“That should work out well,” Kotchel replied. “The shaft has been replaced on the cutter, so we can head out there in the morning, as well. What about the people from the Chinese sub? They’re here with us, sitting out in front of the harbor, kind of protecting us while we’re in dry dock, I think. I recall you agreed to allow them on the island.”
“I’d forgotten about them,” Peckham admitted. He called out to Zach, who was sitting at the outside table conversing with several of the community leaders. “Zach, could you come in here for a minute, please?”
When Zach was inside, Peckham told him what Captain Kotchel said, and asked, “Would you mind if the Chinese stayed with you in Avalon? We’re tight on space here at Two Harbors, and there’s probably enough left in Avalon to house hundreds.”
Zach didn’t reply right away. “Captain Wang and most of his men are convinced the war is over and will be assets,” he finally said. “However, there are a few who really resented dealing with us. I believe they consider us their sworn enemies.”
“Then I can see why you wouldn’t want them with you in Avalon.”
“I can’t turn them away,” Zach said. “They saved my family’s lives twice, and I owe them a great deal. As far as I’m concerned, they are welcome in Avalon. I just wanted you to be aware that, like you, we not only have to be on the lookout for intruders, we have to keep an eye on our own population.”
“The people who started that crazy war sure left us a mess,” Peckham lamented. Zach didn’t respond. There was nothing he could add to such a simple statement of fact.
Chapter 16
LEAVING from opposite ends of Two Harbors and two hours apart, two boats were scheduled to depart the Isthmus area for the town of Avalon the next morning.
The winds ranged from fifteen to twenty knots, so Zach and Stacey decided to sail to Avalon Bay from the southwestern side of Catalina Harbor. They still had most of the extra barrels of diesel they picked up in Hawaii. Their full-keel ketch sailed magnificently in winds over fifteen knots, and it felt good to be in a routine again.
In addition to their two children and Zach’s mother on the boat, George, the ex-hotel concierge who had traveled with them from Hawaii, was also accompanying them. He would look over the hotels in Avalon to determine how to get them back into operation. If Captain Kotchel kept bringing in new people, they would need the space.
Millie, the owner of Aunt Millie’s Hotel in Hilo and George’s ex-boss, stayed at Two Harbors to help get the one hotel there back in shape. Several shells from the container ship days earlier hit it, and it needed work to get it functional again.
A second boat, a forty-seven-foot cabin cruiser, left Isthmus Cove two hours later. It motored the much shorter distance to Avalon Bay from the northeastern side of the island carrying supplies and the six volunteers who would help the new people get acclimated to the new living conditions. Warren was part of the group.
With good winds, the La Sirena had already rounded the southeastern point of Catalina and headed the short distance to Avalon Bay when the cabin cruiser arrived. Not knowing for sure if all the bad guys were dead in the town, the Arthurs lowered the sails and motored the last few hundred yards. That way, they only needed one person at the controls and the others could be on the lookout for any dangers that might befall them.
The cruiser slowed as it approached the stately old casino near Descanso Bay, the beginning of Avalon proper’s Northwestern end. As with the crew of the La Sirena, all hands aboard were armed and on guard.
Both crews could see the coast guard cutter heading their way, but it was moving slow and was at least two hours away, so they decided they would do some preliminary exploring while they waited. They heard that thugs had overrun Avalon a month before, and that pirates killed them on the container ship, but no one had any concrete information. There were almost four thousand people there before disaster struck the world. Were they all gone? Even though they knew billions had died worldwide in the nuclear holocaust, it was hard to believe four thousand locals were killed. Here, there had been no war, just crazed hoodlums. Would the thugs have killed them all? Were the rumors true that they had turned into cannibals? As best they could, the people on the two boats from Two Harbors had to find out for themselves.
The La Sirena pulled up to the pier at the southeastern side of town where ferry boats in the past had loaded and unloaded passengers.
The cabin cruiser pulled up to the dock that led to the center of town. They used it for glass bottom tour boats, water taxis, and other small craft before the war. It was hit by rocket fire in several places and was partially burned out but was still usable.
An armed person remained aboard each boat to guard against intruders. Fifteen-year-old Glen Arthur stayed aboard the La Sirena because he hurt his leg two days earlier saving a young girl from a landslide. No one really expected trouble, but the times called for precautionary measures. Glen kept one eye on the surroundings and the other on a book he had carried for the whole trip to the South Seas and back. It was a book he started reading only in preparation for a high school class, but he and Denise had both become so interested that one always had it open. He was amazed that history could be so full of intrigue and on that day, he returned to an early section to get a better feel for how the country’s government was established and changed.
On land, led by Warren, those from the cabin cruiser carried automatic weapons as they began their patrol. That was true for the crew of the La Sirena, as well, except for Mae Arthur. She could shoot an AK-47 well enough but was more comfortable with her 12-guage shotgun in close situations.
They would check out every building they passed, looking to see if the structure was functional – and if anyone inside, good or bad, was still alive.
* * * * *
In the first hour, the Arthurs searched all the buildings on the first street on the southern edge of Avalon from the pier to the center of town. The people from the cabin cruiser moved northwest, checking the buildings on the first street in from the coast. When they got to the casino, they checked that and then moved inland to check the buildings on the next street in from the coast.
Thugs damaged and burned one fourth of the buildings. The thugs had invaded right after the war started on the mainland.
Tank and rocket fire from the container ship had hit quite a few building days earlier. Some of those buildings still smoldered in the wake of that attack. Most of the buildings were ransacked; however, one whole block, including a hotel, was not hit by gunfire. That block could serve as housing for the new people coming to Catalina.
The searchers had found dead bodies – all bodies of hoodlums, and all killed recently. Most were killed by falling buildings or shrapnel, but a few had single gunshot wounds. Most of the wounds were in the fronts of the bodies, but some were shot from behind.
Zach found that curious. The container ship that shelled the town had troops with automatic weapons, tanks, bazookas, and a helicopter with missiles. That would explain the ruined buildings, the shrapnel, and the gunshot wounds to the fronts of the bodies. But, could the pirates aboard the ship have gone ashore and somehow managed to get behind the thugs in town? He didn’t think so. He wasn’t a trained crime scene investigator, but he’d seen enough dead bodies over the years to know this looked strange.
They came across the group from the cabin cruiser when they were working one of the back streets. They were high enough when the teams converged that they could see the bay. The coast guard cutter was arriving. It would dock at the pier in twenty minutes or so.
They still had several streets to check out; the Arthurs would complete the search. Warren and his group, all trained survivalists, would go down to the pier to meet Captain Kotchel and the thirty-six people he was bringing in from the Simi Valley. George would go with them to show them the block they felt would serve as housing for the newcomers. Warren and his people walked back toward the bay.
The Arthurs turned to continue the
ir investigation of buildings. Before they got to the end of the block, Mae raised the barrel of her shotgun and blasted a gunman who was leaning around the side of the corner building.
They all dropped to their knees and scanned the area, looking for more enemy shooters. Denise spotted a bearded man on a near hill overlooking the town. He had a rifle trained on the area. She clicked her AK-47 into single-shot mode and took aim.
“Stop!” Zach exclaimed. “Don’t shoot that man.”
* * * * *
Chapter 17
“WHO is he?” Stacey asked, looking at the man on the hill. He still held his rifle but made no move to raise it to his shoulder and focus it in on them.
“I saw him for a few seconds yesterday,” Zach replied, “but I’m certain it’s the man who saved my life – before Mom and Denise did.”
“Why is he standing out there in the open?”
“He seems to know what he’s doing, so I guess the man Mom killed was the only bad guy in the area.” Zach got to his feet, and the others followed suit.
“But you said that man wanted to stay hidden. The man up there is in plain view,” Stacey pointed out.
“I think he’s letting us know that he wants to talk. While the four of you check out the last of these building, I’m going up there to see him.” Zach walked in that direction.
“Be careful,” Stacey cautioned worriedly.
“He wouldn’t have saved my life just to kill me,” Zach reasoned.
“Zach, he may think there are no other bad guys around, but I wouldn’t stake my life on it,” his mother said.
“I’ll be on the lookout, and I’ve got my AK-47 ready just in case, Mom.” He smiled. “Besides, I’ve already learned that he’s keen on killing bad guys. He’s watching things from one side and I have you guys protecting me on the other. I couldn’t be safer.”
They all moved out, checking every building and bush as they went. The only things between Zach and the man on the hill were small trees and bushes. It would have been near impossible for anyone to hide behind any of them, but he checked them out anyway.
* * * * *
When Zach got to the top of the hill, he found the man sitting with his back resting against the trunk of a tree. His rifle was leaning against the trunk next to him. The man appeared to be of medium height with a slender build called “wiry.” There were several men with builds like that in the Rangers with Zach, and he recalled that they all were quick and tough. The man’s hair and beard were longer than what might be considered normal, but he wasn’t ill-groomed. His clothes were the sturdy kind. They were old, but not dirty.
Zach reached out a hand. “My name is Zach Arthur.”
The man didn’t get up, but raised his hand and shook Zach’s. “Murray Abrams. Sit down and take a load off.”
Zach sat on a grassy spot near the base of the tree. “First,” he said, “thanks for yesterday. “They would have got me if it hadn’t been for you.”
“There were too many of them, and they were planning a sneak attack. I kind of evened the odds a little. Besides, I figure you returned the favor a minute or so ago. It looked like that gal down there was going to shoot me.”
Zach nodded. “My daughter, Denise. She’s a crack shot.”
“Glad we’re talking, then” Abrams said, a smile playing on lips almost hidden behind his full beard. “I already saw how good the older woman is. I had spotted the guy and was about to pick him off, but she got him before I could.”
“You didn’t seem like a bad guy. Besides what you did to save my life yesterday, I know you saw us today long before we saw you. You could have picked a couple of us off before we could take cover, but you didn’t.”
“I saw enough of you to know you’re good people. I like to consider myself that way, too, and it’s not right for good people to fight one another, especially with what’s happened to the world.” He smiled again. “And even more so if one side has a crack shot on their team.”
“I’d say both teams would have crack shots. You didn’t miss a one yesterday.”
“I aim careful. I can’t afford to waste bullets.”
“I’m guessing the guy my Mom shot was the last one in the area.”
“The last one, period.” He still had the smile. “Really good to finally be rid of all that trash.”
Zach returned the smile. He pointed to the area behind the town. “Do you live back there?” Abrams nodded. He was silent for almost half a minute, and then said, “I saw you reading my trail the other day and could tell you knew what you were doing. I thought I should get you up here to talk and save you the trouble of tracking me down. Not too anxious to have any more people know where I live than is necessary.”
“I thought as much,” Zach said, “but I probably would have gone looking for you eventually. As you said, these are bad times and a person needs to know who is in the vicinity.” Abrams nodded again. “I’d do the same.”
“I know.”
“You’re the first one who’s caught me watching. Were you special forces?”
“Army Ranger. You?”
“Yeah.” He didn’t elaborate.
“Middle East?” Zach asked.
“Yeah,” he repeated. “Both Afghanistan and Iraq. I finally had to get out.”
“So you came out here to live pretty much as a hermit, I gather. You must have been pretty fed up with people.”
“No, that wasn’t it. I still like people. Well, some people. There are good folks at Two Harbors, and I had friends here in Avalon. Never saw much of them, but I did come into town sometimes.
No, the problem isn’t people, it’s me. I. . . got used to killing. I couldn’t trust myself not to lose my temper and kill someone who didn’t deserve it.” He looked at Avalon and shook his head.
“What?” Zach asked.
Abrams motioned toward town. “All of a sudden, a bunch came out here that definitely deserve it. So, I did some killing.”
“Mr. Abrams, what happened down there?” Zach asked, looking at all the destruction.
“Call me Mur.”
“Mur?”
“Short for Murray. I know, I’ve never heard it anywhere else, either, but that’s what folks call me. I’m kinda fast, so they’d say, ‘there’s Mur the blur.’ Now, are you interested in what’s happened the last few days, or since the war started?” Zach figured that Mur had few people to talk to in recent years, so now that he had an audience, and had a lot to say, he was going to take advantage of the situation. “Both, I guess.”
“Okay. First, the dead bodies you saw when you searched. Those thugs came and ruined the town a month ago. The big ship you guys sunk the other day came here before it went to Two Harbors. It had tanks and a helicopter aboard and used them to blow everything and everyone to kingdom come.”
“Some of them were hit from behind,” Zach noted.
“Oh, sure, they were some really bad guys, so I shot as many as I could, when I had the chance. It wasn’t the first time, either. I saw that you guys sank the container ship so, apparently, the guys on board weren’t good guys, either, but they couldn’t have been worse than the ones who were here. I’m not the slightest bit sorry for killing them.”
“Who were they?”
“So that you understand it all, let me back up and tell you the story from the start of the bombings on the mainland.”
“Go ahead.”
“At first it looked like Catalina was going to come out of the crazy week-long war unscathed. When the bombs started dropping, I could hear them and see the explosions from a hill back there.” He motioned inland, but didn’t point in any specific direction.
“Mushroom clouds went up all over Southern California. I could see some north, too. Fortunately for us out here, the Santa Anas weren’t blowing. There were some strong winds, but they were blowing inland, so the radioactivity and smoke all blew into the interior of California. Might have got as far as Nevada an’ Arizona, for all I know. For the first few
days, there were massive amounts of bombs, missiles, rockets, and planes flying in every direction, hitting anything and everything. Whoever was doing it – I guessed China or Russia, but who knows? – was using every imaginable weapon.”
“That’s probably who it was,” Zach agreed, “but, as you said, who knows?”
Mur continued. “Then, it slacked off. I suspect that by that time, there wasn’t much left on the mainland to destroy, including people. There was still fighting, but I don’t know who was fighting whom. It was probably hand-to-hand after the first four or five days. I could still hear shots and some small explosions, but that was all. Then, I couldn’t hear anything from over there. I haven’t been privy to any news reports, but usually all kinds of diseases follow in the wake of bombs scattering everything around. It surely must have happened over there.” He pointed his bearded chin toward the mainland.
“I haven’t been back long,” Zach said, “but I’ve heard that some diseases spread across every continent.” “Figures,” said Mur. “Okay, back to here. As I said, during that first week, it looked like Catalina was going to get off without a scratch. But, although most thugs are stupid, they have keen instincts when it comes to self-preservation. A bunch of hoodlums got hold of a ferryboat and five or six hundred came to Avalon.
“I was right here when they landed. I had come here the day before with my rifle, but I only had about thirty rounds of ammo. When I saw the ferryboat land, I went back for more ammo and some other equipment. Not that I thought there was much I could do against six hundred armed bandits, but I had to be prepared if any chance arose that I could do something.
“The guys who came on that ferry were brutal. Most were loaded, on either drugs, or booze. They killed everyone they saw. Just for fun, they killed over half the people the first day. A couple of thousand of the townspeople were dead. . . just like that. With all the noise and people running around in a killing frenzy, I took advantage and killed as many of the thugs as I could. I killed about forty, I suppose. No one even noticed I was shooting from here. And, of course, it didn’t change a thing. The slaughter continued. They would have killed even more that first day, but they found several places where the town’s booze was stored, so they stopped to get even drunker.
Seeking a Sane Society: Nothing is the Same (The Seeking Series Book 2) Page 7
