by Hunt, Jack
“Very much,” Bennington said taking another hit on his cigarette.
He was such a cocky asshole but he had Harris by the balls. If they lost any more towns he would be relieved of his duties and while that would mean less responsibility, it would also mean fewer perks. And where he was positioned, he had access to anything he needed. He couldn’t go back to being a civilian. He looked out at the mass of people in the camp. While their needs were met, what they received was limited, whereas he and his men had the best food, the best accommodation, the best of a world that was quickly sliding into ruin.
“What kind of deal?” Harris asked.
“You want 50/50. I will give you 30 and I keep 70, and I want some of your soldiers available to me.”
Harris laughed.
When he could see that Bennington was serious, he said, “I don’t make those calls. The military is responsible for their own.”
“Really? And yet the colonel reports to you.”
“How about you go and do what you say you can do, then we discuss it,” Harris said, flicking his hand as if he was swatting away an annoying fly. Bennington didn’t move.
“Or I could do nothing and you would have to explain to whoever you’re about to have a meeting with why…”
“Okay. But we will discuss better terms once it’s done.”
“70/30 or I don’t do shit.”
Harris clenched his jaw. If he could release all the soldiers from the camp to head into Castine he would, but his hands were tied and he had his own restrictions. “60/40 and no more.”
“That’s a deal.”
As Bennington left he saw a Humvee entering through the gates. It was her. Harris went back in and over to a mirror hanging from a tent pole. He adjusted his tie, and smoothed out his suit. He splashed on some cologne and ran his hands over his freshly shaven face. It was more than a meeting. So much more. Brooke Stephens had been on his radar for many years. A dark brunette with long hair, two years younger than him. He was hoping to impress her with his work in the three counties of Penobscot, Waldo and Hancock in the grand hope of getting a little closer… much closer.
“David.”
He turned to find her in the entranceway of the tent. She was wearing dark slacks, tight black ankle boots, and a suit jacket with a white blouse. “Brooke. It’s good to see you,” he said hurrying over with his arms wide expecting to get a hug, instead she put a hand up and walked straight by him.
“Let’s get down to it, shall we. What kind of progress are you making?”
Harris pursed his lips. He could see she was in no mood for relaxing.
“What’s the hurry? Can I get you a drink?” he asked crossing the tent and holding up a bottle of gin, and a bottle of bourbon. She ignored him and moved toward the board where he had the towns listed and color coded.
“I hope you have good news.”
“I do,” he said sidling up beside her. “All of them are in check and on board, barring a few minor casualties.”
“Is that so?” she said raising an eyebrow and casting him a sideways glance.
“Indeed it is. I mean, the casualties were unavoidable but we expected that, right? I mean with martial law being rolled out.”
“They’re all on board?”
“All of them.”
“Then why have I heard that Belfast and Castine are not contributing to the efforts?”
His stomach sank. The thought of her dismissing him would be humiliating. He wouldn’t be able to live that down. Harris pulled at his collar feeling his temperature rise. “A minor setback. Nothing we can’t handle. In fact I have a group that is dealing with the matter as we speak.”
“Dealing?” She turned to him. He nodded. “David, you are aware of how important this is and what is at stake here?”
“Of course.”
“And I don’t just mean your job. We are the arm of the government until the power grid works again. America isn’t just relying on us for their basic needs, they are expecting us to lead with confidence regardless of how the circumstances around us change. Now when you received orders to enforce martial law, I didn’t expect to return here and have to listen to you talking about setbacks. If you can’t do the job, David, there are many who are more than willing and capable of stepping into your shoes. Do you understand?”
He gave a nod.
“Consider this a warning. I don’t like having to come down heavy, especially since you are a colleague of mine, but mark my words. If it comes down to me or you, there will be no hesitation on my part.” She lifted her nose in a snooty manner as if her shit didn’t stink. “I think I will have that drink now.” And just like that she was back to acting as though everything between them was fine.
“He just needs some time,” Beth said to Dakota. “Anyway, how are you holding up?” she asked as they searched the cupboards for a pan they could use to cook the fish in. Dakota had gone through a range of emotions since her time on the AT. She hadn’t discussed what had happened to her beyond the little she’d told Landon. The finer details she left out for good reason. It was her mental state that concerned Beth. Everyone dealt with trauma in different ways and she had gone to hell and back. Losing a husband and child, and being assaulted and held hostage on the AT was hellish. Beth could only imagine what that could do to someone’s psyche.
“I’m fine,” Dakota said as she rummaged inside a cupboard on her hands and knees.
“You sure?”
She poked out her head. “Beth. I appreciate you asking but I’m handling it the best I can. What about you?”
“Me?”
“You lost someone too.”
“Seven months ago.”
“That’s still fresh.”
“Ah, I found one,” Beth said holding up a pan. She set it on the counter.
Dakota looked out the window for Landon who was collecting wood from the surrounding forest for the firepit. “It’s going to be strange living in a town again after all that time.”
“Yeah,” Beth said. “But it could be worse.”
“Worse?”
She didn’t have to say anything for Dakota to realize what she meant. The encounter with Billy was still there at the forefront of their minds. The dangers of a lawless country would always be there, an ever-present threat regardless of where they were. Town or not. Crazies looked for opportunities to take advantage of others and here would be no different. “I’m curious to find out what kind of infrastructure they have in place or if they’ll listen to Landon’s ideas.”
“Pawling, New York, offers a good example of what’s possible,” Dakota said. “But I think Pawling had a lot more going for it by the sound of their preparation prior to the collapse. I think that factors into whether a town can rise from the ashes and rebuild.”
“Rebuilding isn’t the challenge,” Beth said while getting some cutlery out. “It’s preventing people tearing others down. Pawling had supplies. Food. The luxury of time on their side to ingrain good habits in the people. Most towns are going to have a hard time trying to convince others to get on board with rebuilding, especially if what Rita said about FEMA is true.”
Dakota grabbed a few plates and laid them on the table. They were still getting used to the fact that they didn’t have to worry about getting rained out. She welcomed the new pace of life, however different it would be.
Right then they heard a key in the front door and it opened wide. Beth pulled her handgun and stepped into the hallway to see Sara standing in the doorway.
“You can put that away,” Sara said in soft voice.
“Sorry. It’s a habit.”
She closed the door behind her. “Landon here?”
“He’s getting firewood.”
She nodded and looked around as if she hadn’t been in her mother’s home in a long while or was wondering if they’d touched anything. “We haven’t been introduced. I’m Beth.”
“I know. He told me.”
“Right.”
&
nbsp; Sara stepped into the living room and Beth followed her in. Sara sank into a chair and put her hands together.
Beth thumbed over her shoulder. “I can get Landon.”
“It’s actually you I came to speak to.”
“Oh.” Beth clasped her hands behind her back. “Right.” She turned to Dakota and told her she’d be a few minutes but to continue without her. There was silence as if Sara was contemplating.
“He said you brought Ellie’s body back to your cabin. Is that right?”
She swallowed hard. “I did.”
“She’s buried there?”
Beth knew she’d already had this conversation with Landon so she assumed Sara was wanting confirmation or checking that he was telling the truth. “She is. Beside my father. Who died around the same time.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” She looked Beth up and down. “How old are you?”
“Eighteen now.”
Sara nodded. “Thank you for what you did. I never got to say that before you left and I just want you to know that it means a lot. Having him back and…” She looked into her palm.
“He cares a lot about you,” Beth said. Sara lifted her eyes. “I don’t know how much Landon has told you about our time on the AT but if it wasn’t for him I don’t think I would be alive. He’s a good man.”
“I know he is. It’s just…” Sara trailed off.
“Complicated. I get it.”
“How was he on the trail?”
A smile formed on Beth’s face. “What version did he give you?”
“He didn’t.”
Beth took a seat across from her. She was a good-looking woman. She could see why Landon had fallen for her. It would be a pity to see them split over the circumstances of what they’d been through but then again maybe it would have happened regardless of the blackout. “Like I said. If he wasn’t there. I’m not sure I would have made it.”
“He says the same about you.” Sara allowed herself to smile even though Beth could see she was troubled. “He hated camping. Always used to complain about it. We only did it once and that was enough. That’s why it surprises me that he made it back in one piece.”
“He nearly didn’t,” Beth replied. “I think there are a lot of things that would surprise you about him now.” She rose. “You should speak with him.”
Sara glanced at her watch. “I… I have to go.”
“Sara. I’m not one to interfere but I hope you can work it out.”
She lowered her chin a little. “I hope so too.”
As she got up and headed for the door, Landon came in the back. “Sara?”
They looked at each other and Beth felt awkward as if she should have been elsewhere. He came in, wiping his hands on a cloth. “Are you staying for dinner?”
“I can’t. I have to go. I just came by to drop off a few items that you might find useful,” she said, removing a backpack and giving it to Landon. She opened the door and outside was Tess waiting on horseback. Before heading out she turned and looked at him. “Jake is gone. In fact a few people have gone from the house. You’re welcome to return. I’m sure Max would appreciate it.” With that said she smiled at Beth. “Nice to meet you, Beth.”
And with that she closed the door, leaving Landon standing there staring into the bag.
6
The atmosphere in the house that evening was somber. It seemed that Jake and Sam’s departure had been the catalyst for others to consider returning home. Up until that day all fourteen rooms had been filled with different families that had opted to move into the Manor in order to work together versus going it alone. For a time it had worked. Each of them carried the load from fishing to cooking and cleaning to protecting the home. The Manor had started to feel like an island; a secure abode for those seeking shelter from the trouble that had besieged Castine. Now that was all changing.
“Jenna and Richard want to leave?” Sara asked Rita.
She nodded as she stirred a pot of rice outside in preparation for serving the meal. They had taken to cooking outside over a fire. Smoke rose up around Rita as she told her of a few other couples who were considering leaving.
“But they only arrived two weeks ago.” Sara looked down at the flames licking up around the large pot and sighed.
“As nice as this is, it’s not home, Sara. It’s your home and people know that. They want their own space. And with Ray’s guys patrolling and zero attacks in the last month they figure it’s safe to return. And Jake and Sam leaving… well… it was to be expected.”
“But we are stronger together. And we might not have seen FEMA trying anything lately but Bennington is still out there, and other groups. The whole point of inviting them in was to help them as much as it was to help us.”
Rita shrugged. “I don’t know what to tell you, dear.”
“Well do you want to leave?”
“No. I enjoy the company but you should know that Janice and Arlo have been considering it. Now of course that depends on the meeting tomorrow night. Talk of alternative forms of power — wind and hydro — is giving people hope.”
“Hope of light. What about hope of staying alive?”
She shrugged again and stirred the pot. “Here, give me a hand carrying this into the house,” she said taking a cloth and wrapping it around one of the handles. Sara did the same on the other side and they lugged it into the kitchen where Tess was scraping salad into bowls.
“You leaving too?” Sara asked.
She looked up. “Where would I go?”
“You have a house.”
Tess frowned. “What’s the matter?”
“Rita will tell you,” she said. She set the pot down and walked out. Although she didn’t want people to leave, she couldn’t exactly stop them.
“Max. You up there? Time for supper.”
“I’m skipping it tonight. Already eaten,” he said. “I’m actually going out.”
“Where?” she hollered up. Nothing burned her more than trying to have a conversation with him via the staircase. She liked to look into someone’s face as there was a lot that a person could hide and lately her trust in her son or better put, her trust in what Ray was filling his head with, was at an all-time low.
“Heading over to Ray’s.”
“That’s the fourth night in a row. I’d like you to join us for dinner.”
“Dad returned?”
“No,” Sara replied.
“Well I’ll head out and go see him.”
She couldn’t exactly argue with that. The fact that he wanted to see or speak to him after learning about Ellie was a miracle. “All right. Just don’t come home late. Be back by eleven.”
“What if I decide to stay the night?”
She groaned. He had a point. “Well are you?”
“Don’t know.”
“Look, Max, can you come to the top of the stairs? I hate talking to a wall.”
She heard him trudge along the landing and then he appeared at the top of the stairs.
“We’re not going through this again, are we?” she asked.
“What?”
“You know full well what.”
He sighed. “I’m going to see dad, okay? I might be back tonight; I might be back in the morning.” There was a pause. “I’m eighteen, Mom.”
She threw up a hand. “You know what — do as you please. Everyone else seems to be.” With that, Sara shook her head as she walked back into the kitchen to help.
Max returned to his bedroom where Eddie was waiting. “We good to go?”
“Golden,” Max replied, scooping up his bag and climbing out the window. He’d got in the habit of exiting that way to avoid confrontations with his mother. Although he hadn’t spoken with his father yet since he’d returned, he was beginning to wonder if she’d driven him away.
“So we’re heading to your father’s?” Eddie said when they landed on the ground and took off toward the shed to collect the bikes.
“No.”
“But you told your mother.”
“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her. We’re going to do some recon on the FEMA camp.”
Eddie shook his head and stopped walking. “You said we were going to speak to Ray about getting some gear, then you said visit your father. Now you want to travel to the FEMA camp? Look, man, I’m all for doing dumb shit but even I know when to draw the line. What’s the purpose?”
“Gather intel. Do what these guys aren’t. Gain some respect. Right now everyone including my mother thinks I’m incapable of making smart choices but the fact is if it wasn’t for you and me, that dick Bennington would still be in charge. Now of course we could have died and maybe it was a bit reckless but no one can deny the outcome.”
Eddie threw up a hand. “Ah, I don’t know, Max. That’s a long trip and how do you expect to get by the checkpoints?”
“By boat. We’ll go around and up the Penobscot River this evening. I’m not waiting for permission. The fact is Ray still treats me like a kid. Hell, everyone does and yet we are the ones that have changed life on Castine. Anyway, tonight we’ll get a few rifles from Ray’s place and then head out.”
“And if they try to stop us?”
“They won’t.”
Ray and his guys were using the ship called The State of Maine as their main outpost down at the harbor. It didn’t take them long to reach it. Derek Nolan was one of the militia in charge of watching over the dock and keeping out those who didn’t have permission to board. He and five other guys saw them coming but because of his involvement with Ray, they waved them on in thinking that they were there to see Ray. As they boarded the vessel, Max looked over his shoulder.
“They never said a thing,” Eddie muttered.
“I told you.”
As soon as they were on the boat he made a beeline for the armory and collected two rifles, some NV goggles and some flashbangs. Crouching, Max tucked ammo into his bag while listening to Eddie discuss his theory on why FEMA hadn’t attacked when suddenly a soldier appeared in the doorway.
“What are you two doing in here?”
Max turned and quickly answered. “I got the all-clear by Ray. We’re helping out with a recon group heading up to FEMA.”
