by Lee West
Larry looked the coed over and thought how much he’d enjoy an evening on buddy watch with her.
— 18 —
Jeff ran the distance to the front gate. The property had a long winding entrance, which he had never run at a full sprint. Chet preferred to have as much distance as possible between the camp’s central location and the road. As a result, without people watching the front gate, they would have no way to know what passed their location, because the camp itself sat deep in the woods.
Seeing Joe would be amazing. Jeff hoped more than anything that Joe and Meg sought to shelter at the camp on a long-term basis. Likewise, he hoped Chet and the others would allow them to stay. Jeff’s feelings toward the camp ran the gamut. On the one hand, he truly wanted to learn to survive and knew that Chet’s experience far outpaced the experience and knowledge of the others offering this sort of education. On the other hand, Chet struck him as the sort of guy who would murder a person in their sleep. The men Chet surrounded himself with did not seem much better. At times, Jeff felt less than safe around the men.
Then he had to consider his wife, Kim. He loved her dearly, even if he never fully trusted her. Any idiot could see Chet’s attraction to Kim. Sadly, at times, Jeff felt as though his wife secretly returned the attraction.
The possibility of having Joe and Meg at his side gave Jeff an immense feeling of relief. Finally, he would not be surrounded by people who were ambivalent at best to his well-being. As children Jeff and Joe had maintained separate lives, never becoming too close. Eventually the differences in their lifestyles drove a wedge between them. Each man had chosen a vastly different path. However, Jeff knew Joe would always be there for him, and he trusted his brother completely.
“Joe!” shouted Jeff as he ran to the gate.
The others, including Kim, followed close behind him.
“Jeff!” yelled Joe.
Joe jumped off his friend’s back. He had climbed on the man in an effort to get closer to the top of the gate. Others had tried the same approach, never making it to the top before being shot by either Chet or one of his henchmen.
“Let me get the gate for you! I brought the key!” said Jeff with a touch of pride.
Jeff fumbled with the thick locking mechanism on the gate’s padlock. He had never opened the gate nor needed to. At first, knowing Chet had the only key to the padlock bothered Jeff because he felt imprisoned by the man. Ultimately, he forgot all about the locked gate and focused on the tasks that needed to get done.
“Step aside. I’ll get it,” said Noland in a gruff dismissive tone.
A flash of acknowledgment passed between Joe and Jeff. Joe had always told Jeff he put up with way too much from people. Today was no different. Embarrassed, Jeff turned from Joe’s gaze.
“You guys are a sight for sore eyes,” said Kim. She stood next to Jeff, threading her arm into his.
The gate clanged, then swung lazily, hesitant to allow others inside. It had to be coaxed and finessed open. Finally, Noland managed to pull one of the doors inward, giving them access to Better Way.
Jeff hugged his brother warmly. “Come on! Let’s get you guys up to camp,” he said to them.
They walked along the main road to the camp in silence. Jeff could not help but notice Noland sizing up his brother and Mike as they walked.
“How did you find us?” asked Jeff, breaking the silence as they made it to the camp.
“I’d like to know the same thing! We’ve tried to make our little oasis a secret. Looks like the cat’s out of the bag,” said Chet, approaching the group.
Jeff caught the edge in Chet’s tone. He hoped Joe did not notice Chet’s attitude toward them.
“It was luck more than anything. You never mentioned the location of the camp to me. So when I thought about trying to find you, I didn’t have much to work with,” said Joe.
Jeff glanced at Chet, hopeful that the man heard Joe’s confirmation that Jeff had maintained the camp’s secret location. Chet was not the sort of person to let an error slide by unnoticed. Jeff’s survival at the camp depended on Chet not blaming him for Joe’s presence.
“So how did you figure it out?” Chet’s cold eyes bored into Joe. The wrong answer would be deadly.
“We’re staying at the university. One of the professors there convinced us to use a topographical map to search for you. The map shows way more than a regular road map. We were able to make assumptions about the location based on the map. The rest was sheer luck, really.”
“Luck and a lot of bike riding to get here! By the way, this is our friend Mike. We’ve been traveling with him for a while now,” said Meg.
“This is Noland and Chet. The camp is Chet’s place. He’s just letting a few of us stay here until things in town die down out there,” said Jeff.
They entered the main area of the camp, called the “Center.” The Center contained a vast garden system, a well, a repair shed, eating and cooking shelters, as well as a large campfire ring for gatherings.
“You hungry or thirsty?” asked Jeff.
Chet shot Jeff a disapproving look, causing the man to shrink almost imperceptibly. The admonishment had not been lost on Joe, who glanced at Meg with a pained looked.
“No, we’re fine. We brought our own food and water, but thanks!” said Joe.
They sat on one of the long wooden picnic tables of the eating shelter.
“What brings you to our humble abode?” asked Noland.
“We’ve taken refuge at the university for the past several weeks,” said Mike.
“People are still there? I would’ve thought it would be empty by now,” said Bruce as he joined them.
“There aren’t many people, but yes, there’s a few,” said Meg.
“How are they surviving?” asked Chet.
“What do you mean how are they surviving?” asked Joe.
“Do they have the essentials like food and water? At Better Way, we’ve been able to keep ourselves alive by growing or catching food,” said Chet boastfully. “I can’t imagine things are great at the university or you wouldn’t be here looking for help.”
“We have plenty of food and water. In fact, the entire city does. That’s not the problem we’re facing out there,” said Joe.
Jeff enjoyed watching his brother poke a hole in Chet’s ego. Chet prided himself on being able to feed everyone during the crisis. Throughout the entire time they stayed at the camp, he constantly bragged about how his knowledge had been the only thing keeping everyone alive. Apparently Chet had not read the situation correctly. Jeff fought to keep a smile from forming on his tightly closed lips.
“So what’s your problem, exactly?” said Chet angrily.
“Haven’t you heard? The government is rounding up all the citizens,” said Mike.
“Oh shit,” said Bruce.
“Where are they being taken?” asked Noland.
“We aren’t sure. All we know is that as soon as the lights went out, the government swooped in and started a mass relocation of citizens,” said Joe.
“How did the three of you manage to stay out of the fray?” Chet asked suspiciously.
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 t
unnel 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 before 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.
