The water took the man full in the face, causing him to sputter and awaken. When he looked up and met Jake’s eyes, he immediately began to struggle, but the Kenoshan had bound him tightly. He eventually stopped, glaring at the two men without speaking.
Jake ignored that for the moment. “And you’re sure the Gone won’t come in?” he asked the Kenoshan.
“As sure as I can be without going to find one,” said Beaupre. He pointed to the destroyed machine near the rock. “That damned thing was making a hell of a lot of noise. If they were going to come in, that would have drawn them. As it is, I haven’t seen a single goner anywhere near here.”
“No, but I can smell them. There has to be a group somewhere close,” said Jake. The smell of goner was thick in the air, making him feel like he was cloaked in a cloud of decay.
“They're not going to come in,” said the man that the box had called Paulson. "There's a machine in the building that makes an ultrasonic pitch. We can't hear it, but apparently the subjects can, and they move away from it."
Jake approached the man menacingly. He pointed to the insignia on the man’s sleeve. "I saw that on a barrel in Snowmass. Tell me. Are you the one who poisoned the water? Why have you attacked our townships? Why have you allied with the Gone? Are you a Jezzite?"
The man began to chuckle. Kyle kicked him in the ribs, which made the man grunt. “Something funny?” he asked the prone man.
The man gave another wheezing chuckle, and then glared back at Kyle defiantly. “Yeah, something’s funny. Damn near a hundred years, and you hillbillies still have no idea what it is you’re facing. It’s like stepping back in time.” With that, he gave them a patronizing smile. “Don’t feel bad, though. You’re the fifth settlement I’ve been to, and none of you have a clue.”
Jake moved over and kneeled down next to him. “OK, so give us a clue. Who are you? Why are you attacking us? The voice on the whisper box called you Paulson?”
The man shrugged. “Sure, you can call me that if you’d like,” he said. “And as for why? Because no one will miss a few mountain towns, or the yokels that live in them.”
Understanding hit Jake. “This man IS a Jezzite,” he said. “An actual Jezzite. He’s helping the Gone to take the world.”
“Jezzite. The Gone. I hope someone writes a book about you people after we wipe you out. You’re so… colloquial.” With that, he jerked his head up violently, causing the glass pendant there to fly into his mouth. He bit down on it hard, staring at the two men defiantly.
“Kak!” said Jake, and put his hands around the man’s mouth, trying to pry his jaws open.
“What?” asked Beaupre. “If the crazy fucker wants to eat glass, let him.”
“its poison,” said Jake, finally getting the man’s mouth open. Even as he did this, though, he knew it was too late. The man began to tense up, and his breathing became labored. Jake hit him in the back, trying to get him to retch up whatever it was he had taken, but it was of no use. The man had stopped breathing altogether now, and frothy sputum was spilling from his mouth. Jake stood and watched helplessly as the man convulsed for another minute or two, before finally going still.
“Jesus,” Kyle said in disbelief. “He killed himself rather than give up his people?”
“If he was in league with the Lord of Death, why would he fear suicide?” asked Jake. “The important thing now is, will his people attack us again, afraid he’ll spill his secrets?”
“I don’t think so,” said Kyle, and he told Jake what he had heard the man say to the whisper box. “I think we were supposed to be the last test. They apparently did what they needed them too. They’ve managed to turn the Gone into a weapon. He said something about a machine that kept him safe. I bet they could use it to make them travel where they want, too. Like towards a town.”
“But we won this fight,” Jake protested. “Doesn’t that mean the test was a failure?”
“I don’t think that was the part that mattered,” said Kyle. “They wanted to test the machine. Killing us was an afterthought. And I heard him say something about ‘full implementation.’ My guess is that, when they use this again, there’s going to be even more of them. Perhaps multiple stars coming over all at once. And now they know that we know they’re out there. They’re not going to bother with subterfuge anymore. No more dropping them in the distance. They’ll drop them on our heads, inside our defenses. And who knows what other tricks they may have?”
The two men considered this in silence for a minute. “We need to let people know, Kyle,” said Jake after a moment. “Not just in the townships. Everyone.”
Kyle nodded. “You’re right. But first things first. I don’t know how that machine works, but if they used to to keep this man safe, we can use it the same way, can’t we?”
Jake nodded; it made sense. He looked down at the corpse of the man, before drawing his knife and plunging it into the base of his skull. If there was one man he did not want rising as a goner, it was him. He then cut off the insignia on the man’s jacket. “Grab that box,” he said. “Let’s go home.”
Epilogue
“No,” said Townsend. “It’s absolutely out of the question.”
“Out of the question?” asked Jake incredulously. “The man told me, flat out, that he has friends who use the Gone as a weapon. Now that man is dead. How will those friends treat us when they realize that?” He started to raise his arms in frustration, and his shoulder screamed out in pain. He had his arm in a sling again, but it would take a long time to heal.
Nevertheless, he would not have missed this meeting. Technically speaking, it was a Council meeting, but there were a lot of people in attendance that would not normally be there. Beaupre was there, of course, and so was Dave Lefton, representing the Ranchers. Most of the fighting men had been invited, as well; any plan that was made would directly involve some of them. Rory stood against one wall, scowling. Marty and Lewis had taken up spots behind Jake. Between them, Big Tom Harper stood, technically representing the non combatants that were still living out of the gymnasium.
They would be returning to their homes soon, though. In the three days since the attack, the activity in Aspen Vale had been almost manic. Lefton and his riders had ridden out every day, taking out small groups of goners that had not joined in the main attack. Lewis had done much the same with the Scouts, taking the contraption that had been christened the “squeak box” with them. It had worked as well for them as it had for himself and Beaupre the night they had found it, though they had discovered that dogs were as averse to it as goners seemed to be. Lewis said the Gone had actually turned away from them and began shambling off as they had approached, allowing them to dispatch the creatures at their leisure. Jake wished he could have seen that, but had spent the better part of the last two days sleeping and trying to rest his shoulder. Beth had made sure of that.
The time for resting was over, though. “We don’t know who these people are going to use the Gone against, and we don’t know how long those people will hold out,” Jake continued. “We need to seek them out now. If possible, figure out who they’re fighting and join forces with them. These people are fanatics, and they are more than willing to die to keep their plans secret. They WILL be back. It is only a question of when. We can’t just sit on our hands and let them have the initiative again.”
“Yes, I think we can all agree on that,” said Townsend. “What I can NOT agree to is the idea that my Scout Captain needs to be the one to do this. He should be here, helping to direct the defense of the Townships. Mother knows how long you’d be gone, or if you’d even return. It’s too great a risk.”
“You’re right. I’m Scout Captain,” said Jake. “And how do you think I became Scout Captain? By being the best damned Scout there is, that’s how. And for this, we need our best. Not our second or third or whoever we think is expendable.”
He saw Marolt and Lefton nodding at that, but Townsend was not convinced. “And who will lead your men while y
ou are gone?” he asked snidely.
“Marty. I already had planned on him training new recruits, so he will be staying right here in the Townships. Lewis here will be his second, and in charge of coordinating the patrols of the valley. I’ve already given orders that no one is to go beyond Independence Pass or the Neck; I don’t want us spread too thin.”
“You’re giving command of your forces to a Dog?” asked Lefton heatedly. Jake closed his eyes; he had expected the Rancher to make a fuss about it, but hoped that the ambassador wouldn’t use such inflammatory language at the meeting. “A Dog can’t lead men,” the Rancher was saying. “Now, at the Ranch, we have a couple of Dogs, but they know their place. We’ve learned to accept that you Aspenites have strange ideas, but asking good, honest white men to take orders from…”
“Before you finish that sentence, I’m going to ask you not to call him a Dog again in my presence. Hernando Martinez is a man,” Jake said, putting emphasis on the last word, “and my friend. More importantly, he has the respect of my forces. And last but not least, you are not Scout Captain of Aspen Vale. I am. It is my decision alone who shall lead in my absence.”
“I’m also married to his sister,” Tom chimed in, his voice low and dangerous. “So you might want to stop insinuating that the mother of my children is a bitch.”
Lefton met the big man’s gaze, not seeming intimidated in the least. “You’re all deviants,” he said finally. “I don’t know why we bothered to help you.”
“You did it for the same reason we would do it for you,” said Marty. His voice was calm and even; Jake was impressed. “You did it because a threat to us is a threat to you. We are one blood. We are one people, even if we disagree. But I’m no Dog. My grandfather fought the Black Dogs in the war, same as yours. He wasn’t a Dog, and neither am I.”
For a moment, there was an uncomfortable silence. Roger Kratt broke it. “When would you want to leave, Jake? Clearly not soon; not with how banged up you are.”
“Depends on the weather,” said Jake. “I figured I would go with Mr. Beaupre here. I’d like to have a sit down with Simon Sczcpanksi, let him know what’s happened here.”
“We shouldn’t talk as if we were actually seriously considering letting our best Scout go on a suicide mission!” Townsend protested.
“Excuse me, Mr. Mayor, but he would not be the first person in this room to survive a ‘suicide mission,’” said Beaupre.
“We appreciate what you did, Mr. Beaupre,” said Townsend patiently. “I think we can all agree that your warning gave us enough time to put up some defense, and may have saved us all. But your people didn’t send their captain. Not to belittle you, Mr. Beaupre, but they sent someone they could afford to lose. We can’t afford to lose Jake.”
“If we don’t send someone important, than we run the risk of insulting the Kenoshans,” said Jake. He wasn’t entirely sure that this was a true statement; Simon wasn’t the type to care. But Townsend didn’t need to know that. “Also, he knows me, and he trusts me. He will know that I’m not embellishing or exaggerating in order to get a better trade deal down the road.” At that, the mayor blushed and fell silent. “I’m hoping that the Kenoshans will have some more information about what happened during the attack on their town, which will point me in the right direction.”
“And then what?” asked Rory. “For all you know, you’ll end up traveling for weeks or months on end looking for these bastards. Even if you find them, how the hell is that supposed to help us, if you’re months away? You sure as hell aren’t going to stop these guys yourself.”
“All true. But I think it’s a risk I have to take,” said Jake.
Rory scowled at him. “You’re a hard headed jackass, Jake Larkin. Have it your way, then. But I’m going with you. And if you think you can tell me no, I can give you a lesson in what being hard headed means.”
"And will Charlotte be OK with that?" asked Jake.
"Of course she will. We already talked about it. You're getting too predictable in your old age; me and her have you down cold," said Rory, sounding prim.
“I’m going, too,” said Tom Harper.
Shocked, Jake turned around in his chair to face his friend. “Tom, you’re a farmer. You’re not trained to fight. I appreciate the offer, but…”
“But nothing,” said Tom, cutting Jake off. “You’re my best friend. The people in this town are my people, just as much as they are yours. And I’m stronger than anyone in this valley. I can learn how to fight.”
“And what will Fran say when she hears this?”
“The same thing Beth said to you, I imagine,” retorted Tom. “You don’t know how long you will be out there, or what you’ll find. You need people you can trust at your back.”
“I take it that I am the only dissenting voice, then?” asked Townsend plaintively. When no one responded, his shoulders drooped. “Very well. The pass won’t be safe for another couple of months at least. In the meantime, there is plenty to do. We need to build permanent defenses for the School, prepare for the Three Ponders who come, and get ready to plant.”
The meeting went on for another hour or so after that. Most of the talk was of the permanent wall they planned to build around the school complex; Marolt wanted Scouts and Longshooters to do most of the work, while Jake and Jay tried to convince him and the Mayor that the fighting men would be busy actually defending the Townships. A compromise was finally reached that it would be built mostly by new recruits; in addition to Seth, three other boys had approached Jake, looking to join. Jay had four new recruits, as well, which he had promptly sent on to Charlotte for training. She had had some vicious things to say about “Carpenter and his damned presumptions,” but Jake hadn’t needed Rory’s confirmation to know how pleased she was. The recruits would be helped by a rotating schedule of the farmers, who would work on it for two weeks at a time, and then get back to the fields.
As the meeting was breaking up, Lefton approached Jake and offered him his right hand. Jake, surprised, took the hand and gave it a shake. “My thanks to you and yours again, Captain Lefton, for the aid you gave us,” he said.
“You’re welcome,” said the Rancher. “Your… man wasn’t wrong. If Three Ponds and Aspen Vale both fell, we’d be real damned isolated at the Ranch. You may have some dumb ideas about Dogs, but joining the Townships was good for my people, and losing that could only be bad.”
“You may find yourself working with Marty if we’re attacked again. If you can’t do that…”
Lefton waved his hand dismissively, cutting him off. “Yes, yes, I know what you’re going to say. He seems bright enough. And Jay isn’t going anywhere, so there’ll be someone for me to work with. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
Jake sighed, but nodded. He had hoped for more from the Rancher, but hadn’t really expected it. Thankfully, Lefton took that nod for an end to the conversation, and walked away. Beaupre was the next one to approach him, also holding out a hand. “Well, damned glad I’ll have more than River to keep me company on the way home, and that’s the truth.”
“Are you alright with the idea of waiting until April to start, though?” asked Jake, taking the Kenoshan’s hand far more readily than he had the Rancher’s.
“Making that trip in the winter snows once was more than enough for any one lifetime,” said Beaupre seriously. “And I’ve lived near a fort all my life. I can be useful in helping you build your wall.”
Jake grinned. “I was hoping you’d say that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to talk to Tom alone for a bit.” Beaupre nodded, and Jake headed out of the Council Chamber and down the stairs. Tom Harper was leaning against the wall just outside the main entrance. Jake met his eyes, and they both started towards the Arena.
They walked in silence, getting some distance from the people milling around. Before Jake could open his mouth, to try to talk Tom out of coming with him again, his friend spoke up. “So, what are we going to do about these damned kids of ours?” he said.
Whatever Jake had thought Tom was going to say, it wasn’t that. “What can we do?” asked Jake. “It’s still early. We have a couple of months to see if it’s going to be serious.”
“And if it is?”
“If it is, than what can we do to stop it? You just volunteered to leave in a couple months.”
“Yeah,” said Tom, in a tone of voice that was usually reserved for another four letter word. “You don’t mind if I rough your boy up a little, do you?”
“Me? Not at all. But Beth might take offense.”
“That’s true. And she’s scarier than you are.” Tom heaved a sigh. “I like Seth, Jake. You’ve got a good kid. But this is my baby girl.”
“You don’t have to explain. I know,” said Jake. “I’ve already had a talk with Seth about this. I think maybe you need to follow suit. And have Fran talk to Abby.”
“That won’t do any good. Fran already has the two of them married off,” said Tom dolefully.
“Well, then, look at the bright side; I don’t think there is any way they’ll get married while we’re away. Our wives wouldn’t allow it. Forces them to go slow, right?”
Tom brightened at this. “Yeah, I hadn’t thought of that! Thanks, buddy!” They had arrived at the Arena at that point. Tom clapped him on his bad shoulder. Jake grimaced, but didn't cry out; if he knew Tom, he was looking to get just that reaction. “I’ll have that talk with him, then. I’ll do my best not to threaten his life. Too much.”
“For that, I thank you as a father,” said Jake, grinning through the pain. “Just don’t tell him about how you were around girls when you were his age.”
“Did you have to remind me? Now I want to kill him again.” Tom entered the building on that note, leaving Jake chuckling. Trig looked up at him and gave a quick whine.
Aspen Vale: A Tale of the Gone Page 24
