After It Happened (Book 2): Humanity

by Devon C. Ford

  He hoped that they would trust him, any show of strength on his part would put him in the category of those who had imprisoned them.

  Lexi arrived next, holding up four fingers to Neil in answer to a question Dan hadn't heard but easily guessed what they were talking about. That made twenty-three.

  Steve drove up a short time after, Dan saw his lips mouth 'five' as he pulled up by Neil.

  Twenty-seven, and only twenty-five bodies. Dan told himself the miscount was due to multiple people aiming at different targets. He was sure none survived, but without Ash or a team of forensic experts he would never know.

  They formed up again, this time Dan took Lexi's Land Rover and went up front with Steve. The coach rode in the middle, then Joe and finally Lexi driving with Neil still manning the big gun.

  Twice the rear-guard stopped and planned an ambush as the coach and lead vehicles went ahead slowly.

  Dan tried the CB in Lexi's defender as they neared their home turf, finally getting through nearly twenty miles out.

  They made it home in three hours, where the welcoming committee was ready.

  DAN'S HIGH COMMISSION FOR REFUGEES

  The coach pulled up and the doors opened. Nobody came out. Dan jogged to the front door of the house as people were coming out, he stopped in front of them.

  "They aren't the trusting type" he said "and I think one of them may have taken a gun from a guard. Everyone be careful and send for me if there is any trouble.”

  Kate went into the coach, wearing her old paramedic uniform for added reassurance.

  "My name is Kate, and I am in charge of medical services. My team will see everyone to take care of you. There will be hot showers, clean clothes and food. Please follow me" she said, then turned away.

  Slowly, people started to emerge cautiously after James led the girl and encouraged the others to follow them.

  One by one the scared, ragged survivors filed towards the house. A conveyor belt system had been organised, where survivors gave their name to Karen who was established on a desk in the reception area. Others were stood by to issue clean underwear, trousers and tops, as well as a plastic bag containing basic toiletries and a towel.

  James led the girl to Karen, still holding her hand. She was thin, dirty and had dark rings around her sunken eyes.

  "What's your name, sweet?" Asked Karen kindly.

  "Pip" she said in a small voice, wild eyes scanning desperately.

  She gave her age and her former occupation, then shook her head when asked if she had any other skills. Kate led her straight into medical as soon as she was given some clean clothing.

  As the pattern was established, so too the pace picked up. Their suspicions were slowly being eroded as the promises were made good.

  Dan left Penny and the others hard at work sorting the new people into small groups where they were led to the bathrooms.

  "Please keep the showers short for now, we don't want to run out of hot water" Carl said, as he took a group of three men upstairs.

  Dan saw his Rangers loitering around their gunship with Neil.

  He walked to them, as he didn't want a string of heavily armed troops walking past the traumatised intake.

  He had let Ash out, keeping him very close despite his interest in all the new people who may feed him. He recognised Neil and bounded over, receiving some treats hidden in his leg pocket.

  Dan lit a smoke and offered one to Lexi. He inhaled deeply, eyes closed and head upturned before letting it out slowly and blowing a plume of smoke over their heads.

  "Fucking nice work, people" he said at last. He looked at Steve and asked him how his perspective went.

  "Took some trouble getting in place to start with, had to move to a closer building and climb the stairs to the roof." He said "Perfect line of sight, and I had that big bastard in my scope with you ready for the signal. When it went loud I dropped three on the containers where they sat, then covered the windows as you went inside, taking a runner from the building after you went in"

  Dan nodded approval, worrying that he had missed one when he went inside. Five for five, one hundred per cent.

  He turned to Lexi.

  "On target easy enough, but the height advantage wasn't enough to get an angle on you and Neil. I took four out as they came into view on the containers. One miss" she said.

  Dan guessed that she had been the one to snatch his target from his scope, but figured this wasn't the time to argue over the hunting etiquette of whose bird it should've been.

  Neil chimed in after. "I heard dozy bollocks here challenging the Sasquatch to a boxing match, and unclipped the back as quietly as I could." He said. "I saw the guy go down through a slot in the side, then jumped out of the cake like a stripper"

  He feigned taking offence at the intentionally invited giggles.

  "There were half a dozen stood around the big guy, waiting to see him kill someone. It was sick; like a playground bully with no teachers to run to" he got serious then "they went down before they had a chance to figure out what was happening. I took seven down in the first two bursts, then another five as they ran out. I didn't hear it but one bastard emptied a revolver at me. I saw him aiming as I was taking down a runner and saw the muzzle flashes. Look!" he said theatrically, and held his shirt out to the side.

  "What?" Said Dan, looking for the point of his show.

  Neil poked a finger through a small hole running though his top twice.

  "It’s a good job I'm thin!" He joked. With anyone else, Dan would worry that he was in shock and that the panic of nearly catching a bullet in the stomach would affect him. Not Neil; he genuinely found it funny.

  "Good news is, Thunderbird Two here worked perfectly. Mike's rubber mounts were the key I reckon" Dan agreed. Without the big machine gun there would undoubtedly have been losses, probably himself.

  "Good job you lot" he said. Before he could continue, Steve asked "what about you?"

  He paused, then said "You saw it. I pulled up and that Bronson was the one to greet me. I played dumb, and offered to fight him for the survivors. I knew he wouldn't be able to resist the chance to show off and he sent someone to fetch his audience. Then Steve ended his reign and I grabbed my kit, taking three on top of the containers."

  "What about inside?" Steve enquired gently.

  "Four more. Stairs were very tight so I had to use the SPAS. One came at me on the top of the stairs and I hit him in the chest at close range. Damn near cut him in half."

  The gruesomeness of this revelation hung heavy for a few seconds before Dan snapped himself out of it.

  "Quiet as you can, guns into Ops and clean them. Neil, just stow the belts for the GPMG for now. And everyone keep sidearms on them until we're sure we haven't brought back anyone dangerous."

  They took their leave, and he brought his own guns to his room where he cleaned them and locked them away, keeping the Sig. He left Ash in his room, now more of an ammo store than his quarters, and went to see how the high commission for refugees was faring.

  He opened his door to the sight of Leah holding a cup of coffee to him, smiling. He accepted it, thanked her, and said she could put her guns away now. She seemed a little put out, so Dan explained that these people had been kept prisoner by armed guards and he didn't want to look like that was the case here. She understood.

  He took his coffee to the dining hall, flanked by his eager apprentice, and saw lines of freshly washed people wearing a collection of new clothes, mostly prison tracksuits.

  In hindsight, maybe not the best things to put them in but it would have to do for tonight.

  Cara was greeting the new arrivals, explaining which way the impressive buffet went and invited them to get a plate and join the queue which led to Nina dishing up large helpings of pasta bake. Cara and her team had outdone themselves with the spread, which included a long table full of pastries and cakes. Andrew was probably having kittens somewhere over the amount of extra supplies they had used.

 
; There were cans and bottles of sweet drinks, even cartons of cigarettes and lighters left out.

  The people seemed more relaxed, and had even started to talk amongst themselves quietly. He felt a few cold looks from some, but joined the line for lunch. Three times he had to refuse being offered to jump ahead of those who clearly needed it more than him.

  He sat with Leah aside from the others. None of them joined him until a freshly showered Pip sat down a few seats away. She hesitated, before summing up the courage to turn to Dan and offer their thanks. She seemed like she wanted to say more, but didn't.

  "You're welcome, Pip. It's good to have you here safely" he said quite loudly, eager to show the others that he wasn't guarding them.

  He could guess from her interaction with the former Bronson how she had earned her food previously.

  This is what offended him the most about the way life had become after it happened; like the mad max twins and the country boys. Some people are just waiting for the bigger players to leave before they throw their weight around and take advantage of others. Sure they were surviving in their own way, but what good is the human race without humanity.

  REVERSING THE PAVLOVIAN EFFECT

  It took days for most of the thirty-one survivors to adapt to freedom. Some of them had been captives for months, others only a week or two. The brutality they had lived under was terrible, and he could only guess at the damage done.

  The downside of this, was that they had effectively taken in thirty-one mouths to feed who were all weak, malnourished, injured and scared.

  He knew he wouldn't be lucky enough to have found a couple of special forces reconnaissance soldiers, and the thought lingered on how many of those they had killed would have been offered positions as Rangers if they had been found here instead.

  That led to the thought of how many of his own would have become enforcers if the scenario were different. He pushed that thought from his head. The answer was simple; none. None of his would act like that, not even to save their own. It wasn't right, and using violence was not the same as what had been done to these people. At least, that was the theory he swore by.

  Slowly, they began to integrate. After a week, Maggie took ten of the new arrivals and taught them the basics of the gardening side. Another five accepted work on the farm for Chris. One group of eight kept very much to themselves, almost a split faction. Dan kept a close eye on those.

  Pip insisted she earn her keep, and was outright refused by Kate as she found her in very poor health. She told them that she had been pregnant when it happened, and gave birth to a stillborn baby in their makeshift prison.

  James hung around her like a moth, but Dan saw he was annoying her and sent him back to work with Pete. He slipped the old gamekeeper a half bottle of Johnny Walker red label and asked him to keep the man very busy and tired. Pete gave a conspiratorial wink, and true to his word had James out until very late netting rabbits, then up before dawn to deal with them. He kept him out hunting overnight at least once a week.

  The ringleader of the separatist front approached Dan one day as he smoked. Ash didn't like the look of him and made that clear with a low growl. Dan told him to stay, and he lay on the ground never taking his eyes off his master as he walked away with the stranger.

  His name was Martin. He was a thin, pinched looking man with a permanent scowl. He started with some insincere thanks for the hospitality, but he struck Dan as a man who hadn't unpacked his suitcase. He listened in silence; his Dad had always said to let the other person fill the silence and only speak when you had something important to say.

  He stopped and turned to him. "I'm not a man to piss about as you have probably guessed. Make your point, please"

  Martin straightened himself and asked permission for him and the other seven to leave.

  "You don't need my permission, but you will need my help" Dan said. "Where do you plan to go?" He asked. Martin was clearly annoyed that he was being asked to tell this man his secrets, and said nothing.

  "Let me guess" Dan said "you're either planning to hit the coast and take a boat, probably south for the continent, or you know of a place where you can set up by yourselves"

  Martin looked uncomfortable and a little embarrassed. "South of France" he said finally. Dan took his time finishing his cigarette, then looked at him directly.

  "I told you all that we were getting you out of there. We fed you, we fixed you, we clothed you" he explained "at no point did I say that any of you had to repay that, even though we risked the lives of everyone here to do so. I'm not rubbing it in, I'm stating facts" he finished.

  Martin said nothing.

  "Speak to your friends tonight, then find me after breakfast tomorrow. We'll help you plan your routes, your equipment, teach you some things you may not have learned and find you a vehicle" he turned away, leaving a shocked Martin nervously clutching the stolen gun in his coat pocket.

  He let it go and wiped his sweaty palm on his leg, worried that it was too easy.

  The following morning Dan emerged to take Ash outside. He hadn't even had a coffee before he went back inside to find Martin waiting for him. He held up a hand and asked for five minutes, visiting the toilets and the kitchen for a pot of coffee before he returned. He poured a cup for Martin, not bothering to ask if he took milk or sugar. All of his team drank black coffee, probably because he did, although he was sure Leah probably had a stash of sugar somewhere.

  Martin was invited to explain their plan. They wanted to head for the south west coast, where one of his group had a sailing boat. They planned to get there, stock up, and sail for France where another of them had a Gite near the coast.

  Dan asked what supplies he needed.

  "A few days’ food and water, nothing else" he replied.

  "Maps?" he enquired

  "A road map would be helpful" he answered.

  Dan stood and took a gulp of coffee before selecting an unused A3 sized road atlas book of the United Kingdom. He dropped it on the table in front of Martin and offered rucksacks and sleeping bags as well as some other basic equipment to see them to the coast. They should do that in three days easily.

  Martin still looked at him suspiciously before blurting out "What's the catch?"

  "No catch. None at all. If you want to go then good luck. I'll find a minibus or a pair of vehicles for you today to leave in the morning" Dan said.

  "Honestly?" Martin said, his face pleading.

  "Yes. Whilst we're on the subject of honesty" Dan said, backing a hunch "don't you think you'll need something better than the little handgun you've got?"

  Martin's face told him he was right.

  "Show it to me" Dan instructed him.

  Martin reached into a pocket and carefully produced an ancient small calibre revolver. The thing would most likely fire, but you'd have to be holding it to someone's head to kill them. He checked the cylinder; four rounds; practically useless.

  He made a judgment call.

  "We have a rule here; nobody carries a gun unless trained and authorised. By me." He spun the gun gently around on the table.

  "You'll get this back in the morning, along with a good pump action shotgun and spare ammunition. It's easy to use and maintain. You'll have a vehicle by then, you have my word"

  Martin had been played into a corner, and he had little choice but to trust the man.

  Leah wandered in shortly after to find Dan sat at the table with a pathetically small gun. She gave him a puzzled look and a greeting.

  "Morning kid. Kit up; we're going to buy a car"

  YOU BREAK IT, YOU BUY IT

  Dan took his Discovery, the now familiar three heads riding along looking out at the world.

  They took spare fuel and a starter pack as they headed to the coach company where they found the rescue vehicle. Inside they practiced the building clearance in a real situation. Dan was very happy with her technique, but unsure if she had the maturity to make a challenge and maybe shoot someone if she had to
.

  They selected a sixteen seat minibus, and set about getting it started and fuelled. They used a cigarette lighter pump to inflate the tyres and left it running to settle the disused engine.

  Dan asked Leah if she had a D1 category on her license. She was confused, and unhelpfully pointed out that she didn't have a driving license.

  “Well, you're going to have to drive mine then.” He nonchalantly declared. Her face slowly broke into her characteristic grin where she tried to hide how excited she was.

  "You're ok with the automatic 'box now?" She was. She had been watching his movements as he drove for months.

  "Yeah" she tried, as coolly as possible.

  "You sure? Because the last time you tried you crashed into a forty grand convertible if you remember" he said, enjoying goading her.

  She smiled sweetly "True. But now I know how to strip that weapon you're holding in the dark. People change"

  He couldn't argue with her logic again.

  He held the keys out to her, but held tight to them as she tried to pull them away. "Don't. Crash. It." He said firmly.

  "If I do I'll get you a new one for your birthday. When is it by the way?" She asked innocently.

  "Bugger off"

  They set off back home, Dan driving the minibus up front with Ash riding in the passenger seat.

  He looked in his rear view. There was a thirteen year-old driving a nearly sixty thousand pound three litre diesel off road car. If that wasn't bizarre enough, she was driving it well and carried two guns which she knew how to use.

  The following morning came and went. The council had wholly agreed to allow the group to leave; the unanimous decision was that to prevent them would be to imprison them. They supported the minibus idea and they were given extra clothing as well as basic camping supplies. Dan had kept his word, and returned the tiny revolver to Martin. He had also included a stock Remington with no attachments and showed the group the basics of operating and cleaning it. He added a box of ammo; hunting cartridges but still quite a heavy load.