by A. P. Madden
“I guess so. We’re not that far from the factory, anyway. I recognise this place. Come on, it’s this way, it won’t take us long.”
***
Back at the factory, Luke met Caelan in his office while Naomi went to find her parents.
Luke told Caelan everything about Addison, Eddy, and what she had told them about Morgan and his camp.
“This new military group sounds promising,” Luke added. “We should find out more about them, see what their numbers are like, what kind of weapons they have.”
“No need,” Caelan said. “They’re not big enough to be a threat to us, yet.”
“No, I mean that we should see if they need help or possibly start an alliance with them.”
“Morgan’s vulnerable,” Caelan said, ignoring what Luke had said. “For the first time, we have a chance to take him down without crippling our own numbers. That is our number one priority.”
Luke frowned. “They’re weak, that’s true, but it also means they’re not a threat.”
“Morgan will always be a threat,” Caelan said. “If we don’t do something about him now, we might lose our only chance to stop him. Believe me, he’s already working on building his numbers again. When he has enough, he’ll come for us.”
“Okay, but we shouldn’t rush into anything. Let’s send scouts to confirm the-”
“This is it,” Caelan said. “This is it, Luke. Finally.”
At that moment, Luke realised what he should have already figured out. This wasn’t about safety or protecting the factory. This was a fight between two very dangerous men, and Luke just brought Caelan everything he needed.
Caelan was waiting for a sign, and now there was blood in the water.
“Stanley’s information is good,” Luke said. “We brought Seth back, he’s giving us the contact information for the super-city and-”
“We don’t need them, Luke. We have everything we need.”
“But maybe-”
“They’d just get in the way,” Caelan said. “We need to deal with Morgan now. No more distractions or delays. Now.”
“They could help us.”
“If they approved. We don’t know anything about them. They might side against us, with Morgan. Have you considered that? We don’t know anything about their motivations.”
Luke hesitated. “No, I didn’t think of that.”
Caelan nodded. “I appreciate you getting the kid, but his uncle’s information is irrelevant now. It was a means to an end - a way to deal with Morgan. We don’t need it anymore.”
Luke should have been looking forward to their chance to stop Morgan, finally, but he wasn’t. He was just thinking about how many people would die for it.
“Gather everyone,” Caelan said, turning to Eric and Myles.
“All the guards, sir?”
“Everyone,” Caelan repeated. “Every single person that lives under our roof. We’re meeting in thirty minutes.”
“Why so soon?” Luke said.
“Spies,” Caelan said. “Traitors and backstabbers. We don’t want to give anyone time to leak our attack plan.”
“But we will give them a chance to surrender,” Luke said. “Won’t we?”
“Of course,” Caelan said. “When we round up the survivors, we’ll give them a choice. Pledge their loyalty to us or die. If they refuse, that’s their choice.”
“We should take prisoners,” Luke said. “We have to do that, Caelan. Otherwise, we’re no better than Morgan.”
Caelan hesitated. “Alright,” he finally said. “I won’t have anyone saying that we’re the same as him. And we can add them to our ranks later if they prove themselves trustworthy. They’re trained, experienced. It’s worth it.”
Luke wasn’t sure if he agreed with Caelan’s logic, but the end result was the same, so he just nodded.
Caelan turned to Myles. “Now, gather everyone. Thirty minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” Myles hesitated. “What will I say the meeting’s for?”
Caelan smiled, and Luke wondered if anyone else saw the glimmer of greed in his eyes.
“To tell everyone the good news. Morgan is vulnerable, for the very first time, and we’re going to take him down once and for all. He will never be a threat to us again.”
Eric and Myles hurried out of the room, and Luke frowned. Caelan was too busy talking, planning and thinking out loud, so he didn’t notice Luke’s expression.
When Caelan said Morgan wouldn’t be a threat, he didn’t mean to the safety of the people living here. Or not entirely. Luke knew his friend very well - Caelan wanted to remove the threat to his position and his power.
Would that be so bad? Luke wondered. Caelan is a far better man than Morgan. I trust him with my life.
Luke took a seat by the window, but he didn’t look outside. He kept his eyes on Caelan as he paced the room, still talking out loud even though Luke wasn’t responding.
Luke trusted Caelan, but... Memories flashed through his mind, moments when he saw parts of Caelan that he didn’t want to see. Moments he put in the back of his mind because it was easier to pretend they weren’t real. Moments that showed the side of Caelan that was cold, logical, and without regret or remorse. Killing and looting and manipulating people, but he always justified it.
It was always in the name of a greater good - or whatever he thought that was at the time.
“What do you think?” Caelan asked. He was standing in front of the wall behind his desk that was covered in maps and information on everything within the valley.
Luke blinked and returned to the present. He realised Caelan was expecting a response. “Sounds good.”
Caelan frowned. “You weren’t listening, were you?”
Luke smiled sheepishly. “No, sorry, I wasn’t. I was thinking about... something else.”
Caelan watched him for a moment, and Luke started to panic, wondering if his inner thoughts were somehow visible on his face. Would Caelan be able to tell?
“Were you thinking about the lab again?”
Luke let out the breath he was holding. “Uh, yeah, I guess I was.”
“Try not to dwell on it,” Caelan said.
Luke shrugged, expecting Caelan to drop it and return to the maps.
Instead, he turned away from the wall and looked at Luke with concern.
“They’re dead,” Caelan said. “Warren, Donna, and the rest of them. I know you haven’t accepted what happened, and you’re struggling with what you did to stop them, but it’s a good thing. You stopped them. You survived it.” His voice was warm and he crossed the room to put a hand on Luke’s shoulder. “It’s over.”
Luke gave him a small smile, and guilt rose up inside him. “Yeah, I know, but thanks for saying it.”
“Anytime. I’m always here for you, Luke.”
Luke realised he was overthinking. Caelan wasn’t dangerous. It was Caelan. He was a friend. He was basically family after everything they had been through together.
Luke put his doubts to the back of his mind and stood up to help Caelan with the attack plan so that they would have something ready before the meeting.
***
Chapter 33 - Preparing
After the meeting, Luke and Caelan sought out the newest members of the factory - the group that came with Naomi and Maria from the city. They had been noticeably quiet during the group meeting, and Caelan asked Luke to come and speak with them.
As they approached, Luke saw David, Naomi’s father, walking away.
“Where’s he going?” Caelan demanded.
Naomi frowned at his tone, but she answered. “To talk to Mom. She was too busy in the infirmary, so she couldn’t attend the meeting. He’s filling her in.”
Luke took the opportunity to grab Seth and pull him to the side. Luke lowered his voice, glancing at the others, but nobody was watching them.
“If we don’t win, you need to get out of here. Morgan will come for the survivors and everything else we have.” He took out
a map, similar to the ones he used to hand out to people like Naomi. “There’s a military camp with soldiers. They don’t like Morgan, so they should give you shelter, or at the very least, they’ll help you start over somewhere new.”
Luke hoped he was telling the truth. There were so many unknowns, but he didn’t have any other options.
“How do you know about it?” Seth asked.
“It’s a long story. The map has a few potential locations marked on it. I’m not sure which one is right, but you can just try them all, okay? When you get there, ask for Addison.”
“Addison? Who is she?”
Luke saw Caelan glancing over at him, and he wrapped up the conversation. “Just trust me.”
Seth slipped the map into his pocket, and they returned to the others.
“...believe me,” Stanley was saying, “we want to help you. Really, we do. We’re grateful for everything you’ve done for us.”
“But you won’t come with us,” Caelan finished. His face was calm, but his eyes were dark thunderclouds, and Luke knew his temper was sparking into an inferno just beneath the surface.
“We can’t,” Stanley said. “This isn’t our fight.”
“This is everyone’s fight,” Caelan said. “Morgan is a threat to the entire valley. He won’t stop until he controls all of it. Not unless we stop him.”
Stanley shook his head. “I’m sorry. No.”
Seth looked at his uncle in disbelief. “You can’t be serious.”
“Stay out of this, Seth. You’re too young to understand.”
“No, I’m not. This is bullshit.”
“Seth!”
“I’m going with them,” Seth said firmly. He turned to Luke with a determined expression. “I’m coming with you.”
“Seth,” Luke started, “you can’t-”
“No kids,” Caelan said sharply. His tone was final, and the thunderous look on his face stopped any further discussion.
Seth reluctantly sat back down.
“Then it’s settled,” Stanley said, smiling uncomfortably as Caelan glared at him. “We’ll stay here.”
Caelan’s jaw clenched, and Luke prepared to intervene before his friend did something he might regret. Before he could say anything, Naomi stepped forward.
“I’m going with them.”
The rest of the group looked at her with shock and a dozen voices rang out at the same time.
“I’ve made my choice,” she said, cutting through them. “We’re part of this group now, and we need to act like it. I went with them to deal with the scientists that were terrorising all those poor people, and this is no different. We need to act. Morgan is a threat to this place, and we can’t stay here unless we’re willing to fight for it. They’ve been kind enough to let us into their home, give us food and shelter, and now they’re asking for our help. I’m going to do what I can. Will anyone else come with me?”
She looked across the room, making eye contact with as many people as possible, and she waited.
“I’ll come, too.”
“And me.”
“So will I.”
The room was filled with voices as a dozen people spoke up. Others stayed silent, averting their gazes or fidgeting nervously.
“Talk to Simone about how you can help,” Naomi told the volunteers. “She’s organising the teams.”
Luke noticed David and Maria walking down one of the metal staircases, and they quickly caught up on the conversation when they heard their daughter’s words.
“I’ll come, too,” David said.
Caelan shook his head. “I need you here. The same applies for you,” he added, looking at Maria. “We can’t lose our surgeon. We need you for the aftermath.”
“I’m not a surgeon,” David said. “I should be with you.”
“No. If this whole thing goes to shit, we won’t make it back. Morgan won’t take any prisoners. Someone needs to stay here and take charge.”
David frowned. “You want me to do it?”
Caelan nodded. “Luke suggested it, and I agree with him. People listen to you, and I know you’ll do right by the people here.”
David glanced at Luke with a confused frown, but he gave Caelan a nod. “Alright.”
The group broke into multiple smaller conversations, and Maria and David hurried over to Naomi.
“Naomi, please,” Maria said. “Think about what you’re doing. If anything happens to you...” She trailed off, but the rest of it was written all over her face.
“I need to do this,” Naomi said. “I’m sorry, Mom, but I can’t stay here while they do this.”
Luke stepped closer and cleared his throat. “Sorry to interrupt, but...” He pulled the second copy of the map to the military camp from his pocket and handed it to David. “Since you’re in charge now, you should know.” Luke quickly explained what he had said to Seth. The potential locations, the soldiers who apparently didn’t like Morgan, and Addison.
“Bring everyone from the factory with you,” Luke said. “Keep them safe from Morgan if we don’t make it back.”
David examined the map, and after a moment, he nodded.
“Don’t say anything to Caelan,” Luke added. “He hasn’t accepted the possibility that we might lose. Not properly. And don’t say it to anyone else, yet. It would bring down morale.”
David nodded. “Thank you, Luke. I know you don’t owe us anything, but can we ask you for one more thing?”
Luke glanced from David to Maria, and he nodded. “What is it?”
“Keep our daughter safe,” Maria said.
“Mom,” Naomi protested.
Maria shook her head at Naomi. “I have to ask him.”
Luke hesitated. “I can’t promise-”
“I know,” Maria said. “I know you can’t guarantee anything, but...”
“I’ll do everything I can,” Luke said, glancing at Naomi.
“Thank you,” Maria said.
***
Chapter 34 - War
The line of vehicles rolled across the dry earth in the early morning light. They left the factory at the moment dawn broke across the sky, forcing the mutants back into the shadows that they called home and making the roads safe again.
There were a variety of vehicles, mostly civilian cars that looked like they belonged in the suburbs. The people inside were just as mismatched. At a glance, they looked like a strange assembly of people who had nothing in common. Closer, their eyes showed the hard, difficult years they had been through, and their shared desire to protect the people they cared about.
Luke was riding shotgun in Caelan’s car. Luke was able to drive, but all his experience had come after the world ended, and driving opportunities were limited. Caelan, on the other hand, had proved himself to have a calm, clear head and a steady hand on the wheel during the most unexpected attacks.
They were in the third car. If Morgan saw them coming, he would try to take out the leadership before the battle began. Luke checked his weapons, again, and tried not to think about what was coming. His stomach was in knots, his mouth was dry and he couldn’t stop himself from wondering what Naomi was doing. She was in one of the cars near the rear of the group. He wished she stayed at the factory, but he comforted himself with the knowledge that everyone was going to protect her. She was the only one with any medical training.
Caelan glanced at him, and then he reached out and slipped a disc into the car radio. Music filled the car. It was loud and trashy, the first song on the list of throwbacks that Caelan knew Luke loved.
Simone, Eric and Jackson were in the back, and there was a mixed response from them - Jackson groaned, Simone seemed excited and Eric just laughed. Luke couldn’t help smiling. It felt like normal life for a second, like they were just a group of normal people on a road trip.
He was almost able to forget that they were driving towards death.
Caelan looked at him again. Luke grinned at him, and Caelan turned back to the road.
If he had
to drive towards danger and death with anyone, Luke decided he wouldn’t want to be with anyone else.
***
The camp surrounding the compound was empty. They moved silently through the tents, huts and small buildings that filled the area. Wisps of smoke rose from the remains of fires, chairs and containers were overturned, and doors had been left wide open.
“They were in a hurry,” Luke said.
“They weren’t expecting us,” Caelan said. “Someone must have seen us coming, but they didn’t have time to mount a proper defence. They’ll regroup inside.”
Luke glanced at the central building. It was huge, a former shopping centre that had been taken over and refurbished to suit their needs. It had the height and the space to defend from attackers while housing a large group of people and supplies.
“It looks like he’s ready for a siege,” Luke said.
“He is,” Caelan grunted.
“Will it come to that?”
“Not if the diversion works,” Caelan said, and he laid out the plan.
They would wait for a handful of vehicles to come around from the other side of the building and pull the guards’ attention away while they snuck up and slipped inside. A second group was coming from their left to do the same. A two-pronged strike from the blind - or hopefully blind - sides of the building.
“Won’t they expect that?” Luke asked.
“They’re not ready for us,” Caelan said. “This is happening too quickly. They should be disorganised and panicking.”
Luke didn’t like the word should, but he trusted Caelan.
Jackson and Simone were behind them. Neither of them questioned Caelan’s plan, but Luke was sure they wanted to. The four of them were the first group, leading the attack on this side. Caelan didn’t trust anyone else not to mess it up, Luke refused to leave him, and Jackson and Simone were their best shots.
Luke knew the rest of their group was close behind, moving in separate, smaller groups to prevent a single gunner taking down too many people at once, but it didn’t make him feel better. He felt like they were alone. Just the four of them heading into the lion’s den.
