by Lynn Lamb
“I have strong feelings for him,” I said.
“And you don’t love Mark anymore?” she asked with concern.
“Well, that’s complicated. I don’t know that you ever stop loving someone. Right now, though, I want to be with Jackson because he makes me happy,” I said. It was hard trying to explain something I didn’t really understand myself.
“Mark’s sad now. And he’s really, really mad at Jackson.”
“I know,” I told her. “Good night, Bailey Bug.”
I went into my room ready to collapse on the bed when I saw my reward for a hard day’s work on the night stand; a large glass of red wine. It was exactly what I needed. I took it into the bathroom and drew myself a bath.
About half way into the wine, the walkie in the pocket of my jacket went off. “Laura Balous-Patton, we have a situation. Please come to RV three.”
Balous-Patton, who the hell was that?
I called Ammie to come and sit with Bailey. “Hell’s ya. The cabin,” she said. “Be right over.”
“Go ahead and take a bath. I am starting to think that my bathtub is my most popular trait anymore,” I told her when she got there. “And thanks.”
∞
Inside the RV were all of the officers in masks, along with a new face; a teenage boy. He was wearing filthy clothes and a black baseball hat. He looked like a kid caught by the cops for stealing a beer or something.
“One more time,” said Mason. “All I asked was your fuckin’ name.”
The boy proceeded to spit in his face. I put on the mask Jackson handed me and pushed my way inside of the RV to get between him and the obviously annoyed Mason.
“Hey, guys,” I said. “I told you that you have to ask my permission before having friends over.”
Mason’s face matched my hair, and I knew that he didn’t enjoy my brand of humor.
“Hi, I’m Laura,” I said to the boy. “What’s your name?”
He began to collect saliva. That was my cue to duck. I moved quickly to my left and the wad hit Mason on his right thigh this time. I pursed my lips to control a giggle.
“He got out of the winery somehow. He passed our guys until he was caught by Specialist Patton,” said Jackson.
“Go Bri,” I said. I saw the boy glance at me quickly. He almost looked amused. “Bri’s my niece. She’s pretty, isn’t she?”
“Why weren’t you wearing those uniforms when you raided us?” he asked.
“I didn’t because I don’t have one. I’m not one of them,” I said. I looked up to see Jackson’s grimace. “Not that there is anything wrong with them. They have been keeping us safe in Monterey.”
“You were the guys behind the big wall, weren’t you?” he asked.
“Yes, that was us,” I said. “Were you a part of the Wanderers?”
“Yeah, but only because my step-dad made me. I hate those bitches. They are mean, and they stink.”
“Heh,” said Jackson. “You don’t smell…”
“Shut up, Jackson,” I warned. “Sorry, um, what’s your name?”
“Chase,” he said.
“Is your mother in there with them, Chase?” I asked. The MT started to back off a bit when they saw that I had him talking.
“She died. So did my sister,” he said. “Charles, that’s my step-dad, said we had to stay with those people. And I hate them all. They are bad, real bad.”
“Okay, fellows, I need everyone except for Jackson and Jake out of here,” I said. I whispered for Fitz to get Katie from her tent. “Tell her that I think that we have a kid who has probably been pretty badly abused. Then get him something to eat and some clothes to change into.”
I turned back to the defensive child; that’s what I saw him as. Who knows what he has seen or been forced to do?
“Laura, may I see you for a moment in private?” asked Jackson. He waved me to the bedroom in the RV. “Did you ever think that maybe they sent him here for intelligence about us?”
“No, that’s what I have you for. Let’s say that’s right. He’s not going anywhere, so he can have some food and can clean up some. Katie is coming, and she is pretty good at telling when someone is being dishonest. Let’s try to do it my way first. If that doesn’t work, then you can have at that vicious criminal in there.”
I opened the door to see Jake on top of the kid, arm on Chase’s airway. “Get off, Jake. What the hell?”
“You should have heard what he just said about Bri,” Jake said.
“That was dumb, Chase. That’s my brother, Bri’s father. And here we show respect to each other. Maybe that’s not how it was with those people, but it is here. Get it?”
“Yeah, sorry,” Chase said begrudgingly.
Katie came in wearing a mask, and I introduced her. “She isn’t going to touch you, just talk to you, okay?”
He nodded.
“Hi, Chase. I’m just one of the people here. We are just trying to get to safety, like everybody else.”
“Not like everybody else. Those guys I was with just want to drink and do drugs and fuck the whores,” he said. I could feel my face get red from embarrassment. Jackson looked at him with compassion this time.
“It sounds like you had it rough,” said Katie. Fitz came in with an MRE, and I shooed him out. I handed it to Jackson who pulled up his mask, ripped it open with his teeth and got it ready.
“Heh, cheeseburger, you lucked out, son,” said Jackson handing the boy the food.
Chase swallowed it down with minimal chewing. I looked through the cupboards and found a box of crackers that he attacked with the same gusto.
“Slow down before you choke,” I said. “We will get you enough food. We just need to make sure that it’s safe to have you here right now.”
“What am I gonna do to a bunch of soldiers with automatics?” he asked with a full mouth.
“Actually, he has a good point,” I said to Jackson. “Can you send in a couple of guys to stay with Katie?”
He nodded and left. Jake was still fuming, but he backed away some.
“Sorry I said that about your daughter, sir,” said Chase.
Jake tipped his head, but said nothing.
“Chase, we would like to help you if we can,” said Katie. “My husband is outside, and he is a doctor. He will look you over, and we will take it from there, okay?”
∞
I stepped into the big tent and faced down Mason. “Why were you interrogating that child?”
“Because his people tried to kill my people today,” he said.
“No they didn’t. You weren’t even there. Two shots were fired, the first was a mistake and the second was between them, not us. I’m not saying that they are harmless, but that is a scared child in there who we need information from, and you did not make the situation any better,” I admonished.
Mason sat down at the table and looked at me icily. “We are keeping you alive, so don’t question our tactics.”
“You have been nowhere near us until a few days ago. And my tactics have been a big part of keeping your people who are with us alive,” I said. “Mason, we are not the enemy, that boy in there is not the enemy. Damn, we didn’t cause this war.”
“And we did, is that right?” he asked.
“I’m not doing this anymore. Go, if we are such a burden,” I said.
“I would have, but I was out voted,” he said.
I stepped back in an attempt to control my anger. “So, it looks like we are at an impasse, you and me.”
“Everyone, get back on patrol,” said Jackson. “Fitz, stick around.”
“I intend to,” Fitz replied. “This kind of hostility in the ranks is going to be our demise.”
“See, that’s exactly it. I am not in your ranks,” I said. “You all agreed to our being in control here…”
“Except for MT duties, and you, lil’ lady, just crossed over those boundaries,” said Mason.
“How is a frightened boy MT business? That kid in there could have be
longed to any one of us before the war,” I said.
“Laura, please,” said Jackson. “Let me get a word in. Mason, Laura has something none of us has; the ability to talk to people so they trust her. We might be trained in waterboarding, but what good is that going to do with a teenage boy? And Laura, we need some leverage here. We have been doing this since you were still in knee socks and braids. You need to trust us, too.”
“He’s right,” said Fitz. “We all have areas of expertise. But we are going to implode if you two don’t figure out a way to get along. I am the Senior Army Officer here, and I am not going to let everyone die because you can’t come to some type of agreement.”
“You are both right,” I said. “I am sorry, Colonel Mason.”
“Yeah, fine. Me, too,” said an unconvincing Mason.
I rolled my eyes. “How about the four of us talk about how to handle Chase?”
“Who?” asked Mason.
“The kid in there. He is a starving child who needs our help,” I said.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” said Katie as she and Malcolm entered the tent and took a seat. “He’s in bad shape. He has been mentally abused, not to mention physically.”
I felt a knife stab in the gut.
“How do you know that?” asked Mason.
“I checked him,” said Malcolm.
I wanted to reach across the table and shake Mason. He looked down, and shook his head. Was he actually feeling shame? Good.
“I believe everything he told us,” said Katie. “There is a group of people out there who are as bad as it gets. Chase said that there are women, children, and even some men in there who are being held and abused.”
I glanced over at Jackson who looked like he was going to tear someone’s throat out, and then the knife in my gut turned.
“No, we don’t act like a bunch of hot heads. I get it, this is your operation gentlemen, but we think it through first. There are innocent people in that building, too. We can figure out what to do with the perpetrators when we get everyone out of there alive. We don’t need Rambo right now,” I said turning to Jackson. “We need the United States Military.”
January 17
I knew that the only way I could prove myself to Mason was to stand back and let them do their jobs. Fitz was right, that is what they were trained for, and they were our best bet at getting those innocent people out of hell.
Katie promised to stay close to Chase. We were lucky to have her helping the boy. Not only did he need intensive therapy, but finding out about the group of Wanderers was the best way to keep everyone alive.
As soon as the sun came up, military operations were in high gear. I was having some trouble keeping my mouth shut. I did attend the MT meetings, though. I needed to explain what was going on to the Villagers at the midmorning meeting. Obviously, everyone knew something was amiss, but to their credit, the Villagers were hanging back, waiting for an explanation.
Between meetings, I went back to the cabin. Bailey was enjoying the perks in there, and I let her have all of the kids over to watch cartoons. I figured that at least we would have the kids corralled in case we needed to “bug out,” as Jackson calls it. Besides, it was nice to hear the innocent giggling coming from the next room after finding out what Chase had been through. I don’t think that I will ever fully understand human nature, or maybe I just don’t want to.
Ammie and I sat on the bed, trying to keep our minds occupied by looking at all of the makeup Agenia had left in her cabin, but it wasn’t working.
“I don’t want Thomas going when they raid that place,” she said.
“Trust me when I tell you that I understand, but this isn’t your call. It’s not mine this time, either. We just happen to be surrounded by a bunch of people who chose keeping others safe as their calling. Thomas, Bri, your dad, Jackson, and Mark all decided long before the Last War that this is what they wanted to do. All we can do is let them know that we understand and support them.”
“Easy for you to say,” she said. “You were an army wife, but I didn’t decide that I wanted anything to do with any of it.”
“Ammie, tell me the truth,” I said. “When you first got together with Thomas, as more than just his student, did you know that he was a Major?”
“Well, yeah, but I don’t feel like I decided to be with an army guy. I just wanted to be with him.”
“Well, join the club, kiddo. That’s how I made it in. Our world is not a peaceful one anymore. I am not sure it ever was.
“Look, you fall in love with a person, but their passion is what comes with the territory. Remember when Bri decided to join the National Guard? You were livid, but you didn’t stop loving and supporting her.”
Ammie looked deep in thought. “Did you see what dad is wearing? A uniform, and he never signed up. He was a cop.”
“Yeah, he was a cop who wore a uniform and a gun and served and protected. There is no difference between them, really, except your dad is actually better trained for domestic emergencies like this one.
“Ammie, we are the other side of their coin. We work to keep people safe through leadership and education. We have more power than they do ultimately, because when they go out there they are in the hands of fate.”
That didn’t make either of us feel any better, but Ammie seemed grateful that I had tried.
∞
Before the meeting, I caught up with Katie to see if she could put some of my fears to rest, like Ammie had tried to get me to do. I was being a hypocrite, I know.
“Do you think that there is any chance that the kid is some kind of decoy sent in as a trap?” I asked her.
“I can’t guarantee it, no. I wish I could. But I believe that he has been severely abused. I see this light in him, the light of a really good kid in a really messed-up situation.”
“Thank you,” I told her before stepping in front of the Villagers. “Good morning, Villagers,” I said to the crowd of concerned faces.
“I know that you have all noticed the activity surrounding the MT this morning. Yesterday, my recon group came across a group of Wanderers, and we found ourselves engaged with them. None of us were hurt, but we have apprehensions about them being in such close proximity to us here. We have stepped up security, so we ask that you be mindful of them and follow their instructions.
“Last night, one of them, a teenage boy who is now in quarantine, escaped from their compound, and when our MT and security found him they brought him here. He has some very serious allegations about the people inside the winery where they are now holed up. I have left the details of that situation in the very capable hands of our MT. They are trained to handle this, and I have all the confidence in the world that they will resolve this situation to the best of their ability.
“As you know, we have an alarm system in place. If you hear it, listen for instructions. We might ask you to go back to your snow caves. I will be available for your questions and concerns this afternoon. As always, stay vigilant and alert to anything that seems like a threat to the Village.”
As I was speaking, the nightmare that I had just a few nights before became fresh in my mind. It felt so similar that I added, “Remember, if you hear the alarm, please wait and listen for instructions. Right now, the forest is more dangerous than ever. Do not go beyond the perimeters we have created.”
∞
Jackson caught up to me after the meeting. “You did real good, honey,” he said.
“Jackson, do you remember that dream I had, the one where I woke up screaming?”
“Which one would that be? You’ve had so many I had to get you your own cabin, heh, heh, heh.”
“Very funny,” I told him.
“I know the one you are talking about. I just wanted to make you smile,” he said. “It’s going to be alright. No blood, no brown stuff, which I decided represents all of the coffee you consume.”
I smiled. “Thank you. Just be safe and get everyone back here alive.”
/> “I always do darlin’, I always do,” he said.
And that wasn’t even our official good-bye. That came later in the day.
∞
The sun was just about to go down when we finished our suppertime MREs. The MT and security were standing next to the trucks, waiting for the word to load up.
“Mark, please be careful,” I told him.
“I will be. Remember how it used to be when I deployed? You would take me to the airport and see me off. It was hard then,” he said.
“It still is,” I said. I hugged him tightly. “Be careful.”
Next up were Jake and Bri. It was so strange to see them in uniform, side by side, readying themselves for battle. It reminded me of something out of The Odyssey.
When I finally made it to Jackson, I already had tears in my eyes. Why is it so much easier being the one who is going than the one left behind?
“Fitz will take real good care of the Villagers. I told him that he better, or I would mount his balls on the wall next to a buck’s head,” Jackson told me.
“I am not worried about us here,” I told him.
He lifted my chin and wiped my tear with the cuff of his uniform sleeve.
“I’ll take this with me,” he said.
“Well, you better bring it back with you. I am running out,” I told him.
“You run out of tears? That will be the day. I am just glad this one is mine.”
He placed a not-so-chaste kiss on my lips, and we both knew what that meant out in the open.
“I’m a cowboy, on a steel horse I ride,” he sang as he got into his truck and signaled the others to do the same.
“Find a new song, cowboy,” I said with a final wave good-bye.
My heart drove off with them all.
∞
Maybe that wasn’t the best timing for our first public kiss, because then I was left alone to deal with the fallout. Violet sent daggers at me with her eyes, and she was the one who had warned me that I had better make up my mind about Jackson. Jessica was slightly less visceral with her reaction, but I knew she wasn’t happy. I have never been a catty person, so I was very uncomfortable.
“Nice, everyone saw,” said Annie.
