“I can't guarantee how long it will run, Jessie” Bob said as he climbed behind the wheel.
“Doesn't have to run long,” Jessie told him. “Long enough to get us down in there and back. If we take our SUV down there it is going to cause problems... We will look like outsiders to them... To Sarah.”
Jessie began slowly to recognize various landmarks, despite the dark, as they passed them. Here was Renton Municipal Airport, or at least what had been Renton Municipal Airport. The remnants of a corner convenience store, that Jessie knew she had been in before: Searching for maps on their way up to Snoqualmie.
The streets were clear for the main part, huge mounds of silent and rusting cars and trucks, even a few city buses, pushed and then somehow stacked one on the other at the sides of the roadway: In places it made the roadway appear as though it were a strange tunnel of some sort. They drove slowly onward passing several bonfires lit in parking lots beside the road, everywhere it seemed. People gathered around them, some just standing, some talking quietly in the darkness. Bob pulled off to the side of the road when they reached Lake Union, and eased the truck down close to the water, following a dirt track that looked fairly well used through what had been a small park.
There seemed to be a higher concentration of people here, than Jessie had seen along the entire route. Hundreds, perhaps even a few thousand people, stood around huge fires that lit the small park, or sat in small groups near the waters edge. Despite the cheerfulness the fires lent to the night, there seemed to be no real happiness at all. The grounds were covered with hastily constructed dwellings, some no more than a few boards nailed together, others built somewhat more solidly. All however, had one thing in common, they had been there a while, Jessie thought, as she stared through the dusty windshield. She could remember a few of them, and many more had been built in her absence.
Old and weathered, tar-paper roofs, the ones that had roofs anyway, most didn't. Jessie had expected it to be rundown, or maybe used, or something like that, but this ... this was bad, a lot worse than she had expected, and why? Why hadn't they simply left?
“Why aren't they living in the buildings, houses, apartments? The city seems full of real houses, real buildings,” Janna said.
“It seems like they just gave up,” Ally said. “Maybe they waited, I suppose, for someone to come, and no one did. And ... they just kept waiting?”
“But why not live in the houses? There must be thousands of them ... empty ... just sitting there?” Janna said.
“When I was here before... It has been almost than a year, the rats, disease from the sewer systems, they were still having explosions from natural gas, or sewer gas, they were afraid, too many died that way... I imagine they still are.”
“Well, why not just leave, just go, get out?” Bob asked.
“Because they may have been waiting for me... Sarah and I ran this settlement... The others ran Snoqualmie. I meant to come back sooner. I never meant to be gone so long.”
It doesn't... "It doesn't make sense," Janna continued, "why live like ... like this?"
Bob shut off the truck, Jessie retrieved a large black bag, and they all climbed out and began walking toward a group of people several yards away. Janna could see a tight group of armed men watching them carefully as they approached.
“There are still raiding parties,” Jessie told them, “groups of people that come and steal whatever they can ... the children ... women ... don't talk Janna, Bob, you either Ally. I can handle it.”
"Far enough," one of the men said, stepping forward. He looked to Janna to be at least six two, or better, and powerfully built. Probably better than two twenty, at least, and none of it looked to be fat. A shock of red hair sat atop his head, framing his broad pale face. He was accompanied by a bent and shuffling old white haired woman, who peered curiously through a pair of cracked spectacles at the three of them. The old woman shuffled closer, suddenly stopped, planted her hands firmly on her hips, and looked at Jessie.
"That you, honey? That you, Jessie?" the old woman asked. She pursed her lips tightly over her toothless mouth and cocked her head to one side as she pushed the glass's further up the thin ridge of her nose.
"It's me, Mama," Jessie said, "and I bought along some friends as well this time."
"These damned glasses, well maybe these damned old eyes too, honey, well come on then, child. Rodney! Quit holding that damn rifle on 'em, can't you see it's Jessie? Maybe you oughta be wearing these specs 'stead of me."
Jessie ran forward and hugged the old woman tightly, Bob and Janna followed. Rodney lowered the rifle as they approached, and shook the hand that Bob offered him.
"Good to meet you," Bob said smiling.
"Good to meet you too," Rodney said. He turned to Jessie. "I guess mama's right though, the eyes are fading fast, I wasn't sure it was you, Jess, and we've had a load of trouble just lately."
"Raiders?" Bob asked.
"What else," Rodney replied.
Jessie drew two pairs of reading glasses from her pocket, polished the lenses and then handed one to Rodney. She handed the second set to Mamma.
"I ain't no doctor of course, but, honey, they seem as though they was made perfect to me."
"I hoped they would be close, Mamma," Jessie said, "I worried about you walking around not being able to see well. Rodney, are yours close?"
"Close heck," Rodney exclaimed happily, "they're damn near perfect." the small silver framed glass's looked strangely out of place on Rodney's wide face to Janna, but below them a huge grin had blossomed and lit up his gray eyes. Janna grinned back as Rodney's eyes turned towards him. "Hey and how do," Rodney said, and stuck out his hand, "Rodney, as you heard already I suppose."
"Janna," Janna said, still grinning, and shook his hand. Rodney's huge hand swallowed Janna's own, but the shake was soft and friendly, warm.
"We got some pretty sick babies, and a couple a children to boot, honey, did you bring medicine? Most anything we could use right about now."
"I did Mamma. Quite a bit in fact, we found a good sized drugstore that hadn't been touched, and we came close to cleaning it out."
"All in that little bag, honey?" the old woman asked, smiling as she did.
"It's bigger than it looks, Mamma," Jessie replied.
"Seems though it is always," the old woman said wisely.
"Mamma, where is old Dan?" Jessie asked. Old Dan was Mamma's husband. Jessie had expected to see him and was surprised he was not here.
"Child, old Dan had to go. More than a month ago now, went home to Jesus, honey," the old woman said sadly.
"I'm sorry, Mamma," Jessie said.
"Why, what for, honey? Old Dan just got there first is all, and to tell the truth I don't think I'll be missing him for long child," the old woman said seriously, "lets go look at them babies, honey."
Janna stayed with Bob and Rodney, as Jessie left with Mamma to look at the children. As bad as it was, as rundown and hopeless as things had looked, there was apparently a great deal of love here, Janna thought, her first impression had been wrong.
“Love is what keeps them going, I think,” Bob said as though reading her mind.
“But why don't they leave, there have to be places to go?”
“There are, but getting past the raiders isn't easy, a lot of us would probably die, and ... and she wouldn't leave without Jessie. But there may only be a short while now anyway,” Rodney said.
“Why only a short while yet?” Bob asked.
“Mamma is dying, and no matter what Jessie gives her to help her hold on, it won't help forever. A lot of us are staying because of Mamma, and once Mamma goes we might leave ... We might chance the raiders and leave ... I don't want to see Mamma go ... but ... maybe it's time.”
"Come on with me," Rodney said after a few moments of silence, "We've got some good trading stuff, and if we can reach a deal we can pack up your old truck while Mamma and Jessie take care of the children." Rodney moved off after he finished s
peaking.
Bob dickered for twenty pounds of venison, and a half dozen new-looking blankets.
"You sure?" Rodney asked, "I mean that ain't a lot, and you ain't even sure yet how much Jessie needed for the kids and babies."
"It'll be more than enough," Bob said smoothly, "fact is we can use that venison, and the blankets. We're heading up towards Snoqualmie settlement, and we'll probably end up camping a night or so on the way ... the venison will work out fine, we won't have to hunt, and the blankets will come in handy for trading once we get up there."
Rodney looked doubtful, but he also looked relieved. "If you say so, Bob, but if it ain't okay with Jessie I can do a whole lot better."
"You know what they're getting for fresh venison now?" Bob asked. "If you ask me I feel like we're getting the better deal. If anything Jessie might be mad at me for taking advantage of you. You sure you can let loose of twenty pounds?"
"We'll ... of course I can," Rodney said, obviously even more relieved. Maybe it was a fair trade after all, he thought. Mamma would be just as angry with him if she thought for a second that he'd somehow taken advantage of them.
Janna helped load the blankets and the meat into the back of the truck, and just as they were finishing, Jessie and Mamma returned. Jessie exclaimed over the venison, even more so than Bob had done, and by the time they had left Rodney had convinced himself, and Mamma as well, that the trade had been fair all the way around. Mamma leaned in through the window of the truck.
"You be careful now, honey. Them raiders is gettin' braver and braver it seems, all the time," she looked over at Bob, and then at Janna. "You two best have a care for this little girl of mine, hear?"
Bob hoisted a long rifle from the floor. "Don't worry, Mamma, nobody will hurt Jessie," he said confidently.
Jessie leaned through the window and hugged Mamma once more. "You take those now, Mamma," she said in a near whisper, "they'll help with the pain."
Mamma flapped one hand at Jessie. "It ain't that bad, honey."
Jessie kissed her again. "Love you," she said, tears beginning at the corners of her eyes.
"Why I love you too, honey, now you be careful," she was doing the best she could to hide her own tears.
Bob worked the shifter into reverse, grinding the gears as he did, and slowly backed the truck up, turned around, and drove out of the small settlement.
They drove in silence for a while, even their thoughts strangely subdued, and without form.
“Soon?” Bob asked.
"Probably no more than a few weeks," Jessie answered quietly.
"Do you think they will leave then?" Janna asked.
"I wish I knew," Jessie answered. “If we could do something about the raiders it might help. I'm going to wait though. We'll take care of things at Snoqualmie... I don't know how happy they will be to see me, and then we'll come back here and wait it out.”
They drove back down Martin Luther King Way, and Bob angled off the road near one of the bonfires they had passed earlier. The three of them exited the truck and slowly approached a large man, bigger than Rodney, Janna thought, who stood close to the fire watching them.
"How do," Bob said, as he approached the man. The man simply nodded his head.
"We're traders," Jessie said.
"Ain't got a thing to trade right now," the man replied sadly, "times is tough ... you know."
"Well," Bob said, "trading ain't exactly what we had in mind. "This damn truck," Bob said, turning and rapping the hood of the truck with one hand, "ain't runnin' worth a damn. Folks down the road said we maybe could get you to take a look at it ... said you was about the best around here. We're heading up to Snoqualmie settlement, and I sure don't need it to be breaking down up in those damn mountains. Ain't got a lot, some deer meat, and a couple other things, we were hoping maybe you could take a look at it, and maybe we could pay with something we have. We ain't rich mind you, but we got a little of everything," Bob finished. The man considered briefly.
"Where d'you say you was coming from?"
"Mamma's place," Bob replied.
"Well now, if Mamma sent you then I'd be more than happy to take a look at her for you." He crossed to the hood, Bob levered the release, and the man stared down into the oily engine compartment.
"When's the last time you 'placed them plugs?" he asked.
"Jessie?" Bob asked, turning to Jessie.
"It's one of those you pick up at the side of the road,” Jessie said "Our last one gave up. I don't want to be stranded half way up that mountain,” Jessie finished.
"You the one they call Jessie?" the man asked.
"Why yes," Jessie said.
"Heard a you. It's been a long while since you been down this way, but I remember when you were. You're welcome here, and I can take care of this truck for you ... think you could take a look at a couple of the kids while you're here?"
"You know," Jessie replied, "we'd really appreciate that, and that sounds good and fair to me. You sure it's no trouble?"
"No trouble," the man said smiling, "I'll get some help, and while you're looking at the kid's we'll get her done ... if it's a deal," he finished, looking slightly worried.
"Oh it's a deal all right," Jessie said, "I can't tell you how much we appreciate this. Bob and Janna there don't know much about trucks, and with the raiders being what they are ... I was kind of worried, I don't mind saying."
"Well, set your mind to ease then," the man said smiling, "I'll take care of it, and she won't break down when I'm done with her."
"Good," Jessie said, "if you could just show me where the children are?"
"Sure, sure," he walked away and Jessie followed.
Janna and Bob wandered around the small encampment as Jessie took care of the children. Whatever the small black bag produced was received gratefully, and in most cases needed greatly. Two hours later the truck was finished, and they were on their way once more. Minus the venison, and several items that Jessie had pulled from her black bag.
The Nation
The Council
The silence went on forever. The only sound was the shuffling of feet in the large open area, Conner decided to break it himself rather than wait for someone else to do it.
“I'm going to talk... I'll tell you what happened, what we know, and then I can't imagine what questions you might have, many, few, none, but if you do,” he spread his hands to include all the council members. “We'll answer them” he finished quietly.
As he spoke the people listened intently. There was no hiding the fact that something horrible had happened in the clinic. Everyone in the Nation had seen the blood covered sheets covering the bodies that were removed from the cave. Several watched as Jake and a small crew dug holes in the cemetery, using pickaxes to get them started in the frozen ground. Without coaxing the people had begun to gather in the main cave area. All work in the Nation had come to a halt.
“There is no need to be concerned that this will go on from this point... I mean a break out of plague with-in the nation: That isn't going to happen. We took care of it right there.” He closed his eyes for a moment. There were so many sets of eyes staring back at him. So many questions waiting to be asked, it seemed. He opened his eyes. “I don't have anything else for you,” he said quietly. “I don't.”
“What about the doc., Was he bitten? Was anybody bitten?” Janis Emerson. Conner knew the name.
“Fine,” Katie said. “Everyone is fine. No one was bitten, cut, injured. There is no reason to believe the virus was passed on to anyone in that room... Me included.”
“Doctor Stiles was never in the room,” Aaron added.
“Why not,” Shar asked from the edge of the crowd. “Shouldn't he have been? Isn't that why we got him here?”
Conner held up his hands as a strong murmur ran through the crowd.
“Look... Emmett Stiles was not present at his own request... Is that the best circumstance? No. We will address it. Doctor Steve was in charge. His glove was shre
dded. I know there were some rumors going around about that, but it was shredded from catching it on an instrument edge... No bite. No skin broken. No injury. No infection.” He took a deep breath. “I have little babies, friends, a woman I love... I have as much invested here as anyone. If I thought there was a reason to leave I would say so. I would leave. There is no reason. We are not compromised... This situation happened because another doctor ignored the protocols we put in place to protect ourselves... Ignored it, and this woman was allowed to live among us... Carrying the virus... Bringing her... Baby to term.” He released his breath and took another before he spoke again.
“I can't read peoples minds. I don't know what their motivations are, or even if there was any motivation involved in this. For all I know it was a simple mistake... People make them. This one was made and it came to and end. No one was injured, hurt, infected... It's over now.”
“I think we are all going to be much more careful... Sandy has been given the ability to monitor this more fully, and she will. There will be no new people allowed into the Nation without a full check up,” Amy said. “The area we have in the one barn is going to be changed up a little. We decided this as a committee, but I'll share it with you. We have used it to keep people that are infected apart from us. Now we will use it for everyone coming in to the Nation. From now on no one walks directly into our midst. We'll have temporary quarters in that building now... The whole building will be taken over. Until a doctor clears you, you don't leave. It's that simple.”
“There is a mandatory twenty-four hour hold too,” Katie said.
The low murmur swelled. More than a few people voiced agreement.
“What else do you feel we can do? … As a community, or us as a committee?” Bobbie asked.
“Is Sandy the one in charge now?” This from Chloe.
“She is,” Conner answered. “You know, more than one of us brought it up. She has learned to be a doctor. She earned the job. She is part of us. We may have overlooked that and we shouldn't have. So now we have corrected that. She is the head doctor. She is in charge. We have spoken at length to her and she will run a much tighter ship.”
Earth's Survivors: box set Page 214
