They were on him in seconds, arms around him, pushing into him as if trying to climb inside and never let him leave again, never let him hurt someone again. He wrapped one arm around both of them and squeezed tight, never wanting to let them go.
“Geez, ease up, Dad!” That was Jack.
“Hello… not so tight, I need to breathe!” And Jill.
Roddy eased up. But not much.
He saw the other man standing to the side, watching it all unfold with an odd look on his face. He didn’t yet know the man’s story, or how he’d come to be part of his family’s lives, but like Wesley, he’d been instrumental in keeping his wife and children alive. He nodded at the man and mouthed the words Thank you.
The man nodded in return. And as if inspired, realizing that Roddy didn’t know his name, the man tapped his chest and mouthed the name John.
Roddy nodded back.
We have reached the water-bound ship, Roddy.
He almost laughed. The flying ship’s words and tone suggested a condescension toward the more limited vessel they’d landed on. “Thank you. Please land on the deck and let us out.”
The ramp opened once they’d settled on the solid, Ravager-free surface. The twins extricated themselves from Roddy’s vice-like embrace and bolted outside, elated to be free of the cramped quarters. John lifted Wesley carefully to his shoulders and headed toward the exit. He glanced at the couple still locked in a tender embrace. “I’ve got Wesley.”
He winked at Roddy and walked down the ramp, leaving the couple alone inside the flying sphere.
Roddy pulled back, just a bit, and glanced down at Mary. She looked up, her eyes red and moist, but shining nonetheless. She reached her arms up, her forearms barely reaching his shoulders. He bent down and grasped her by the waist, hoisted her up until she looked him in the eye.
Their first kiss in over a decade seemed to last an eternity. The Ravagers might devour everything on the planet, and he wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t care.
Everything that mattered was right here.
Chapter 2
Western Territory; West of former LakePlex
Deirdre slept soundly through the night, waking to the slight stiffness one might expect from sleeping in a reclined chair. She wasn’t sure what material comprised the seat coverings, but she was certain that she wouldn’t miss it when her journey ended. The ground car’s ventilation system kept cool air circulating, and though it wasn’t the scent and freshness one would experience after a spring storm, it was adequate to get the job done. She’d dreamed she’d been on a vacation in one of the hidden locations Phoenix operated throughout the world for its elite members, and that she’d open her eyes to an exquisite view, would be able to take a hot, luxurious bath, and enjoy a tasty meal.
The car seat scent and the lingering smell of the beer she’d enjoyed with her dinner sandwich put an end to that fantasy before she opened her eyes. So much for dreams coming true.
She stretched and mentally replaced the idea of a breakfast of fresh fruit juices and pastries with something artificial that would make her seriously consider starvation as a preferred alternative. Then she sat up and opened her eyes.
She’d expected to see the flat terrain; nature had withered down any hills and filled any valleys millions of years before.
She’d known that any evidence of plant or animal life would be gone, scraped away by a Ravager swarm that had since moved on. The gray morning sky made the terrain look like something from another planet, based upon pictures she’d been shown by her father years ago taken by people she’d never meet.
She hadn’t expected to see twenty women and men ringed around the outside of her vehicle, none of them more than ten feet away, all with stern faces and all pointing rifles directly at her.
Her pulse had dropped and her body temperature had cooled as she’d slept; both reversed course quickly as her brain processed the scene and reached the only possible conclusion.
She was going to die. Right now. Here, in the middle of nowhere, with no one to mourn her.
She turned her head around slowly, looking for a friendly face in the crowd surrounding her. But they were uniform in the fierce focus upon their faces.
She took a couple of deep breaths to calm herself and tried to figure a way out of this situation.
While evidence suggested they meant her harm—why else so overwhelming an armed force against one woman, after all—there was one key piece of information her desperate mind circled back to. They were prepared to harm her, had the tools required, and perhaps they even had proper motive.
But they hadn’t made a move to do so.
They’d clearly been there as she slept. If they’d meant her harm, they’d had ample opportunity to do so. Why would they wait? She could reason that they were a cruel sort who wanted their victims to be perfectly aware of whatever pain and trauma they might suffer—the bulk of the higher-ups in Phoenix had that personality type, after all. But now that she was awake… they still didn’t move.
Why not charge the ground car, shatter the glass, and then do whatever they wanted with her? She gulped as she processed other and less preferable things than death that might be in her immediate future. She looked around at them once more, through the glass of the ground car. Perhaps… perhaps they thought the glass couldn’t be broken? And they hoped to frighten her into opening her door?
But wouldn’t they at least try to fire a few shots at the car to test that theory?
So she reasoned that they were either too foolish to use their firepower to their advantage… or that they didn’t really want to fire their weapons.
Which meant… they might want the ground car. Undamaged. In working condition. They might still kill her or… other things, too. But if they wanted the car, they’d avoid damaging it. Out here, they couldn’t repair the damage done by a stray bullet.
That must be it, then. They wanted the ground car, and they wanted it without blemish, and that meant they’d never fire any of the ammunition at her.
It also meant she could just start the engine and drive right through them—parting them to the side or driving over them if needed—and escape this predicament. But she saw nothing in their faces indicating they’d willingly move aside.
And she’d been responsible for enough innocent deaths already. The Ravagers hadn’t gotten them, somehow… but she had no interest in fixing what her father would call a “glitch.”
So… they wouldn’t fire at her. And she’d do nothing to harm them.
An impasse, of sorts.
She checked the controls and found one that allowed her to lower the window, and pressed the button, cracking the windows just a bit. A tiny waft of fresh air wisped through, and she inhaled it greedily before raising her voice. The scent suggested an impending storm, and as she looked into the distance, she noted the thick, darkening clouds. “Hello, everyone. Is there something I can help you with?”
She noted with some amusement the mixed expressions on the faces of the would-be car thieves. Necks turned and eyes met, brows furrowed, unspoken questions were asked. She’d done something unexpected, and they weren’t sure what to do next.
Oddly, none of them charged the car and jammed the muzzle of the rifle into the open slit in the window. That seemed inconsistent with a car theft motive, unless they were worried she’d just drive through them.
After a moment of voiceless communication, the thief closest to her lowered her weapon and let her finger slip from the trigger. The others resumed position, which meant her words had gotten one of the twenty rifle barrels aimed back at the ground. She didn’t like her odds of convincing all of them to follow suit.
The thief, a woman with a lean, muscular build, light brown skin, and dark, intelligent eyes, took one step forward. The brow furrowed. “Who are you? How is it that you’ve found us?”
Deirdre frowned. Found them? Why would they think she’d been looking for them? Hadn’t they found her?
She opted t
o keep her response vague. “I didn’t know there was anyone to find, to be honest. Just noted the beautiful weather and decided to head out for a drive, check the beautiful scenery…”
Thunder rumbled in the distance; having so recently fled from an onrushing Ravager swarm of similar timbre, Deirdre jumped in the car.
The woman didn’t seem to notice the distant rumble or Deirdre’s discomfort at the sound. “Right. Were you sent by the one emailing us?”
Deirdre, having built a preconceived notion of the technological capacity of this group—namely, none—couldn’t overcome her surprise at the question in time to try to take advantage. Having missed her chance, she opted for honesty. “I haven’t been sent by anyone, so I wouldn’t know who’s emailing you, or who might come this way on their behalf. Sorry.” She paused, and decided to push a bit. “Who are you? And why are you threatening to kill me?”
She expected a denial for some reason, though they held the firepower advantage. But she didn’t get that. “One can’t be too safe. Reports of massive destruction and death in and around the cityplexes. We’ve stayed safe thus far, probably because we’ve kept ourselves so well hidden. But we don’t want to let the bastards who started this”—she waved her weapon, pointed at an unseen target in the sky— “know that we’re still out here.” She moved a step closer, eyeing Deirdre through the lightly tinted glass and the small crack they’d used for conversing. There was something predatory about her approach, and Deirdre felt the strong urge to roll the window back up. But she steadied herself and kept her eyes fixed on the approaching figure. The woman’s eyes had narrowed as she approached the ground car and Deirdre’s window. “You look… familiar. Who are you?”
Deirdre sighed. She couldn’t run from her past forever, and she had no interest in acting guilty or threatening them now. She rolled the window down further and stared up at the woman, letting her image answer the question.
The woman’s eyes widened just a bit, but she neither began an attack nor fell into the raving gibberish of a crazed fan. She just nodded lightly in recognition. “I thought so.” Her eyes narrowed slightly, and the left side of her mouth pursed. “Why in the world are you driving around outside the cityplexes unaccompanied in these destructive times, Ms. Silver? That seems… unusual.”
So they knew about the Ravagers and knew who she was. If the previous comment about the “bastards responsible” and the gesture were to be believed, they also had an idea that the people who’d triggered the Ravager attack were living well above ground level. Much better informed than she’d suspected, and with email access as well, apparently.
She let her eyes flit around, checking the facial expressions of the rest of her armed welcome committee. Like the speaker, they’d taken the revelation of her identity in stride, barely twitching a muscle in response. They were so still that if they hadn’t already moved Deirdre would suspect the speaker to be out here alone with lifelike cutouts or mannequins adding the illusion of numbers. Armed numbers. “Long story. Short version: I had a falling out with my father, and I’m… on my own now.”
The woman snorted. “Aren’t you a bit old to be running away from home after a fight with your father?” She shook her head. “Your timing sucks. Every report we’ve obtained suggests that the cityplexes are all dust, so whatever destination you’ve got in mind… it probably doesn’t exist anymore.”
Deirdre reddened at the rude—but fair—assessment of her predicament. “Thanks for the update.” She paused a moment. “Is there anything else I can do for you? Great conversation and all, but I really must be going.”
One of the men standing nearby lowered his rifle. “Going where, Ms. Silver? We just told you all the cityplexes are gone.”
Dammit. She’d walked right into that one. Well, no point lying now. The problem with lies is that you had to keep track of the stories you’d invented, and eventually you’d contradict herself. “Not all places show up on a map. And my destination—which is no concern of yours—should be just fine despite the general devastation. My name will get me in while I reconcile with my father, because our squabbles aren’t exactly public knowledge. So… if you’ll excuse me, then?” She hit a button, heard the engine start, and tapped the accelerator a few times, hoping they’d fear that she’d drive through them if necessary.
She wondered if they might start shooting, but only after she’d tapped the pedal. Well, it had been an interesting life…
Instead, the man and woman exchanged glances. “How… estranged are you from your father, Ms. Silver?” the woman asked.
“And… how fond are you of the group of which he’s a member?”
It was as if they were reading her mind. And their tone… suggested that the truth, in this case, was the answer they sought. She didn’t know how they knew of his group, but they’d signaled knowledge of some human population living at a higher elevation. Clearly, these people weren’t a group you wanted as an enemy. And perhaps… perhaps they could be allies. “I’m not sure we can reconcile,” she admitted. “And the root cause of our issues relates to the goals and actions of the group you reference, so… not much fondness there. Not any more.”
They studied her carefully. “You may come with us if you prefer,” the woman decided.
Her mind flashed back to the trip across the land with Jeffrey, the dying Hinterlands beast she’d skinned and cooked, life within the metal suit, the few moments of fresh air each day. The scent of urine and burnt meat she’d lived with every moment of every day. That form of living—and the realization of Jeffrey’s true identity—became the comparison in her mind. She didn’t know who these people were. But they’d handled the entire encounter with calmness and hadn’t once lied to her.
And they hadn’t shot her. Much as she’d like to believe her father thought her dead, or would at least threaten serious injury to any who might harm if she still lived… she couldn’t be sure any longer. She thought New Phoenix would be safe. But she wondered if, in reality, she’d be safer going back to New Venice.
And if she had that much doubt about whether a place from which she’d escaped imprisonment might be better than the place she intended to visit next, well…
“I’ll do that,” she declared, unlocking the doors. “I just need someone to ride with me to tell me where to go.”
She turned and prepared to climb over to the driver’s side, but the woman was already there, opening the door, climbing in, pulling the door shut. She set her expressive eyes upon Deirdre, and Deirdre pulled back. “I’ll drive,” the woman said. She held out her hand. “My name’s Miriam.”
Deirdre took her hand, shook, and laughed. “I’m Deirdre.”
“What’s so funny?” Miriam asked, frowning.
“I was recently held prisoner by people who weren’t quite as friendly as you until I escaped. The person who helped me escape was also named Miriam.” She offered a chuckle to her new ally. “Must be a fortuitous name for me.”
The new Miriam smiled, bemused. “You were held prisoner and just happened to meet the one person who helped you escape, you say? Sounds rather… fortuitous, wouldn’t you say? Miraculous, even?” She shrugged, emitting a minor snort of amusement, and set the ground car in gear. “Let’s go.”
As the ground car started rolling, Deirdre felt a chill. This woman, whom she’d considered backward and lacking in technological savvy, had just started operating a ground car without a single lesson. Her impression of them had been entirely wrong; had her prejudice led her to make a critical mistake that would soon endanger her life?
More critically, she began wondering about the other Miriam, the “friend” who’d been far too eager to help Deirdre Silver-Light escape from the evildoers who’d been secretly taking over New Venice, wresting control from the good people of Phoenix for some unspecified nefarious purpose.
Had her escape, challenging though it had been… had it been permitted? Encouraged, even? And to what end? Jeffrey had seemed quite eager to kill her for
any reason that might be verbalized, and they’d made a convincing case they wanted to retain her as a bargaining chip. True, Jeffrey had been quite convincing in presenting himself as one banned from the fortress, even teasing some romantic interest in her, so he could perform on command… but had New Venice Miriam been conning her as well?
And if so… why?
It made her wonder. And it made her wonder just how trustworthy were the people she’d just agreed to lodge with, and the woman who’d taken control of her ground car without firing a shot.
And if these temporary allies of convenience, who might have their own scheming plans in mind, might be endangered by bringing her into their home.
Calm down, Deirdre. You’re imagining things. Not everyone is working you over for some advantage. And it’s not as if you’ve never taken advantage of someone to further your own ends.
She took a quick breath before seeming to regain a sense of her surroundings, of the fact that the ground car was moving. They’d only traveled fifty yards, if that, but were accelerating, rolling along at the speed of a fast jog now, and Miriam didn’t seem content to stay at so slow a pace. Her approach seemed centered on getting accustomed to the controls, rather than a fear of progressing at too rapid a rate.
Which raised another question.
How would the others in her group get back to… wherever they were going?
Her eyes flicked behind the car to see how well they were keeping up; perhaps they could run well.
She didn’t see them running. She didn’t see them moving toward a small fleet of ground cars they’d blocked from her sight with their siege formation.
She didn’t see them at all. She spun in her seat, peering into the distance, the flat, barren landscape offering no place for nearly twenty people to hide.
Somehow, in a manner she couldn’t explain… every one of Miriam’s friends had vanished into thin air.
Chapter 3
Eradicate Page 2
