Only the Few

by L. N. Denison

  Cooking had never been a particular skill of hers, but she would do her best to work with what she had. She emptied the tin of ham onto a chopping board and diced it to create a hash. She then poured some of the powdered mash into a glass jug she found on the shelving underneath the prepping area.

  With most of the dinner done, all she needed was for Marcus to join her. She was quite proud that she hadn’t burnt anything. Once she finished the vegetables, dinner was served. When Marcus failed to appear, she considered shouting at him to come down, but she didn’t want to have to do that. She had hoped the enticing smell of the ham would alert him that food was ready.

  No sooner had the thought of hurrying him up entered her mind, Marcus strolled into the kitchen. He’d shaved and washed his hair which was again tied back off his face in a tidy ponytail. His blue eyes sparkled under the light. He looked half decent, and certainly a lot younger than he had done. His clean-shaven face was a massive turn on for Hyde. She found herself gawking at the two-tone effect that the shave had left in its wake. The clothes that she’d found fitted perfectly. Ignoring the fact that this new look had stirred a lustful desire within her, she beckoned him over to the table.

  “I hope you like your meal.” Hyde pushed the plate towards him, giving him a cheeky half-smile. “It was the best I could do.”

  “It looks—” Marcus hesitated, looking down at the mishmash of food in front of him. “It looks wonderful.”

  She smiled at his acceptance and they tucked in. For what it was, it tasted quite good. Both sat savouring every mouthful until the very last. It wasn’t long before they were licking their plates to make sure they got every last morsel.

  “That was wonderful, well done.” Marcus reached over and gave her arm a gentle squeeze.

  “Dessert?” Hyde asked, having managed to cobble together a fruit salad, which actually looked rather tantalising.

  “I’ll go and find some drinks to wash it down with,” Marcus said.

  Taking a bite of her fruit salad, Hyde watched as Marcus got up and walked out of the room.

  He was back in a few minutes. Placing two cans of Coke on the table with a flourish he said, “I hear this was a superior vintage.” She grinned as he slid a can her way. “Best we head upstairs soon, we need to get going early.”

  “Yeah, I agree,” she replied, grateful at the thought of sleep. She suppressed a yawn and cracked open her Coke.

  Before she managed to get the can to her lips, it toppled out of her hand and cold liquid splattered over her lap

  “Damn it!”

  Stifling a laugh, Marcus threw her the tea cloth that sat on the edge of the table. “Here, wipe yourself down and head off. You look absolutely shattered.”

  Hyde nodded. Marcus had hit the nail on the head—a good night’s sleep in a soft bed sounded like heaven.

  CHAPTER 17

  Marcus’ patience was wearing thin. He had given Hyde a set time of six-thirty to get up. It was now after eight, and there was still no sign of her. He considered dragging her out of bed, but after the few days she’d had, he figured he had asked for too much when setting such an early time to rise. If he woke her now, he would appear obnoxious and heartless.

  He gathered some supplies to pass the time, mostly little titbits of food, as they wouldn’t have time to stick around to eat anything. Intent on continuing the search for his daughter, every minute Marcus wasted, the farther away Jas might end up.

  After what felt like an age, Hyde finally showed her face, yawning, much to Marcus’s relief and frustration. She was up but clearly in no fit state to head out.

  “I hope you don’t think we’re stopping for breakfast? We haven’t got time for that,” he said as he picked up the rucksack. “Pass me your uniform,” he said, referring to the bundle in her arm. “I’m sure there’s room in the bag for it as well.”

  She looked at the smelly mess of loosely tied material and grimaced. “If you knew how badly these clothes stank, you wouldn’t be offering, Sir.”

  His brow creased with disapproval. “What did I tell you about calling me ‘Sir’? Please, call me Marcus. I won’t tell you again. Now hand over your clothes.”

  Hyde took a step back “Okay, sorry—Marcus.”

  Annoyed with himself for snapping at her, he tried to moderate his tone. “That’s better.” He grabbed the dirty bundle of clothes from her hand and stuffed it in the bergen, then flung his arms through the loops of the bag and headed for the exit, checking over his shoulder to make sure Hyde fell in line behind him.

  On exiting the place that had been their home for the day, Marcus assessed which way to head. Wracking his brain to remember the geography of the area, he thought Sheffield was probably the way to go. A map would be bloody useful about now. There had to be a tourist centre around here somewhere, or at least what was left of one.

  No sooner had they rounded the corner, one building stood out from the rest, majestic and tall—Leeds town hall. The town hall would have a map, and sure enough, in the foyer, there was a stand full of them, for the surrounding area and attractions.

  He grabbed one of the folded maps, looked at it for a few minutes, then took the rucksack off his back and tucked it down the side. By now, Hyde had joined him.

  “We’re heading for Sheffield,” Marcus said, as he heaved the tin-laden bag back onto his shoulders. He began to head south, and Hyde kept close to his side.

  They’d been walking for around an hour, passing nothing but more ruin and destruction, when Hyde pointed out a signpost that told them Wakefield was a further seven miles. This would be their first rest stop on the journey to Sheffield, and Marcus estimated it would take around two hours at the pace they were going.

  ~

  Wakefield looked like everywhere else they had travelled, desolate and in ruins. The only things that covered the countryside were mounds of rubble and craters as far as the eye could see. Marcus hadn’t seen so much devastation since leaving the Yorkshire Dales, but he was willing to bet Hyde had seen worse. Her shoulders slumped as she looked out over the scene. He wondered if she was imagining it as it had been or another scene entirely. Either way, they couldn’t stand here gawking all day.

  He placed his hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “We need to bypass this place, it doesn’t look safe. No telling where there are hidden hazards. We can eat as we go.”

  Hyde’s head shot up.

  Marcus shifted his focus and heard the sound of motors. They were getting closer.

  “Run,” Hyde said, in a frantic whisper.

  They ran for a nearby ditch to take cover, not knowing if they had been spotted. All they could do now was wait. The thought of it sent a cold sensation through Marcus’ body. If they were caught, the scavengers would probably kill him quickly, Hyde on the other hand...

  ~

  Hyde gestured for Marcus to keep his head down. But the vehicles sounded like they were slowing down. Another spike of adrenaline hit her. The scavengers had shown her unit no mercy, the suffering poor Charlie had endured before he died was testament to that fact. The vehicles finally rumbled to a standstill, around twenty yards from where Hyde and Marcus were entrenched. Dread swept over Hyde as she grabbed hold of Marcus and held him tight.

  Peeking over the edge of the ditch, Hyde saw two vehicles surrounded by men and women with guns. Judd, and a bound and gagged Jas were amongst them. Those are my unit’s vehicles! Angry thoughts of revenge swirled around her head, but they were soon broken by Judd’s angry voice.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Judd shouted as he brushed aside the greenery with the tip of the rifle he’d taken from Hyde days earlier. He had Jas gripped by the elbow with his free hand. “I won’t ask you again. Get your fuckin’ arses out where I can see ‘em.”

  There was a brief silence then several gunshots were fired into the air. On seeing his daughter, Marcus started to rise from their hiding place. Without a word, he made his way into the open, his hands held high
in the air.

  “And you, Hyde.” Judd pointed his weapon her way.

  She remained stock still, not immediately willing to adhere to his command.

  “Come on, I haven’t got all fuckin’ day.”

  With a twang of fear invading her senses, she rose from the ditch and made her way up to join Marcus, also raising her hands to the sky.

  Judd beckoned for two of his scavengers. “Secure our guests and load them into the van.”

  One of the scavengers ordered Hyde and Marcus to lower their hands. The rucksack was pulled off Marcus’s shoulders and thrown on the ground. Hyde heard Marcus grunt and watched as he fell to his knees. He didn’t make another sound, but his jaw clenched.

  The man hovering over Marcus pulled out a length of rope from his utility trousers and tied the prisoner’s hands. Hyde’s attention shifted from Marcus to the scavenger beside her. He swatted the back of her head, forcing a muted grunt from her lips.

  “Put your hands on your head, and don’t fuckin’ move,” he bellowed in her ear. She complied.

  The man grabbed the back of her neck and pushed her belly first to the ground. He then pulled her hands behind her back and tied them tight, cutting off her circulation. Grabbing the top of her right arm, he pulled her roughly to her feet. It was in her nature to struggle, as she tried desperately to break the man’s strong grip. But those efforts did nothing more than earn her another swift blow to the back of the head as she was led to one of the vehicles. The strike was fierce and disorienting, leaving her world spinning out of control. She gritted her teeth, determined not to show her distress. These bastards were like animals, they went for the weak first. The only advantage to being caught by them instead of the cavers was that they had human emotions. They had clearly done all they could to bury those emotions deep below brutality, but they were there nonetheless.

  “Get your skinny little arse up there,” her captor growled as he led her to the rear of the transports. “I don’t want to hear a peep from you, do you get me?”

  If she could have saluted him out of sarcastic hatred, she would, but with her hands tied, she settled for a cheeky click of her heels.

  CHAPTER 18

  This was supposed to be some kind of exchange, Hyde thought as the van bobbed along. Staring across at Marcus and Jas, she wondered what would happen to them. The fear was evident in the eyes of both father and daughter. A scavenger sat on either side of them, leering at their captives. The situation they had found themselves in was not one Hyde could see a logical way of escaping. It was yet another issue that needed to be solved, yet something told her this time a solution didn’t exist.

  The vehicle ground to a halt, catapulting Hyde into the scavenger beside her. The scavenger shoved her onto the floor. She landed hard on her knees, and pain shot through her kneecaps. But she refused to give them the satisfaction of voicing her distress. She was a soldier. She could feel Marcus’s gaze upon her, but she knew he couldn’t do anything about the situation any more than she could. She needed to remain stoic, not only for her own sanity, but for the others as well. She felt a sense of responsibility to them, more so to Jas than Marcus, being as he was strong enough on his own. In fact, he was the one person who held her together.

  The back doors of the van were flung open. Someone grabbed Hyde’s feet and pulled her out, causing her to land straight on her back. Air expelled from her lungs, forcing her to gasp for a new lungful. You’re just winded, hold it together. She steadied her breathing as Marcus and Jas were pulled down, both of them landing firm on their feet. Jas was led away by one of the scavengers, looking pitiful as she glanced back over her shoulder. The expression of mingled fury and sorrow on Marcus’ face as he watched her go made Hyde wish she could offer him even a single word of hope. But hope was a luxury far beyond their grasp.

  Hyde was marched over to a wooden pen with at least fifty people already crammed in it—other survivors who had been unfortunate enough to get caught. All were gaunt and pale, as if they hadn’t been fed for far too long. Hyde’s unease grew as she stared at their hopeless faces. Why are they being held? What possible advantage do they give these scavengers? The holding area was several feet in height, and razor wire covered every inch of its perimeter. She could see no opportunity for escape.

  The sound of heavy breathing met Hyde’s ear and made her skin crawl. She felt someone unbind her hands before they shoved her into the pen, Marcus not far behind. She rubbed the areas where the rope had cut in, bringing her hands back to life.

  The steel door clinked shut and was locked behind them. Fear gnawed at Hyde as she took in her surroundings. Even though she wasn’t confined in a cave, this situation came in as a close second to the experiences she’d had within the cavernous walls. Hold it together, she told herself in a desperate attempt to retain her sanity. It would be so easy to lose it; to give in to the panic; to succumb to her urge to scream and throw herself at the wire. But that wouldn’t help anything or anyone. Remember the mission. Survivors back to London. You’ve found survivors. Now keep your shit together and work out your next move.

  A vast difference between this situation and those she had been in with the cavers was that the scavengers were far less predictable. There was no way of knowing what was going to happen here. That was unless one of the other prisoners might be willing to divulge. She turned to a woman who looked more approachable than many of the others.

  “Excuse me—do you know what’s going on here?”

  The woman just shrugged, and remained silent as she slowly moved away.

  “Uh . . . Miss? Can you tell—”

  “Don’t bother,” Marcus said, sounding defeated.

  Hyde’s head went down at hearing Marcus’ words. There was no fear like fear of the unknown, and at the moment, all she knew for sure was that Judd appeared to be running the show, and he was still a prize arsehole.

  ~

  Although the scavengers left the pen’s inhabitants alone for most of the day, Hyde’s gut instinct told her that they liked to have fun with their captives by night. She couldn’t be sure, of course, because nobody was willing to speak. They were clearly too frightened. She assumed there must be severe consequences for making any sort of noise, and based on the state many of her fellow prisoners were in, some of them had already experienced them.

  She turned her attention to a couple of scavengers who were standing close by, talking and pointing toward the pen. It felt like if something was going to happen, it would be sooner than later. The scavengers walked away but continued to look in the direction of the pen. What the hell are they planning?

  It wasn’t long before she had an answer. The scavengers came back with a couple more men and a bucket, and every other captive in the pen started crowding toward the back of the pen, some of them whimpering in fear. One of the men pulled what looked like a wet rag out of the bucket. He held it at the bottom, then set fire to it. Oh shit! This isn’t good! Hyde thought as he aimed it towards the cage without throwing it, clearly enjoying his game of toying with the prisoners.

  The man standing next to her spoke in a whisper. “They do this every night, and I always wonder if we are going to survive until morning.”

  Even in the weak light, she could see the man had sunken eyes. The poor sod had a visible twitch and a case of the shakes. Something about the fact that he had spoken to her made him feel even more human than the others. The sight of him, knowing what it was that had caused his afflictions, inspired a new hatred for Judd and every other scavenger who was willing to disregard human life in such a disgusting way.

  “I would move as far back as you can,” he warned. “Sometimes they don’t miss.”

  She wanted to heed his warning, but there wasn’t enough room to be able to move back more than she already had. If the burning rag came over the top, there would be casualties; it didn’t take a genius to work that out. She looked over to Marcus. He seemed lost in thought, oblivious to what was happening. She considered
going to comfort him but ultimately chose to stay where she was; knowing there was no way to get through the cluster of people.

  She turned her attention back to the man with the slow-burning rag, waiting for him to lob it. He teased the prisoners with his indecision, inventing his own method of psychological torture in the process. Every time the prisoners would flinch or cry out, he would grin. He seemed particularly fond of targeting the criers. Taking note of that, Hyde set her resolve not to voice her fear. He wouldn’t get any satisfaction from her. But no sooner than she had made up her mind, a thought occurred to her. Maybe the other captives’ fear is protecting them; if he doesn’t get a reaction he likes from this, he might move on to more extreme methods.

  One thing was certain, nobody could sleep while this was going on, not that they had any room to lay down anyway. Hyde certainly couldn’t sleep. The laughing and taunting seemed endless and her frustrations began to bubble out of control. What fucking right did he have to do this to innocent people?

  “Come on then! If you’re going to,” one of the prisoners shouted across to them. The whole pen turned to the culprit, a young male, terror stricken.

  “What do you think you are doing?” Hyde rasped out. “You’ve just killed us all.”

  The boy furrowed his brow at the absurd notion. “No I haven’t, don’t be so fuckin’ stupid.”

  And then it came, the first of many flaming projectiles hurtled toward the pen, followed by dozens of others as each of the men outside the pen lit a piece of rag and chucked it at them. None of the projectiles made it over the top of the razor wire, but it didn’t stop the shrieks of fear within the pen. Everyone tried desperately to get as far back as they could. The women screamed, the children wailed, and the men tried to keep order in the face of that fear.

  “If they intended to cause us harm, they would’ve moved closer and their aim would be better,” Hyde said calmly. “Like you said, they are just toying with us.”