by Nelson, Kip
“It was a mistake, and I apologize for that,” Mack said, glaring at Saul as he added, “nothing like that ever will happen again. If you would just allow us to continue on our way we can forget this ever happened.”
“That's going to be a bit of a problem,” James said, “because we don't take kindly to people taking what's ours. And more's the point, Saul here is supposed to be, well, I'm sure he's told you, but he's supposed to be dead. What kind of a person would I be if I went back to camp and had to tell our leader that, not only did I let some people leave without being punished for their crimes, but that I let Saul leave, too? I can tell you I wouldn't be the most popular man in camp.”
“We don't want any trouble with you. We're on our way to the city. We're just trying to make our way in this world.”
“And you won't get any trouble from us, as long as you do as we say. The thing is, we've already had trouble from you and we just can't abide by that. Who knows what other trouble you'll wreak if we let you go? We have a responsibility to keep criminals in line. After all, in a world without laws we all have to take up the mantle of the police. As a result, we're going to have to take you back to our little camp. We'll decide what to do with you there. Billy, cycle ahead and see if you can get a wagon to meet us so we can transport these people back quickly.” One of the men jumped on a bike and disappeared into the forest.
His words were extremely rich and Mack already disliked the man, but he could do nothing other than listen. Any attempt to fight would have ended in their deaths. So it was that Mack had to surrender and be led away back into the forest, away from the city, making all their progress seem pointless. James and the two remaining men pulled out bits of cloth and blindfolded the four of them before they walked away, which made it harder to walk. Mack could hear Grace curse as she stumbled over obstacles on the ground. Their supplies and weapons had been taken from them as well.
Mack tried to listen for any distinguishing sounds, and he hoped James would drop some valuable piece of information while talking with his companions, but alas, there was nothing to be gleaned from them.
Eventually, Mack heard more voices as the group met with more allies. Mack and the others were unceremoniously pushed into the back of a wagon, still with their blindfolds tied firmly around their heads and their arms restrained behind their backs. Mack decided to remain silent as he was sure his enemies were going to listen to anything he said, too. He didn't want to give them any clues as to the dynamics of the group. The wagon ran over bumpy roads, and since they couldn't see what was coming, they had no idea when to brace themselves. So they often were caught unaware, and suffered numerous uncomfortable bumps and bruises.
The journey took the better part of the day. Mack dreaded to think how long it would have taken them had they had to walk all the way back. Having a wagon was certainly a benefit in this new world. It was no wonder Mr. Smith had managed to build a swift and strong base when he had such modes of transportation available. Mack was intrigued to meet this man at last, very intrigued indeed.
The wagon eventually stopped. Mack and the others were pulled down from the wagon and they walked a little further on. The smell of cooking meat greeted them, as well as the sound of the hustle and bustle of a community. It was a sound that Mack had not been sure he ever would hear again as it was rare to come across such a large group of people, even if most of them were a little on the barbaric side. When their blindfolds finally were removed, Mack was able to look out at the community, and found it was exactly as Saul had described. It was a mishmash of huts and tents, and a variety of people mingled. Many of them looked at the new arrivals; some with pity in their eyes, others with a vicious glee.
As they were led through the camp Mack made note of what he could see. There were people with guns guarding certain tents, and Mack assumed these were where the supplies were kept. There was a paddock where horses were kept, but these were the only animals Mack could see. He assumed they were kept there as transportation, and that this group had no intention of breeding animals and using them as food, at least not just yet. That made sense when they had people like Willie to do all that for them.
Small fires were dotted around the camp as people broke up into smaller groups. Many of them looked malnourished. The distinction between those individuals Mr. Smith trusted and those he just used was clear. In the middle of camp was a large, crackling bonfire, and as they walked closer to it Mack could smell the ash and feel the heat on his skin. They were moved so quickly Mack didn't have the chance to listen in on any conversations. So he could pick up only snippets of words, and none of them were enough to give him any more insight than he already had.
Eventually they were thrown into a tent and outside they heard someone being ordered to guard them.
“What the hell did you do that for?” Mack yelled, rounding on Saul as soon as they were alone.
Grace and Luis looked accusingly at the newcomer as well. “I told you not to try anything stupid, and now look at us. We're exactly where you didn't want to be.”
“I never told you to come and be a hero. You could have left me to die,” Saul said.
“If you've learned anything about me over the last few days then you should know that I wasn't going to do that. You should have listened to me. It wasn't the smart call.”
“Maybe it wasn't, but you people have been going on about the city all this time. I thought I'd try helping you out. You saved my life. I wanted to repay you and I thought if I could get you those bikes it might go some way to making up for it. You should have left me to rot. These people know me, they didn't know you were there. You could have escaped and carried on your way.”
“And what? Always be thinking about how we had left you to die? No, thank you,” Mack said, and the others agreed.
After the initial outburst of tension things settled somewhat, although Saul decided it was best if he stayed quiet for a little while. They were discussing their plan of action when the tent flap opened and a young man, a teenager who could be no more than eighteen, entered and set down a tray that had meat and water.
“Thank you,” Mack said as the teenager set down the tray.
“I'm Mack, can you tell us your name?” he asked. The boy glanced at him quickly then looked away. His eyes quickly drifted over to Luis and Grace, but he never looked at Saul.
“Would you be able to tell me how long we're going to be kept here?” Mack said, hoping that enough questions would open the boy's mouth.
“I'm not allowed to talk to you,” he said, his voice quavering.
“It's okay, I don't want to get you into trouble,” Mack said, offering a smile before the boy left the tent. As soon as they were alone again Mack turned to Saul.
“There has to be a way out of here. How do we escape?” he asked.
“Weren't you listening when I told you earlier?” Saul said as he stretched out his limbs and lay on the ground, placing his hands under his head. “The only way anyone gets out of here is to die.”
Chapter Ten
None of them expected to stay in captivity for very long, especially not Saul. So they were surprised when, after a few days, they were still in the tent. The tent was big enough for them to stand up and walk around, but after a few days it was feeling increasingly small.
“At least let us out for a walk! I know that you can hear us!” Grace yelled out to the guards, although there was no response. There never was.
“I didn't think I'd be lasting this long,” Saul said, unsure why Mr. Smith had not killed him yet, after all the trouble he had put him through. Luis was unusually quiet, this being his second time in captivity, while Mack steeled himself and reminded the others to try staying calm.
“I know it's difficult, but try to not let it get to you. This is exactly the kind of thing they want to happen. They're trying to get in our heads right now. I've seen enough of this to know what's happening.”
His words didn't have the effect he intended, and tension
only rose among the four of them. Even though he had employed these kinds of techniques himself during his career, even he was not immune to them. He was frustrated they had lost days' worth of progress by being brought back here. If this was a sign of things to come then he never would make it back to Anna, or even out of these forsaken forests. But there was still hope.
The same young guard came to give them their meals every day. Mack continued working on him, trying to form a bond that he could exploit at a future date. The guard was still reticent to talk with Mack about most things, but Mack didn't let that stop him. Eventually Mack learned that his name was Steve. Mack made sure to thank Steve whenever he brought them their meals or took their dirty plates away. He instructed the others to do the same, which baffled them.
“Why should I thank him?” Saul said in his usual gruff tone.
“I don't know why you waste time talking to him anyway. He's just a runt and he doesn't have any say in the workings of this place.”
“That runt, as you so nicely call him, is the only person we've had contact with and if we're going to get anywhere we're going to need his help. When you thank someone, they feel good. If you make someone feel good, they're going to think well of you. It's simple psychology.”
From that point on all of them thanked Steve effusively whenever he did anything for them. In time it paid off, for one day Mack complained of an ache and asked Steve if he could be taken out for a walk so he could stretch his legs. It took a few moments, but eventually Steve allowed it. Mack winked at the others as he left the tent.
“Well I'll be damned,” Saul said.
Now that he was out and could see the camp in the daylight Mack was not pleased with what he saw. The population was mostly made up of normal people and they were hard at work, tending to the buildings and other equipment. In the distance, he could hear loud laughter. It was clear the people who had the power were not putting in the work.
Mack tried to make eye contact with some of the prisoners but they rarely looked up, and it was a sad sight to see how demoralized they were. Steve stood close by as he escorted Mack around the camp. Mack tried talking with him more to get more information, but this time Steve remained tight-lipped. Mack noticed he was casting furtive glances around, and concluded that the young man was afraid of being caught by his superiors.
“Don't worry, Steve, I'm not going to try doing anything stupid. You're the one with the gun, remember?” Mack said.
Steve tightened his grip on the gun, almost as though he had forgotten it was there. Mack remembered what Saul had said about Mr. Smith giving power to some people just to keep their families in line, and he imagined Steve was one such person.
“Are your parents guards here, too?” Mack asked. Steve stumbled, the question catching him off-guard.
“No, they're not. How did you know my parents were here?”
“I had a feeling. Are they proud of you for having such a high position?”
“I...I don't really know. I haven't thought about it.”
“How did you find this place?”
“We were just...We were scared, and these men came and said they had a sanctuary for people. So we came and it was this place.”
“Do you like it here?”
“I like it better than out there.”
“You know we haven't done anything wrong, don't you? And keeping people prisoner like this isn't right,” Mack said.
Steve looked away and chewed his bottom lip, but before he could say anything the man they had met at Willie's farm came up to them. Mack straightened his back and looked the man in the eye. Steve had the opposite reaction, and knew that he was in trouble.
“Had a feeling I'd be seeing you again. Heard that they captured you, and brought Saul back, too. Have to admit I wanted to be the one to bring you in. We don't like troublemakers around here,” the man said.
“So I've heard,” Mack replied. “You know, I never did catch your name back at the farm.”
The man smiled, and still didn't offer his name. Steve seemed surprised that the two of them had encountered each other before. The man with no name turned his attention to the young guard.
“Now then, I thought you were under strict orders to keep these prisoners in the tent. You weren't supposed to take him on a tour of the camp. They're very dangerous and you would be wise to do your duty. Don't get caught up in whatever he's been telling you. This man has a silver tongue and he'll try convincing you to do anything. Go take him back and I won't tell anyone about this, but if it happens again then you and I will have to have words. I might even have to take it to Mr. Smith.”
The mere mention of Mr. Smith's name was enough to strike fear into Steve's heart. He quickly agreed, directing Mack back to the tent. Although Mack tried to speak to him some more Steve was not responsive.
On the way back, Mack tried making note of where everything was in the camp as he wasn't sure when he would get another chance to see it. By now he pretty much had figured out where the weapons were being kept. His tactical mind already was working on a plan, because he didn't plan on staying there forever, and dying was out of the question.
Later in the day somebody came into their tent and informed them they would be dining with the leader that night. Saul was not enthralled with that proposition, but Mack was glad finally to get to meet Mr. Smith face-to-face. He had heard so much about this man that it would be interesting to see how he matched up to the myth. Before they left for dinner Mack went up to Saul.
“You're the only one who has been here before. Is there anything you can tell me that will help me? Anything that you haven't mentioned already?”
Saul turned to him and looked at him with bloodshot eyes. “He's an evil man, and I wouldn't believe anything he says.” And that was all Saul could offer.
In time the four of them were collected from the tent and led through the camp, past the horses, into one of the recently built huts. Inside the hut was a table with six chairs surrounding it, although only five of them would be used on this particular night. They were escorted by people who Mack had not met before, but they all treated Saul with scorn. It was clear he had not been lying about his reputation. Grace and Luis were scared, so they stuck close to Mack. While they were being escorted they did not have an opportunity to talk. However, the escorts left them standing inside the hut and there they waited.
Fine china and food were laid out upon the table. It looked to be roast chicken with all the trimmings. It was the finest meal they had seen since the farm, and was unusual in such a place. The table didn't seem to fit either, and evidently had been appropriated from another source. The chairs did not quite match the table, so it gave a pretense of elegance; an illusion. Luis walked up to the table, enchanted by the delicious smell of food.
“Is this another trap?” he asked.
“I don't know, but go carefully,” Mack said as he examined the bare walls.
While Mack, Luis, and Grace remained standing, still wary of what may happen, Saul pulled out a chair and planted himself in it, folding his arms across his chest and looking thoroughly miserable. After a few minutes, they heard the tent flap being pulled back and a man entered. He was smaller than Mack had envisaged, but he had a quiet confidence about him. He moved as smoothly as a snake and his silver hair was almost white. His eyes were gray and he wore a suit, from which he pulled out a pocket watch and glanced at the time.
“I'm sorry I'm a little late,” he said in a clipped voice, “but you must understand running a place like this does sometimes lead to unforeseen events. Please, have a seat, but first I must say it is an honor to meet you, Mack. I've heard a lot about you.” Mr. Smith walked forward and held out his hand. As Mack clasped it Mr. Smith placed his other hand above Mack's, and gripped his hand tightly.
“The pleasure is mine, I'm sure,” Mack said as he pulled out a seat, and quickly nodded to Grace and Luis to do the same. Mr. Smith took his seat at the head of the table and pulled out a napkin, lay
ing it on his lap as he picked up a knife and fork.
“It's such a delight to be sitting down and sharing this meal with you. I do enjoy meeting new people, especially when we have so much in common. It seems as though we've been bumping into each other all over the place without ever having had the chance to talk. So here's to you,” he said, raising his glass.
“Mack, Luis, Grace,” he said, looking at them each in turn, “and Saul, who I have missed so dearly. You know, I fear that the last time we were together I let anger get the better of me. So I'm glad you managed to find your way to safety and back here to where you belong.”
“I don't belong here and you know it,” Saul snapped. Mr. Smith blinked and his mouth tightened.
“Now, now, let's not get into that again...brother.”
Mack's eyes widened and everyone looked at Saul, who sat with the same expression on his face. Mr. Smith chuckled. “Oh, I see you have some explaining to do,” he said, and sipped his wine while looking amused.
Chapter Eleven
Mr. Smith just had revealed to the group that he was Saul's brother. Mack, Luis, and Grace all turned to stare at Saul, dumbfounded. There were so many questions they wanted to ask Saul, but this wasn't the time or the place. They were being held against their will in the camp, and despite the china plates, the comfortable chairs, and the well-prepared food, this was still a prison and none of them wanted to be there. Least of all Saul, who had sunk so low into his chair he almost had disappeared under the table. His arms were folded and his eyes were locked on the plate in front of him, as though he could force the rest of the world away with his willpower alone.
Mack was stunned by this revelation. Ever since he had met Saul, Mack had the impression that the big man was hiding something. Yet, he never would have guessed that it was this, and he didn't know why Saul hadn't told them about it in the first place. The nature of their relationship could have huge ramifications for them all, and it once again painted Saul in a selfish light, as a man who was out only for himself. This saddened Mack because he thought their short time together would have changed him for the better.
