No. In fact he told me to avoid you. Said you were dangerous.”
“Dangerous? Huh, that’s a good one.” Jude nodded. “If you can believe it, at one time Andy was my closest friend, someone I would have laid down my life for.” He shook his head and got this distant look in his eye as if he was distracted by the past. “But that was before—”
He was about to say something when his son Maddox rushed in. “Father. Come quickly, we’ve captured Lucas.”
Jude got this stern look on his
face and set his drink down.
“Come. You will want to see this.”
14
Ella stared at the rifle in the rack, furious that he’d left her behind. She might have been eighteen weeks pregnant but that didn’t make her incapable of protecting herself. Corey’s father was demeaning, telling her that she couldn’t travel, not in her condition. The added stress might cause her to lose the baby and he didn’t want that on his conscience. It was always about him, never about anyone else. It was a bad mistake coming to the cabin. She’d fought Corey on it, hell, they’d argued many times over the course of their six-year relationship. And it had always been about his family. After hearing Corey was laid up in the hospital, all she wanted was to be by his side. Andy had left her at the cabin and given strict instructions that she wasn’t to open the door to anyone. As if she would do that.
That morning she tried to ignore the worry. She kept herself busy cleaning, and doing a few slow exercises. Several times the baby gave a kick and she ran a caring hand over her ever-increasing bump. “I know. Slow down.”
With a cup of herbal tea in hand she glanced out the window at the stables. She’d learned to ride a horse many years ago, having grown up on a farm just south of the town. The thought of heading into Whitefish to check on Corey kept churning in her mind. She could hear Andy’s firm voice telling her not to get any ideas. Ella understood why Tyler moved away. How Corey put up with it was a mystery. He certainly had more patience than she did.
