by Kip Nelson
Chapter Eight
Was he with them? Tanya didn't know. She peered out of her hiding place. It was cramped, but she was no stranger to that. She listened carefully to what they were saying, trying to look at them without giving away her position. Her heart thumped against her chest so loudly she was afraid they would hear her. Her father always said that he could hear her heart beating. He'd always told her it was loud. It was one of the reasons he punished her. He said he never could hear himself think when she was around.
She had been so close to escaping as well. The cusp of the city was right there. Her ticket to freedom. But she couldn't move yet. The men just stood there, mingling with each other. They had been hunting for someone. Whoever it was had eluded their grasp. She kept low and quiet. So far there wasn't a voice she recognized, but he still could have been there. Watching. Waiting. Somehow, he would find her. He always said that he would find her, even if she ran away. She'd tried it once. She'd made it to the bus, which had been waiting to take her away, when his hand had clamped down on her shoulder. She'd tried telling the driver she was in danger, but she only could say it with her eyes. The bus driver didn't pick up on it. His sympathy seemed to be with her father.
“Teenagers,” her father had said.
The driver rolled his eyes and gave her a dirty look. How dare she run away from home. Run away from him. She was almost scared to look at the men in case he was there. She always had a feeling she would see him again one day, and that he was searching for her. Maybe it would be when she least expected it.
The men cursed and talked about what they were going to do to this man when they found him. She cringed and wished she could close her ears to the horrid things they were saying. It wasn't right that such cruelty was allowed to happen in this world. Even though she didn't know anything about this man they were hunting, she knew him to be good. Anyone who had stood up to these men was a hero. She just wished she had the strength to stand up to anyone. All her life she had been running. Maybe in the future when she found her new home she would be able to build a new personality, one that was better than she was now. One that was her ideal self. One that hadn't been beaten down and berated all her life.
She often wondered how she would have turned out had her father not been the way he was. She wondered what it was like to live a life that wasn't riddled by fear. Even now, when she was so close to escaping the city, she was afraid she would be pulled back into her old life. It was dangerous to hope. Far safer to expect the worst. Even now, part of her wished she had stayed with her father, because when he caught up with her she would have hell to pay. That time when he had brought her back from running to the bus he'd given her a punishment she still hadn't forgotten. He told her never to run away from him. She'd done exactly that. Now she had to try finding a place where he'd never imagine she would go. Yet where? He was her father, and he knew her better than anyone else.
The men still were talking. She placed her head against the wall and kept her knees pulled in tightly against her chest, worried that her feet were going to poke through. Pins and needles started stabbing at her, but she was afraid to move in case the men became aware of her presence. But she had to know. If he was there, she had to see it for herself. She moved carefully and peered around the corner. Showing as little of herself as possible, she took in everything she could see and breathed a sigh of relief when she did not see anyone she recognized. She still was ahead of him. One day he would catch up to her, but today was not that day.
The men were of various ages, and all looked to be from the shady sides of the tracks. They wore leather and jeans, carried bottles, and had piercings and tattoos all over their bodies. Some of them had bruises and welts on their faces. She wondered if those welts and bruises were gifts from the man they were chasing. She looked down at her small hands, at her weak wrists and small knuckles. She'd never been in a fight, and wasn't likely to be either. Her respect for this unknown man grew and she found herself wishing she knew him since she was sure he would protect her from her father and all the other bad men of the world.
At least Tanya could relax now that she knew her father wasn't among them. She stayed silent and waited for them to move on. Pointing her toe carefully to try easing the pins and needles, she winced and bit her lip so as not to gasp. As soon as the men were out of sight she would continue out of the city to her new life. Somewhere where nobody knew her name. There would be many places like that now. With the world the way it was, it would be easy to lose herself. She'd grow out her hair, take on a new name. Tanya would be buried along with so many other people. It wouldn't be long now.
The men started yawning and talked about how they had to get back to enjoy the evening. Tanya breathed a sigh of relief. For a while there she had been thinking they weren't going to move on at all. She heard them drag their feet and kick a stone that skittered across the road.
“At least we still have his dog. Guess it can't have been his best friend after all if he was willing to leave like that,” one of them said.
“I know. What a son of a bitch. We'll make that dog ours, or we'll make him pay. If it takes another chunk out of one of us, I'm just going to skin it alive and hang it up here. If that bastard ever comes back, he'll know we're waiting for him, and when I get my hands on him I'll skin him alive too,” another man boasted.
Tanya's knees went weak and her stomach swam with anxiety. What those men were talking about...it was one thing to do that to a man, but quite another to a dog. She was sure the animal was innocent. It didn't deserve that. Tears welled up in her eyes because now she was torn. All she'd wanted to do was leave the city and never look back, but she wouldn't have been able to live with herself had she left knowing that an innocent animal was in such a dire situation.
All her life Tanya had been the victim, and nobody ever had helped her. Not even when she had tried to ask for help. They'd always believed her father's word over hers. To everyone else she was just an emotional girl who had some behavioral problems. They couldn't believe that the problems were her father's, not her own. Whenever she saw someone else in trouble she couldn't let them stay like that, not when she could do something. That dog had not done anything to deserve this, and she couldn't very well leave knowing the likely fate that awaited it. It would put herself in danger, but sometimes you needed to risk yourself to do the right thing. She wished someone had risked themselves for her a long time ago.
Looking longingly at the outskirts of the city, at freedom, she sighed and then turned on her heels and trudged back toward the city. The men ahead were making quite a racket, so it was easy to follow them from a distance. By now Tanya had become quite adept at hiding, so she kept out of site and followed the men’s trail. There were broken liquor bottles strewn where they walked, and cigarettes, too. Tanya shook her head. The more she saw of them the more concerned she became for the poor dog that was in their clutches. While she walked she made sure to take stock of her surroundings. She noticed some other people hiding from the men as well. She didn't blame them. When they locked eyes with her she saw panic in their faces. They must have thought she was with the men and perhaps would alert them to the presence of these innocent people. Tanya tried to smile reassuringly at them, but they ducked their heads and stayed out of the way.
Going back into the city was the last thing she wanted to do. It was taking her back in the direction of her father, but if she could save the dog then it all would be worth it. That's what you had to do in life. You always had to do the right thing and help others, in the hope that, when the time came, they would help you too. Maybe if she rescued this dog and reunited it with his owner he would protect her. He had to be strong to have escaped these men. He had to be a good man, a hero. Tanya always had wanted to be with a hero. She had dreamed of a strong man coming to her a long time ago, a knight to rescue her from the monster that was keeping her prisoner. Nobody ever had come to rescue her, though. Her father had seen to that, even though he'd painted hi
mself as the hero in his own story. In his eyes he was protecting her from the world. He kept saying that men only would want one thing from her.
She shuddered and closed her eyes. Blocked out the memory. It was easier that way. It was the only way she could carry on.
Tanya moved quickly to make sure the men did not get out of her sight, following them all the way to their camp. They didn't seem to notice her at all the whole way back. They went under a bridge and Tanya gasped at the sheer number of them. The party who had been gone came back and were greeted with raucous applause, although they only had bad news. Tanya surveyed the camp. There were barrels used as fire pits and a few boxes of food. They seemed to focus on alcohol and cigarettes and didn't care too much for things such as water or medicine. They all were greasy men, loud men, cursing and teasing each other. These types of men didn't have to worry about being attacked. They had strength in numbers, something that Tanya sorely lacked. She didn't have the numbers or the strength. And these men were bullies.
If that wasn't clear from just looking at them, then it was by the fact that they kicked the dog, who was tied up to a pole. It was gaunt and looked as though it hadn't been fed properly for a while. It still had spirit, though, and Tanya smiled to herself when it barked loudly, making one of the men jump. It yelped when it was kicked, though. Tanya winced as though she had bore the brunt of the vicious kick herself.
For the first time, Tanya had her doubts about the man they were talking about. She couldn't imagine ever leaving this dog. It hadn't done anything wrong, and she hoped that if she was in a similar situation she would do anything rather than leave it behind. Maybe the man didn't deserve that dog after all. Either way, the dog didn't deserve to be treated that way. She had to rescue that dog, even if it meant putting herself in danger.
Shivering, Tanya waited in the darkness for all the men to fall asleep. The sounds of the city haunted her, and she was envious of the men who could stay next to their heated barrels. Her stomach growled, but she couldn't think of food. She had to rescue the dog and get out of there. It was difficult to see how many of the men were fast asleep and how many just were dozing, but they were so arrogant they didn't have an official watch.
Tanya tentatively made her way toward the dog, which growled suspiciously as she approached. Soothing noises managed to calm it as she placed her hands around its neck and undid the leash that tied it to the pole. As soon as it was free it snarled. Tanya leaped back as the dog lunged forward. She was worried it had gone feral and that she had made a grave mistake. She closed her eyes and raised her arm across her face, expecting to feel the sharp teeth sinking into her flesh. But when she looked up she saw the dog's jaws locked into a man's neck. He had been sneaking up behind her and she hadn't even realized it.
Blood seeped out of his neck, staining the ground. Tanya patted the dog's head and then looked in the direction of the other men. They were stirring. Tanya and the dog sprinted away as quickly as possible. Tanya's heart raced, for she was afraid the men would catch up with her, but she was pleased the dog had been freed. They ran across rubble and through buildings and eventually stopped. Tanya's lungs were on fire. The dog seemed settled, which meant they were safe.
“Let's have a look at you,” Tanya said, grabbing the dog’s collar. Dirt was smudged over the name, so she rubbed it off with her thumb.
“Well, hello, Backdraft, it's nice to meet you.” They settled down in their little bunker. Tanya tried ignoring the stabbing hunger in her stomach. Backdraft lay over her stomach and she was glad for his warmth.
“We can be friends,” she said, and started to tell Backdraft about some of her theories.
“You know, I think this might have been a good thing for the world. I think it might help cure some of the world’s ills. What do you think?” Backdraft murmured and then he fell asleep. Tanya stroked his head until her eyes also grew heavy and she fell asleep, wondering about the man who had abandoned this dog.
Chapter Nine
Nick awoke feeling well rested, even though there was plenty on his mind. Cosmo was snoring beside him. Evidently, he had managed to get to sleep despite his worries. Nick pushed himself up and stretched his limbs, yawning as he got ready for the day. Cosmo seemed to be a heavy sleeper, but Nick knew they couldn't waste time, so he nudged Cosmo to wake him up. Cosmo's body flailed, and Nick had to dodge the frantic waving of arms.
“Sleep well?” Nick asked.
“I guess so,” Cosmo said, rubbing his eyes. “Although there's something you should know. I got up during the night to take a leak and I ran into David. There's something about him I don't like. He was asking about you. I don't know why, but I don't think he likes us. We should be careful.”
“I'm always careful,” Nick said.
He was now at any rate, after what had happened to him. He knew better than to trust people, and he wasn't going into situations blindly. The two men left the tent and found Mikey cooking some of the deer meat. He greeted them with a smile and handed them some cuts. Nick took them gratefully and felt the juice run down his jowls. David was nowhere to be seen.
“You want to come hunting with us today?” Mikey asked.
“Isn't this enough to feed you for a few days?” Cosmo asked.
“Probably, but that's not the only reason to go hunting. You gotta keep your instincts sharp. Besides, it's not like there's much else to do here,” Mikey replied.
“I know. I wish I had brought more books with me. I miss reading,” Cosmo said, chewing the meat.
“Where's David?” Nick asked.
“He's just gone to get cleaned up in the stream.”
“Is he, you know...is he alright?” Cosmo asked. Mikey looked at him quizzically.
“I think Cosmo means is there anything bothering him. He doesn't seem too pleased by our presence here,” Nick explained.
“Oh, you don't have to worry about him. I've known David all my life. There's not a better guy in the world. He was a bank manager, you know. You don't get much more respectable than that. He just takes some time to adjust sometimes. You know what it's like in this world, you can't always trust new people. I think he likes that it was just me and him.”
“And what about you?” Nick asked.
“Oh, I'm happy for the company. Life is about meeting new people. You two seem alright. David will see that, too. Just give him some time.”
Nick wasn't sure about that. He'd noticed what Cosmo had told him. There was something about David. He'd taken an instant dislike to Nick, but Nick wasn't going to play any popularity games with him. He wasn't going to try convincing David that he should like him either. Nick wasn't planning to stay there for too long, just long enough to get his bearings and actually come up with a plan. So far it felt as though he hadn't had any chance to come up with a plan at all. He and Cosmo accepted Mikey's invitation to join him and David on the hunt, and the three men got along well while they waited for David to return. When he did tension filled the air. David glanced at Mikey. Nick noticed the silent looks they were giving each other.
“Mikey said we could join you hunting today,” Nick said.
“He did, did he?” David said icily.
“I thought it would be good if we all go out together. It'll be like a real guys’ trip,” Mikey said.
David considered this for a moment and then walked around the camp abruptly. He found a log and set up some pine cones. Then, he went into his tent and pulled out his bow. “Show us what you've got then. We don't want you messing up our dinner,” he said, thrusting his bow against Nick's chest.
Nick shrugged. If David wanted to do this, then Nick would indulge him. David went through the functions of the crossbow. Nick let him explain, figuring that it probably helped his fragile ego to feel like he was in charge. After David was done Nick rested the crossbow against his shoulder and aimed at the pine cones. He shot the first one and the pine cone splintered. Cosmo smirked, Mikey looked impressed. David sighed.
“Beginn
er's luck,” he muttered under his breath.
Nick ignored him as he loaded the next crossbow before David could come and do it for him, then shot the next pine cone, which again was obliterated as the bolt went straight through. Nick loaded the third bolt and repeated the action, again destroying the pine cone. After it was done he returned the bow back to David and went to collect the bolts, picking the remnants of the pine cones off the tips.
“Good shooting!” Mikey said, clapping Nick on the back.
“I had a little practice in my old life,” Nick said.
“No doubt. I think you'll be fine to come on the hunt with us. I have a spare bow somewhere. It's not as good as the ones we use, but it'll do for now. I've been meaning to make my own anyway. There's a lot of good wood here, I just haven't gotten around to it yet,” Mikey said.
“I guess you'll have to be making new bolts as well. You can't always rely on them coming back,” Nick said.
“I was just saying that yesterday! Yeah, we brought a lot with us, but it's not going to last forever. There's a lot of things I'd like to do. I always had this idea for a custom bow. Well, I don't want to bore you. I've talked about it with David often enough, but it would be glorious, I tell you that for sure.”
“I'm sure it would be. Cosmo, do you want a go?” Nick asked. Cosmo held up his hands and backed away.
“I don't think you'd be safe with that in my hands. It'd fly in any direction,” he replied.
“Some men just aren't born with it,” Mikey joked.
Nick laughed. Out of the corner of his eye Nick saw David glower. It was clear he was insecure and probably threatened by Nick. He wouldn't be the first man. Nick remembered when he first had met Samantha. She'd been with a guy who was the complete opposite of Nick and he'd tried standing up to Nick. It hadn't worked. Nick never liked fighting. He only did it when it was necessary. David was the same kind of man. He was probably used to being in control if he was a bank manager, and now that the world had changed he had lost his identity.
