“What happened?” asked Dan. He had subtly moved her away from the rest of the crowd, so now it was only Dan and Gordon with her.
Lila explained how she arrived there, then asked them what had happened to them.
“We came off the trail too,” explained Gordon. “Actually, not too far from here. The trail passes less than a mile that way,” he said, pointing past the fence. “We were met by some guys in a truck, who told us they could get us a hot meal and a hot shower. Well, that was enough for us. We were thinking of the kids. They needed a break. So, we got in with them and the rest is history. We’ve been here almost a week.”
“What exactly is this place?” asked Lila.
“Hard to say, exactly,” replied Dan. “The best we can figure is that this Major Wells …”
“Who, we’re not sure is a Major at all,” cut in Gordon.
“We think it’s all about power,” continued Dan. “The oldest story in the book. He sees that the country is in shambles. Somebody’s got to lead. The problem is, if you’re going to lead, you need followers. So, where to get your citizens? In his case, he hijacks them. He sends teams out to pick up stragglers, brings them back here, and expects them to become loyal subjects over time. He probably figures that somewhere down the line, once he has their loyalty, he can move out of the camp, back into towns.”
Lila was confused. She was also hurting badly. She wanted to get out of there to help Ben, but couldn’t do a thing about it. Inside, she was weeping. Outside, she had to show strength. It was killing her. “Two things I don’t understand: Where did he get his little army; and how does he expect the people here to follow him?”
Gordon looked away.
“Second question first,” explained Dan. ”He deprives us of everything. He feeds us enough to keep us alive, but we have to earn things. We have to volunteer to help out in some way. He doesn’t ask. I think he figures that if we come to him offering our help, it’s more effective than him asking us. It puts us in a more subservient position. So we can earn more food, the occasional cold bath—in bath water that has been used by people before you, of course—an extra blanket on a cold night, things like that.”
“Tell her,” said Gordon.
“I will. Give me a minute,” replied Dan. “The children get as much food as they want. Wells figures that if he’s good to the children, they’ll grow up admiring him.”
He continued, “As for your first question, I think he had a couple of followers starting out. He may have actually been the leader of a small cult—but I can’t be sure. I think he made deals with various men along the way; if they worked for him in establishing a new regime, they’d get special treatment and would be assured a high post when it all gets established. I’ve overheard some of the guards talking, so that’s where I get this.”
“Tell her,” persisted Gordon.
“In a sec. Wells is the leader here, and he’s not too awful, in his own way. I have a feeling his original intention, though misguided, was genuine. The thing is though, he has a second-in-command who wields the real power. I think it’s just a matter of time before he takes over. His name is Captain Sharp. He’s real mean. You don’t cross him. There were some guys who did, and he made a public showing of their punishment. He made sure not to kill them, but it wasn’t pretty. Major Wells stays away from that stuff.”
“Tell her!”
“Tell me what?” asked Lila.
“I told you that they make us ask to help,” said Dan. “They also keep the men down through beatings and intimidation. Keep us weak and fearful. The women, however are kept subservient a different way.”
Here it comes, thought Lila.
“Wells and Sharp choose whatever woman they want for the night … every night. Sometimes they let some of the guards have their pick too. Gordon’s wife has been given to the guards twice already. What she’s had to submit to is beyond criminal. It’s heinous.”
Gordon was crying.
Dan continued. “Rewarding his guards with a woman every once in a while keeps them hungry and loyal. So really, it’s the two oldest things: power and sex.”
“The thing is,” added Gordon, wiping away his tears. “Wells likes his women young. He’s going to take an immediate liking to you.”
Not if I had any say in the matter.
Chapter 12
(Lila)
As Lila was talking to Dan and Gordon, she noticed the furtive glances by many of the other residents. Dan caught it too.
“They all know who you are, although many are confused because it’s just you, and not both of you. I think some of them are hoping that you can somehow save them from this place. Others have made comments that they are disappointed that, besides being alone, you are smaller and younger than they thought you’d be,” he explained. “On the other hand, one of the citizens—that’s what Wells calls us—was near the door and heard your comment to Bill about shoving the knife up his nose. That made its rounds almost instantly, reviving people’s hope in you.”
“One person can’t do it alone,” said Lila. “They have to be willing to do their part.”
“And that’s the problem,” replied Gordon. “They are already so beaten down and frightened, I just don’t know how much help you’d get. You can count on Dan and me of course, and we know of a few others, but after that …”
“Here’s the other thing,” added Dan. “Be very careful who you talk to. Some of the citizens have become informers in the hopes of getting extra privileges.” He put his arm around her shoulders. “We’ll walk you to your shelter. I’m sorry about Ben. He’s strong though. You never know. He could pull out of that on his own.”
“Even if he did, he’d never know where to look for me.”
“I’ve watched you two,” responded Dan. “You have a really strong connection. If he’s alive, you’ll find each other.”
“I want to get out of here as quickly as I can and get to him.”
Ben and I were a team. It seemed so strange to be without him. We always made decisions together. But, we were always on the same wavelength, which told me that whatever plan I came up with would be one that Ben would agree with. So I just had to pretend that he was here with me. He WAS here. His enthusiasm, his bravery, and his spirit were so much a part of me, he could have been standing right next to me. I wished he was.
Changing the subject because it was just too painful, Lila said to Gordon, “How’s your wife holding up?”
Gordon looked as if he was going to cry again. “She’s ashamed. She doesn’t talk much anymore. I don’t know what we’re going to do.”
“If she’s willing,” said Lila, “I’d like to talk to her. I think I might be able to help.”
“Thank you,” replied Gordon. “I’ll tell her.”
They reached Lila’s shelter, such as it was. A tiny A-frame, just big enough for one person to sleep. It had been shoddily put together. It was damp, probably from the last storm, and Lila could see the sky through large gaps in the wood. It would be useless in the rain.
She looked at Dan. “You said awhile ago that Wells wasn’t awful. Why? Because he’s not as violent as Sharp? Don’t kid yourself. He’s just as bad—maybe worse because he hides his ugliness behind Sharp. Anyone who would do this to people,” she swept her hand to indicate all of the people and the shelters, “is evil. It’s a crime that with all the good people in the world who died that day, people like Wells and Sharp and Tank would survive. Well, we took care of Tank. Now it’s time for Wells and Sharp to pay.”
I remembered the fury with which Ben exacted his revenge on Tank, Slash, and Coke. I had pleaded with him to stop because his rage scared me. I didn’t like what he had become that day. Now I understood. I had the same rage, only I realized that I was more calculating than Ben. He let his out in a firestorm that annihilated everyone in his path. Mine was building slowly. When I took my revenge, I was going to enjoy it. Every minute of it. I was going to make them pay for what they had done to
Ben, to my life with Ben, and to people like Gordon’s wife, who deserved none of it. If it meant I had to work alone, so be it. If it meant I had to die in the process, I wanted the name Lila to become a rallying cry for all who refused to put up with evil in this new world.
And how would I try to do all this? With a one-inch blade on my Swiss Army Knife!
Dan nudged Lila. “Here they come.”
From the large main building came a small group of men. The one in front was in his late forties or early fifties, average build, and a shaved head. Next to him was a much younger man, overweight, with a scowl. They were surrounded by four armed men.
“Wells is the bald one and Sharp is the fat one,” said Dan.
They were walking as if they were the president and vice president, expecting people to cheer for them. No one cheered, but it didn’t seem to faze them. There were, in fact, a few of the weaker citizens who were trying to shake their hand, so as to ingratiate themselves and maybe get rewarded. Wells and Sharp ignored them.
As they approached Lila, she was torn as to how she would handle it. Does she play it cool or take it right to them? She finally figured she’d wing it.
“Welcome to our camp,” said Wells, holding out his hand. She shook it. “We’ve been hearing about you; the famous Lila.”
“I’ve gotta say you don’t look like much,” put in Sharp.
“Captain Sharp,” said Wells, “I am sure you’re familiar with the saying, ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ Let’s not misjudge Lila. Now you’re not going to cause any trouble, are you?”
“All I want,” she replied, “is to get back to my boyfriend. He’s hurt and he needs my help. Can’t you just let me go?”
“I’m sorry,” said Wells. “We can’t do that. You see, a country must protect its citizens, and this is the safest place.”
“Who put you in charge?”
Sharp slapped her so hard across the face, she hit the ground and rolled about ten feet.
“Don’t you ever talk to our leader like that again,” he bellowed at her. “The next time you do that, there will be serious consequences.”
Lila got up slowly. She had tears in her eyes and her jaw ached, but she was determined not to show any emotion.
“I’m sorry for Captain Sharp,” said Wells. “He can be a little overprotective. I’ll invite you over to my quarters one of these evenings for some nice conversation. I hope you’ll come.”
Like I have any choice, thought Lila. But to Wells, she said, “I’d be happy to. I look forward to your invitation.”
“Good. Good. Well, I must be off.”
Off your rocker, Lila wanted to say.
The group turned almost as one and headed back to the main building.
“Are you okay?” asked Gordon. “You’re bright red where he slapped you.”
“I’ll be fine, thank you,” she answered.
The funny thing is, I was fine, except for the devastation I felt over losing Ben. I had a mission to free the people here and to make Wells and Sharp suffer as horribly as possible. And I would do it.
It suddenly hit me that I was starting to believe my reputation.
Lila had work to do. She could almost laugh at the thought that a few weeks earlier, she was still in high school, waiting tables in a little chain restaurant, and now she was planning murder and a jailbreak, with a hundred people counting on her to succeed.
“I need to know,” she said to Dan, “how many guards there are in total, and how many at any one time are on duty.”
“That I can tell you,” he answered. “We thought about an escape attempt a few days ago, but scrapped the plans. There are sixteen guards in all. They take twelve hour shifts, so there are eight on duty at a time. Here’s the thing: of those eight, four of them are often gone looking for new citizens—like how you were found. That means there are often only four guards on duty during the day.”
“But,” he continued. “They have M-16s and are always keeping an eye on us. They don’t get close enough for any of us to overpower them, and they are usually outside the fence. We’ve thought about running en masse at the gate, but we’d get mowed down. I doubt if anyone would make it.”
“No,” said Lila. “We have to plan something they wouldn’t expect.” She looked around. “Where do they store the gas for the cars?”
“Over there,” said Gordon, pointing to a building close to the fence. It was next to the building Lila was processed in. “You have to understand, Lila, that we’re with you a hundred percent. However, if your plan—whatever it is—doesn’t work, they will take it out on the citizens here.”
“Like they’re not already?” asked Lila, with a flash of anger. “Look, if there’s one thing Ben and I have learned to do since IT happened, it’s to survive. I fully expect us to make it through this, but with survival comes risks. That’s how you get better at it, by taking risks. If people here aren’t willing to take a risk, then they’re not worth saving. They have to want it. Otherwise, I’ll just work on getting myself out of here.”
Gordon was embarrassed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. How could things possibly get any worse for us here?”
“What are the other buildings used for?” she asked.
Dan answered. “One is for supplies. It also houses the kitchen. The other is a bunkhouse for the guards. The building they processed you in seems to be used for meetings, as well. As for the big building, we don’t really know. We do know that Wells and Sharp each have their quarters there, but as to the rest of it, maybe they’re planning on expanding as the citizen population grows.”
The annoying sound of an air horn came across the compound.
“That’s the signal for dinner,” explained Gordon. “You might want to eat. You don’t get much around here.”
She got in line with the others and held out a tray. The expressionless woman serving the food slapped a spoonful of rice on the tray, followed by a smaller spoonful of canned peas and a plastic spoon. It seemed that most of the people just stood around and ate right where they were, piling their trays on a table when they were done. Then they wandered back to their shelters.
It made me angry to watch this happening. I thought back to school and learning about the various “camps” throughout history: the Nazi death camps; Manzanar; the relocation camps in South Africa; and countless others. Did I pay any attention, other than to learn it enough to pass a test? Yeah, right. Did it have an effect on me whatsoever? Of course not. This was going on all over the world and I couldn’t have cared less. Maybe I would’ve cared if I had taken the time to really study it. But I had other things that were important. Maybe I was paying my penance now.
But I was also angry at the “citizens” here. How bad does your life have to get before you fight back? These people were like sheep. No, at least sheep make some noise. These people seemed to have given up the minute they walked in the gate. You have to fight back. You have to.
During one of our many conversations, Ben had admitted that he spent most of his life a chicken. He was always bullied and was too scared to do anything about it. Look what happened when he fought back. Look what happened when we both said, “We will survive!” I had to somehow instill in these people a will to live. And it wasn’t going to be easy.
Lila walked back to her shelter alone, lost in her thoughts. She was thinking about Ben, lying there all alone in the dark woods. She waited until she was in the privacy of her shelter before she allowed herself to cry.
She was tired, but forced herself to stay awake. She wanted to get an idea of where the guards posted themselves during the night. She realized that at night, there would be a full complement of eight guards, with nobody driving out. They stationed themselves at intervals outside the fence. Going over or under the fence at night didn’t seem the best idea. She finally fell asleep, only to be awakened by the air horn at seven the next morning.
The next five days were frustrating for Lila. It seemed that every idea she came
up with for escape was countered by an obstacle that made it either impossible or too risky. She couldn’t help thinking that Ben was dead or dying. She thought about what Dan said, that she and Ben had a strong communication. She would lie in bed at night trying to communicate with him. The only thing she felt was his distance.
Meanwhile, she would see Wells and/or Sharp walking around the camp during the day. Sharp was just plain mean. He was always beating a man for some minor infraction. For the most part, he left the women alone. They had other uses. Wells was different. She never saw him strike anyone, but he was equally as foul. In addition to parading around like a king, he found every opportunity to degrade the men, usually in front of the women. He emasculated them time and again, obviously in the hopes of breaking them. He would approach women he had spent time with and describe their night to their husbands. Sharp was a bully. Wells was just plain evil.
The only positive happening was her talk with Gordon’s wife, Melissa. Melissa sought her out one evening as Lila was sitting outside her shelter watching the guards. She approached Lila from the darkness and sat down next to her, not saying anything. Lila said hi, but decided to let Melissa have her space. Although Melissa was a good twenty years older than Lila, her confidence had been battered to the point where Lila could tell she was barely hanging on. Finally, after several minutes, Melissa said softly, “Gordon suggested I talk to you, that maybe you can help me.”
Lila touched Melissa gently on the arm. “I don’t know if I can or not, but seeing you so beaten down infuriates me. I can’t stop them from doing the things to you that they do, but maybe I can help you get through it.”
The tears were streaming down Melissa's face. Lila knew that if she couldn't get through to her, Melissa wouldn't last much longer.
Eden Rising (Eden Rising Trilogy Book 1) Page 11
