François ran up to the boat and looked at the crew. Swearing vehemently, he turned around and waved over one of the others. “Allez chercher Michel et lui dire que les nouvelles sur le centre-ville a laissé un autre sans volonté.” At first the young woman did not move and looked a bit alarmed. “Eh bien? Depechez vous!”
The young girl ran up to the town, and they could hear her calling for Michel. François turned to the people in the town and said, “Sorry about that. She’s a good kid but a bit slow on the uptake.”
A few minutes later Michel called, “Je ne vois pas un incendie. Quelle est la grosse affaire, François?”
“I told them about what happened to you… what you had to do to get back here. This one isn’t taking it so well.”
Michel crouched down on the dock in front of the boat. The gleam from earlier was gone and in its place was a look of compassion. It was hidden behind a great deal of hardening—small wonder if what François had said was true—but it was there, nevertheless. “We do what we have to do to survive,” he said again. “Come on… there’s a fire and some fresh venison up in the town. Whatever you may think can wait until morning.”
They led the horses off the barge and, with help from the others, brought everything they had up into the town proper. Michel, again, clapped Derek’s shoulder and yelled over to one of the women who were cooking, “Obtenez cet homme quelque chose à boire. Pendant que vous y êtes, Cecilie, voir de faire en sorte qu'ils obtiennent une part équitable de la venaison ainsi.”
“I don’t understand a word of what you’re saying,” lied Derek.
“He told her to get you something to drink… and make sure everyone gets their fair share of the venison. Tonight you’ll be one of us. We can figure out what was going to happen later,” said François.
“Que sera, sera,” said Zachary.
Derek looked over at him, recognizing the title of the old song but not its meaning. “What will be, will be,” he answered. “It’s Portuguese… not French… but it fits.”
“Oh!” François suddenly said. “And her name is Cecilie.”
“Thanks, I think we caught at least that much,” remarked Abigail, with a short bark of laughter.
Derek sat down on the upright cut log that had been set around the massive fire pit in the middle of the town. While their resources were drastically different than Sheridan’s, he was pleasantly surprised to note that the same planning had seen them through the winter. It was unfortunate that the raiders along the road had been found and now he was right in the middle of their camp.
The drink handed to him was warm and the bite to it suggested it contained something alcoholic that he just could not place. He coughed over the sudden strength of it and caught Marissa’s sudden look of concern, but waved her off. “That took me a bit by surprise,” he admitted hoarsely. “What is that?”
Michel grinned, “Something of my own making from my own still.”
Moonshine. It had to be moonshine and Derek cringed inwardly and sincerely hoped he was not about to literally go blind from it. “Not bad,” said Derek. “Bit more kick than I was expecting.”
It was as harsh as hell but he supposed that was why they had warmed it up. He decided he would—although he would not drop his defences—enjoy the night and let the fire warm his outsides while Michel’s moonshine warmed his insides. It had been a while since he had been able to have a drink at all as Sheridan kept that under firm lock and key—it was the only thing she had for antiseptic at this point. That sent a cold finger down his spine.
Failing all else, the least he could do was open up some trade. Maybe Michel and his town would not have to raid if trade ensured that everyone had what they needed. He did not get his hopes up but, unlike the road trash from the winter, Michel seemed at least reasonable.
Cecelie, the woman who Michel had called earlier, brought him and Zachary a plate and they ate while watching the fire. It was at this point that Zachary looked around and shook the drowsing Derek. “Where are Em, Abby and Reese?”
Derek came to full wakefulness when he noticed that the women of their group were conspicuously absent. He turned to their host. “Michel, where are my wife and the other two that were with us?”
“Your women?” asked Michel, and he waved that off dismissively. “Off with the other women, I’d imagine.”
“The men and the women don’t… mix… here?” asked Zachary.
“No,” he answered, and his tone told them plainly that he thought the idea was utterly unappealing to him. “Why would you want them to? Best to leave them to whatever it is they do and the men to their work.”
Derek and Zachary looked at each other nervously, hoping that this was not something that Michel had thought up in order to prevent them from leaving. He still did not know what Michel had in mind, but the other man was not the type that would be hospitable on one hand and then leave them the next. It was up to Derek and his people to break that.
With an inward sigh, he decided to try a different tactic. “Well, that much is true,” he conceded and caught Zachary’s glare in the corner of his eye. “However, where we’re from the women and the men are a bit more… well… co-ed, if you catch my meaning.”
“You don’t think I’d do something with them, do you?” he asked.
“Oh, hardly,” answered Derek. “But one of them is also my wife of some… wow… uh… thirty years… ish.”
Michel laughed heartily at that. “Married for longer than you thought, eh? Don’t you worry. She’s not anywhere she wouldn’t normally be. We did give them the option to stick around, but Cecelie can be rather convincing.”
“So, where are they and I really do mind being separated from them,” said Derek, the steel in his voice returning. “Call me a bit paranoid but as your guest I would like to not be separated from the rest of my people.”
Michel looked at him and he caught something in the gaze that was almost like the other man was asking Derek for something—in fact—it was almost begging him. “Are you sure?” asked Michel quietly, looking around.
With a heavy sigh, Derek glared at him with all the force one stare could muster and the older man finally nodded. “Very well, I’ll send for them.”
Moments later Marissa and the three women joined Derek and Zachary at the fire.
Derek turned to Marissa and asked, “What the hell were you thinking?”
She looked past him to one of the women who had followed her and he looked over to her and back again. “Something didn’t sit well with me,” she answered. “I did have Abigail and Emilie with me.”
He took a breath and released it. Grasping her hand, he reiterated, “Just don’t do that to me again. It was not a particularly nice surprise to look around and wonder where you suddenly disappeared to.”
Michel and Cecelia returned and sat down at the fire. He noticed that the other women had not and some of the men were also conspicuously absent. That same feeling of something not being quite right settled over him and he smiled thinly at his host.
Derek woke in the morning from a very light sleep even though his wife and had been returned to him.
Derek motioned to Zachary to follow him out the back and along the side where they could see a small gathering of the locals. Cecelie, the head woman, was talking to Michel, but the two men looked at each other in puzzlement—it was by far not Michel who was leading the conversation. If anything, it appeared to be the complete opposite.
“The men are segregated from the women… by the women?” puzzled Zachary. “Not what I was expecting at all.”
“Terrence would have called this the Avocado Jungle of Death scenario number one,” mused Derek. “Our raiders are led by Cecelie.”
There was a snort from his wife at his comment.
“Gentle sex my…” Zachary did not finish his thought as he turned to face the force of Emilie’s glare, and he winced before asking Derek, “Do you understand a word of what they’re saying?”
�
�I can,” Derek answered. “Unfortunately I can’t pick out what she’s saying from here.”
“She is telling Michel that where ever you come from is rich in resources—you have horses, supplies…” answered François from behind them and it took the two men everything they had not to jump from being sneaked up on. “Michel is telling her that while that may be true, it is also obvious that you can defend those resources and that travelling that far to get to some place we are not even sure of its location is foolish.”
“So, the real leader of this little community is her, I take it?” asked Zachary.
“Yes,” answered François. “Come, you should not be found out here. Cecelie is scary when she gets mad and her displeasure is not something you want to be on the other end of.”
They followed François back into the house. “She is a tyrant—as I said, Michel is a good man but Cecelie controls everything here. Do not trust any of the women… not even any of the girls.”
He went back out of the house and back to his apparent watch. Derek and Zachary looked at each other and sat back down until a knock sounded on their door.
“Are you awake in there?” came Michel’s voice.
“We were just getting dressed for the day now,” answered Derek as he opened the door, letting the other man in. “So, we had something to discuss?”
“You need to leave,” said Michel. “I’ll untie your boat from the dock under the pretence of sinking it. There’s a path along the lake that goes to an inlet from this lake over to the other one… Take your horses and go on that path. She’s not watching for you there because she thinks you’ll either run for it on the road or by the boat itself… and if me and François take the boat, she’ll watch the road instead.”
“What will she do when you come back?”
“I have no intention of coming back… once you’re done with the boat François, and I will wait for you with it. Going by lake means she cannot follow us. There’s already been a few of us lucky enough to get away from her and they said they were heading to Naughton proper to live in that community.” Michel pointed to his chin. “Now, make this look good for me, will you?”
Zachary looked at Derek and Derek motioned for Zachary to take the honours.
“You sure about this?” asked Zachary. “Is Cecelie your wife?”
“No!” answered Michel. “She came from the north… we didn’t stand a chance. The only ones that really survived the winter are me and Francois. The others all came from elsewhere—as I said on the beach—the raiders came from someplace else. I just could not tell you that they happened to choose to stay here as well.”
Derek shook his head, “I seriously misjudged this situation.”
“Do not be sorry—just do something about it now,” answered Michel.
Zachary took his swing and it connected solidly against Michel’s jawline, sending the older man sprawling on the ground. He was thoroughly dazed, but managed to point towards the back door. The two men did not waste any time grabbing their things and leaving the house. François was, very conspicuously, nowhere in sight.
“I’m hoping that means he’s off being the distraction and not running to this Cecelie,” growled Abigail.
“Abby, don’t do something stupid,” said Marissa.
“I’m not,” said Abigail. “But I am going with Michel… just in case.”
Derek nodded and said, “Good idea. We’ll meet back when this over. Be careful.”
Once Abigail vanished the same way Michel had, they made for the path that Michel had told him about. Thankfully, it was exactly as Michel had described and where he had described it. A nickering sound met him in the bushes and relief flooded him at the sight of François and their horses. Derek threw his pack on the horse and made sure everything was secure, as did the others.
“Did anyone see us leave?” asked François.
“I don’t think so,” answered Zachary.
They led the horses through the underbrush and up the side of the mountain which led deeper into the bush and the promontory between the two lakes that Naughton was placed beside. Just as the horses were out of sight, they heard an outcry.
“Michel! Où sont ces autres?” came Cecelie’s voice.
The answer was lost, but undoubtedly the answer that Cecelie had received was not the one she wanted. They all jumped at the sound of the sharp retort of a gun.
“Rechercher la région. Ils ne peuvent pas sont allés loin,” Cecelie barked.
“Cecelie, les chevaux ont disparu!”
“Voir à la route! Vous, c'est leur barge parti?”
“Non, Cecelie, le bateau ils sont venus sur est toujours là!” came another answer.
“Alors Michel a dit la vérité... les trouver! Aller à la route et obtenir ces chevaux de retour!”
Derek swallowed and looked at the others. He understood what had been said and without the boat there was no way to go around them as the promontory led straight back to the road and far too close to Cecelie’s part of Naughton. “I think they killed Michel,” he said. “If I understood the thread of that conversation right, anyway.”
François choked and looked away but turned back to them. “Michel was a good man. The pouffiasse... if we have to go through there again...”
“Do you think she killed him?” asked Zachary grimly.
François nodded, “I wouldn’t put it past her. The woman is ruthless.”
And then, in English, they heard Cecelie say, “Bring the other one out.”
Derek felt as if someone has kicked him in the gut when they saw Abigail dragged out into the open by her hair and forced to her knees. Marissa gripped Derek’s arm and hissed, “They have her.”
“I can see that,” breathed Derek, handing a rifle over to Zachery.
“Come out!” shouted Cecelie. “You knew that coming into our town meant you were ours… I saw your hesitation. Your resignation.”
Derek swallowed, and he felt Marissa’s grip tighten almost painfully.
He owed Abigail his life and now there was not a single thing he could outside of walking back down the hill to give his in return. Cecelie twisted her fingers into Abigail’s hair and forced her to bend backward. He had no way of knowing what was being said but Abigail shouted, “For the love of God, don’t give her what she wants.”
Cecelie snarled, and bent over Abigail.
Her screams echoed through the valley, and Derek twisted away even though he could not see what was being done. Zachery ground his teeth visibly as he stared through the rifle’s scope. “Can you do anything?” asked Derek.
“You do realize that if we get to Sudbury and find that civilization hasn’t fallen what we’re doing here is murder in the first degree, right?” he asked.
“Do you think we will find any sign of civilization?” asked Derek, looking at him.
Zachary shook his head, “No.”
“Cecelie just murdered Abigail with her bare hands, you going to let that happen?” asked Derek.
“Not in Sudbury, but I remember once having a situation in Montreal. Bunch of kids in a school. The reason they were all being held is fuzzy, but it was a tense one,” said Zachery quietly.
“What happened?”
“The sniper had to take the shot… the negotiations had gone south and the brass was sure that he was going to kill those kids. Had already shot their teacher,” he answered. “She was only twenty-nine and left her husband and two little ones without their mother.”
“One shot to save the others,” mused Derek as he looked at Zachary, meeting the other man’s eyes.
Zachary nodded, “I see your point.”
Derek watched as Zachary seemed to slow his breathing, stilling himself as he focussed everything down the scope of the rifle. “I have a shot.”
“Take it,” confirmed Derek.
The sharp echo of the rifle across the low plain rang out. And moments later, Cecelie simply dropped to the ground, unmoving. The raiders within Naughton did no
t fall into disarray but the next one in the chain of command took over.
Gunshots peppered the hillside and the trees they hid in. Derek and Zachary had very little choice but to take sudden cover to avoid being shot at random. A sound of fury cam from below as someone, likely their new leader, yelled, “Les salauds ont tué mon Cecelie! Tuez-les tous!”
“He’s not very happy,” said Derek. “Called us bastards and wants us all dead.”
“Yeah, I caught that,” snorted Zachary. “Well, even if there is still civilization and even if I have overstepped the bounds for an officer of the law, I am still oath bound to do my best to bring them before the courts.”
“And if they don’t want to go in front of the courts?” asked Derek.
“Normally people give up long before this,” mused Zachary and he winced as a piece of the granite that made up the Canadian Shield shattered above his head and fragments showered them. “But, it’s like in the States… we are authorized to use deadly force. If we have to… and only if there is no other way to resolve things.”
“I somehow think there’s no other way to resolve this,” said Derek as he whistled in two short blasts. Return fire erupted from the other four of his group. “See if you can take the new head of this snake… and each time a new one pops up, take him out too.”
“You got it,” said Zachary as he ducked back out again.
Derek watched as Zachary shot the one that was now yelling orders and someone managed to wing another in the arm. Emilie was also an accurate shot and he was relieved to note that anyone who had decided to get involved had managed to duck, cover and then get behind something else. The only people on the ground were any who had fired back at where Derek and the others were hidden.
The entire fire fight took only minutes and they slowly made their way back down the side of the hill and into the square below. Those actually from Naughton came out while François ran over to where Michel and Abigail both lay and he knelt down beside the older man.
It was at this moment that a young woman ran out and hugged François and he clung to her in return, kissing her forehead.
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