Survival Instinct (Book 5): Social Instinct

by Stittle, Kristal

  Throughout the day, the people who had been riding on the trailer swapped places with some of the people from the teams who had been walking. Their break for lunch didn’t last long. The draft horses weren’t even set free of the traces, and instead were fed and watered from bags. Other than bugs and birds, James hadn’t yet spotted anything that moved aside from them. He wondered if that were true for the vanguard. He also wondered if they were accumulating a trail of the dead behind them. If they were, they’d find out when they stopped for the night.

  That stop came before sunset, giving everyone ample time to prepare before it got dark. There was no finding a good, sizeable shelter; they just stopped in the middle of the road. The horses were freed of their traces, and left to wander in a makeshift corral that consisted of ropes hung between the trailer and a nearby house. James removed Soot’s tack and let him join the other animals. Katrina did the same for Spark.

  “Guard duty will be split into six shifts,” Vee gave the order from the trailer bed as dinner was handed out. “Karl, your team will take the first shift. Dinah, you have the second, while my team will take the third.” Based on the shifting of feet, James hadn’t been the only one who hadn’t thought of Vee and the group on the trailer as another team. “Djimon, your team covers the fourth shift. Scarlet, you have the fifth shift, while James, I’m trusting your people to cover the sixth.”

  James was glad to hear that his group wasn’t being left out of the protection duties. He didn’t want anyone from the Theatre to feel resentment toward them, or to think that they weren’t pulling their weight. Besides, he had already started thinking about where he would post guards the moment they had stopped. The house nearby had a second storey, which would be a good vantage point from which to view the street, so he’d probably post Katrina up there. Everyone else he’d position around and on the trailer, while maybe taking a post among the horses for himself. Where he was going to position himself ultimately depended on how his foot felt when he woke up.

  People spread out their bedrolls along the trailer bed, beside the supplies, as Dinah had said they would. Others set up beneath the trailer, while still others camped out on the house’s porch. James and his group went inside the house, spreading out in the living room. They all agreed that they felt safer indoors and liked having a little bit of separation between them and the people who were still strangers.

  James slept well, which surprised him, and he felt rested when Scarlet woke him. His foot felt good, so he stood among the horses after walking a patrol around an invisible perimeter. There were a couple of dead zombies lying about that hadn’t been there when they had stopped, so everyone knew to be on the alert for them. Scarlet hadn’t mentioned her team taking any out so they could have been dispatched by the first team, but she had looked exhausted as she crawled to her bed underneath the trailer and might not have thought to say anything. James couldn’t tell just how recently the dead had been put down, so he went into full alert assuming that more could be in the very immediate vicinity. But there weren’t. The end of the night passed without issue, and the others began to wake with the sun.

  After a cold breakfast, the horses were saddled up once more, the draft horses harnessed, and then they set out. This time, James rode apart from his people, deliberately taking some time to get to know more of the people they were travelling with. He started with Djimon, whose team flanked the other side of the trailer from Dinah’s. Katrina shadowed him, thereby inadvertently getting to know a few more people. By the end of their second day of travel, most of James’ group had begun to socialize with the others. The only people they hadn’t really been able to converse with were the ones in the vanguard. At least, not until they stopped for dinner.

  The following day was more hectic. The travellers came across a fair sized herd of zombies shortly before their lunch break. There weren’t enough zombies for them to consider redirecting, but enough that they had to close ranks around the trailer and carve their way through the dead. Due to their proximity, lunch occurred late and was interrupted by more zombies as some stragglers from the herd they passed through caught up. No one was hurt, but by the time they stopped for the night, everyone was a lot more tired than they had been the previous two nights. The guard shifts at night remained the same. This time everyone was a lot more vigilant, and the previous shift wouldn’t leave their posts until their replacements were in position.

  For nearly a week, James and what remained of his group from the container yard travelled with the people from the Theatre. They came across more zombies, had to deal with two aggressive alligators, and once stumbled upon a nest of rats. Miraculously, no one got killed. One of the Theatre people, however, fell off his horse when it reared. He got away with only a broken rib, and was well taken care of by the two doctors they had with them.

  Knowing that the pedestrian bridge was out, James was glad to see the other bridge they had chosen to cross was still standing, especially when considering that the amount of damage they passed through got worse every day. The vanguard now rode even farther ahead, as the trailer frequently caught up to them whenever they had to stop to clear a path for it. After crossing the bridge, James kept a sharp eye out for the lions, especially along rooftops. Not once did he see a flash of tawny fur. He hoped that meant that they had moved on, or maybe had gotten washed away by the storm.

  It wasn’t until then that James finally registered that he would be home soon.

  ***

  “I’m going to ride ahead,” James told Vee one day when they had stopped for lunch. “We’re almost there, and I think I should give everyone an advance warning.” What he didn’t say, was that he was worried about the place still being there. Not just because of the storm, but because he knew that food supplies had been running low and the place might have needed to be abandoned in an attempt to find something to eat.

  “Very well,” Vee told him. She then leaned toward him in a conspiratorial manner and whispered, “Does my hair look all right? I find first impressions can be rather important when two leaders meet.”

  James had learned while travelling with her that she had an odd, and sometimes intense sense of humour, and that her remark had been a joke. “You look fine and fierce,” James informed her.

  Vee gave him one of her sharp smiles before he rode off. Katrina immediately caught up with him.

  “Can’t wait to get home either?” James asked her as Soot and Spark trotted side by side for a few blocks before slowing to a walk.

  Katrina shrugged. “I could probably wait. I just figured that you shouldn’t be alone in case something bad has happened there.”

  “Thanks.”

  “So when we get back, I assume you’re going to become the container yard’s Reggie? Making sure everyone from the Theatre has what they need?”

  “Are you kidding? The Theatre is going to be making sure that our people have what they need. They’re the ones with the food, after all.”

  “We’re very fortunate that they’re so well off.”

  “We’re fortunate that they were willing to help us,” James countered.

  “What would we have done if they had refused?”

  James shrugged. “Come back empty handed, I guess. Or moved on to the next place.”

  “The place we were supposed to go is dead. And the other one was taken over by assholes.”

  “If the Theatre had refused to help us, would you have believed what they said about those places?”

  “I guess not. I’m glad we didn’t have to go to the Dale. Could you imagine adding weeks more to this trip?”

  “I can, but I’m also glad we didn’t have to go any farther. I felt relieved when they told us what had happened.”

  “Me too. I’m surprised how willingly the council believed us. If I were them, I would have thought we were just trying to weasel some supplies out of them.”

  “I think it’s because of the people we lost along the way,” James told her. “Dinah saw what ha
ppened to Aaron, and if we were lying about Jack and White, we probably wouldn’t have thought to mention lions. Besides, look at us. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but we’re basically all loosely held together bones.”

  “I’ve noticed,” Katrina sighed.

  They led their horses between some buildings and could finally see the structure that marked the very end of the massive cement pad that made up the entirety of the shipping container yard, not just the part they lived in. That building had already been half falling apart, with a large section of roof caved in, so James wasn’t overly surprised to find that it was now mostly flat, with only a few deeply rooted support posts left rising up into the air. Still, it caused his jaw to clench with nervousness.

  As they approached the container maze, James realized that they were going to have a bit of a problem. The trailer was definitely not going to be able to navigate the sharp turns within. Either they could try to bring it around the side, where the terrain was very rough and rocky, or they would have to park at the end of the maze and everyone would have to haul the supplies through it by hand.

  The clipping of the horses’ hooves echoed among the containers as they rode between them. They didn’t make it very far through the maze before a stone came whizzing out of the corridor ahead, striking a container with a bong.

  “Friendlies!” James shouted, trying to settle a startled Soot. “We’re returning from a community visit! Friendlies!”

  “Fuck,” Katrina hissed as Spark nearly reared under her. He backed up a ways before Katrina could get him under control.

  “It’s James Brenner and Katrina!” James called out, not realizing until that moment that he didn’t know Katrina’s last name. He didn’t know a lot of people’s surnames; there wasn’t much need for them.

  Freya stepped around the corner with her sling swinging and murder in her eyes. James instinctively threw his hands in the air, dropping Soot’s reins and hoping the horse didn’t dump him.

  “Just me,” James said. “And Katrina. We’re back.”

  Freya registered who they were and relaxed, which allowed James to do the same.

  “What are you doing out here?” James asked the fierce woman.

  Guarding the children like I should have been, she answered in sign. She didn’t offer any further explanation, leaving James somewhat confused.

  Guiding Soot around the corner, James was at least able to figure out what children she was referring to. Dakota, Maui, one of the new kids James knew to be Elijah, and two others whose names he couldn’t quite recall, were standing in a group. They had clearly been ready to fight or flee depending on what had happened with Freya.

  “What are you all doing out here?” James asked as he neared.

  “Looking inside containers and using a code to mark what’s in them,” Dakota explained, gesturing to the wagon of spray paint just behind them. Looking at the containers farther along, James saw the ones with doors that could be reached had all been marked with various symbols and colours. “We’re looking for any food that might have lasted. MREs and junk.” When Dakota readjusted the hat on her head, James picked up on the faint, healing injuries on her wrists. Elijah was also sporting a few cuts and bruises, and one of his arms moved stiffly. Something had definitely happened here.

  “Well, you probably won’t need to do that for much longer. I come bearing many gifts,” James told her.

  All the children and Freya eyed the rather meagre supplies on his horse.

  “I made us some friends,” James explained. “They brought a lot of food for us. Unfortunately they’re not going to be able to fit down here, so I think I need to find some people to go to them. Is Bronislav still around? And are Crichton and Boyle back?” Really, James was wondering if they were still alive.

  “Yeah, they should all be around somewhere. I suggest looking for either Boyle or Crichton,” Dakota said.

  “What’s wrong with Bronislav?”

  “He’s… fallen from favour,” Dakota told him without explanation. Maybe she had learned that from Freya.

  “James?” Katrina spoke up. “I’m going to head back to the edge of the maze. If Vee and her people show up, we don’t want any of them trying to find their way through here only to be greeted by Freya’s rocks.”

  “Probably a good idea.”

  As Katrina turned back, James forged on ahead alone, leaving Freya and the children to their work. He would get the full story from Crichton.

  Crossing the open distance between the maze and the wall, James rode with his hands in the air, the reins clutched in one of them. Soot was walking a little faster than his normal pace, knowing that home was just ahead. James was surprised to see that there were no ladders lowered in case Freya and the kids had to return in a hurry.

  “Hello, Misha,” James greeted him as he approached the nearest wall guard. “I guess if you’re back, then I wasn’t lied to when I was told Crichton should be around.”

  “He’s here somewhere,” Misha confirmed. Two of his dogs had been lifted up onto the wall with him. From Soot’s back, James could just make out one that was sleeping, while the other was staring over the edge, its nose wiggling in James’ direction. The dog’s eyes were the same ghostly pale blue as Misha’s. There was also a second person up there with Misha, someone whom James didn’t recognize in the slightest.

  “Who’s that?” James wondered.

  Misha glanced over his shoulder. “Sherlock. He’s new. Crichton said he has to stick with me while he learns the ropes.”

  “Hi,” Sherlock waved.

  “Hey. I’m James.”

  “Nice to meet you, James.”

  “So can I have a ladder, or what?” James asked Misha.

  “You’ll have to go around to the short side,” Misha gestured in its direction. “All the ladders are over there right now.”

  “All right. Thanks. Is there someone there who can watch Soot? I’m not seeing any cranes.”

  “The cranes are over there right now as well. And if they’re busy, there should be someone able to watch Soot.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I’ll let them know that you’re coming.” Misha took off at a jog along the wall, followed by Sherlock. Both dogs then chased the pair, after the one who had been asleep jolted awake. James saw that it was Rifle, the only dog whose name he knew.

  James followed along the wall at a more sedate pace, wondering what would require all the ladders and the cranes to be over by the short side of the wall. Maybe they were finally finishing the second layer over there. But why would that require all the ladders?

  As soon as James turned the corner he knew. The terrible soil beside that section of the yard was being worked. Every teenager and several children were moving rocks and turning over the rough ground. Horses were harnessed to a boulder that needed moving. They were attempting to prepare the land for planting, a difficult task to say the least. Several adults were helping as well. Along the wall, the number of guards had been doubled, bolstering those that had lined up on foot along the edge of the plot. Every single ladder was here, because if they needed to scramble over the wall, they needed as many routes as possible.

  “Hey, what’s going on here?” James looked up and asked the nearest wall guard. He saw that it was Claire.

  “Planting, what’s it look like?” Claire told him.

  “No, I can see that. I meant there.” James pointed down the length of the wall to where the cranes were set up. He assumed they were over here for the horses, but now that he was looking at the area more closely, something else was going on.

  “Oh, that,” Claire laughed. “Yeah, the storm actually shifted some of the containers down in the water. Harry’s organizing a crew to fix it. He’s also going to put a new container in there, one with doors on either end that can only be opened from our side of the wall. We’re going to finally have a door, no more ladders! If you hurry, you can probably get in through the opening before they plug it up.”

&
nbsp; “Thanks, Claire. By the way, do you know where Crichton is?”

  “I don’t see him out here, so he’s probably organizing dinner in the community centre.”

  James kicked Soot into a trot. The old horse didn’t mind at all. It seemed the animal had been given a shot of energy by being back in familiar surroundings.

  Claire hadn’t been lying about a door being installed. The container was lined up with the opening in the container wall and logs were being laid down to roll it forward. James and Soot squirted through before it was blocked off. A handful of people greeted him, recognizing that he had just returned.

  Entering from this side of the container yard was unusual. Having lived at the Black Box, James was used to visiting by boat, and arriving at the dock which was at the opposite end of where he was. Except for the work crews, he entered a patch of the yard that was empty. It used to hold containers that had been partly modified for living, but now those were all gone. James wondered if that was because they were now in use somewhere else, or, since they had been empty, they had been moved by the floodwaters and were now sunk in the sea somewhere.

  As he rode Soot along just above the rocky shore, James saw that some things were still being dried out. A string of mattresses were lined up in the sun; a handful of elderly people were methodically stepping on them in an attempt to squeeze out the deep moisture. James recognized that one woman was Nessie, with her bird hopping on the mattress in imitation of the people. It lightened James’ heart to see her up and helping with the work, because when he had left, she had still been recovering in the community centre after being shot and then strangled. If she still lived, surely everyone who had remained here had.

  His good mood turned to confusion when he thought he saw some camels walking along one of the container streets. There were plenty of animals around, including those that were normally kept on Animal Island. It seemed that Bitch Bridge was gone, and for all James knew, their fleet of small boats was too. He didn’t recall there ever being camels over there, however.