by Mathews,Mark
“I can go back into town to see if anything has changed since the last time.”
Nat made the offer, and while Garrett was glad and proud of him for trying to help, he didn’t think that would be the best way to handle things. He’d come back safely the last time, yes, but it just could have been dumb luck. Besides, he didn’t really think that anything noteworthy had happened yet in town, because the gunfight that he expected between Austin and the rival gang would be loud enough for them to hear there at the factory. He didn’t think Nat leaving again would be worth it, but he couldn’t guarantee it. A murmur broke out around the table, and it was agreed upon that Nat would go again that night. Garrett didn’t want to wait that long, but he couldn’t ask Nat to go during the day, it just wasn’t safe. He was still unhappy about the fact that Nat was having to take on the responsibility of the man of the group just because Garrett couldn’t do it, Max wasn’t there, and Ben…well, he didn’t know where Ben had gone.
Breakfast was eaten, and the women were trying to have a good time washing the dishes and clothes that they had with them. He was thankful they were trying to get back a sense of normalcy. To be honest, he didn’t think he could do it for them right now. So if they could lean on each other and lose themselves in daily tasks, it would help them cope with the situation that they were in.
“Nat, can you help me get back to my room?” The boy’s face lit up, and Garrett felt a little guilty. He could tell Nat was trying to bond with him, as a father figure, but right now he just needed some information from the boy. He felt guilty for manipulating him.
“Sure. Let me just give my plate to Mom.”
He jumped up from the table and rushed over to the sink where his mom was washing the dishes. He came back and helped Garrett to his feet. Garrett made a note as to where Wren was, so she wouldn’t overhear their conversation and try stopping him from what he was trying to do. Once they got back out to the factory, he started whispering to Nat.
“Okay, tell me where you found that bike you’ve been using.”
Nat looked around furtively before whispering back. This was his chance to show Garrett he was capable of doing things, too. He’d found a bike that worked much better than the one that had been in the factory. That meant that he could be resourceful, and be treated like one of the other guys in the group. Maybe he could help protect them the way Max and Garrett and Ben had been doing.
“I found one in the corner of the factory that was all rusty, but I traded it in when I found a bunch of them outside. It looks like the parking area had a security detail and the security guards rode around on bicycles. There’s a whole shed out there full of them.” That sparked an idea in Garrett’s head.
“I think I need some air. This factory is just too stuffy to be in all the time. Think you can take me out to the bike shed?” Nat understood what he wanted immediately and winked at him.
“Sure.” He took Garrett’s weight on his shoulder and helped him limp outside. Wren saw it and ran to interfere.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” She stood in front of them, barring their path.
“Relax, Wren. Nat just is taking me outside for a short walk. I need to get some fresh air. I’m rotting in that office.” When he put it like that, he knew she couldn’t deny him. It was true. He was the only one who hadn’t been able to go outside since they had arrived at the factory.
“Alright, but I’ll be watching you, and if you need help, you better yell.”
He promised her he would, and she stepped out of the way. He was glad she hadn’t picked up on their conversation, because she easily would have been able to figure out the plan he’d begun formulating. Nat took him to the shed, and Garrett started looking for one bike he might be able to ride. He finally chose one, and climbed on top of it. Nat had thought they just were jailbreaking for some fresh air and some guys’ time. Now he was worried that Garrett might get hurt again as he took the bike for a short spin in the parking lot.
“What are you doing? You’re going to get hurt.”
Garrett put the bike back and came over to Nat. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a good idea to do this in front of Nat. He still didn’t know where the boy’s loyalty lay. He had a sneaking suspicion it might be more to his mother, and she would go and tell the other women. But then again, he was looking to grow up and have a mentor, so maybe trusting him with something like this would be a good test to see what he could do.
“I’m going to go with you on your trip to town, but I don’t want you to say anything to anyone, okay?”
Nat was trapped. He didn’t want Garrett to go because he would get hurt more, and Nat wouldn’t be able to be seen as an adult if Garrett went with him. He thought about telling Wren so he could go by himself and look like the tough guy. Garrett had offered him and his mother safety and had stood by them, keeping them alive. He couldn’t break his trust now. Not after what he’d done for them and how he had respected him.
That night, Nat said his goodbyes and acted for all the world like he was leaving for his mission. Garrett excused himself while the rest of them were eating dinner, saying he was feeling a little weak and wanted to go lie down. Instead, he snuck out the back door while no one was watching. He made his way over to the shed and managed to get out the bike he’d tested earlier, without anyone noticing. He got on it and started pedaling to town. Nat was waiting for him in a dark, sheltered area about a half-mile down the road. Once the two met up, Garrett could feel himself become flooded with adrenaline. He couldn’t believe he was going to be doing something to actively help his family again. Nat needed the help, yes, but he wanted to be able to gain back his freedom.
“I’m sorry I made you keep a secret from your mom, but she would have told Wren, and Wren wouldn’t have let me go with you. I promise I’ll make it up to the both of them when we get back, but I just needed to get out of there. I was going stir crazy in that tiny office.”
Nat shrugged. He still didn’t feel one hundred percent right about what Garrett was doing, but it wasn’t his place to tell Garrett what to do. They’d gone over the safety checks of the bicycles there in the hidden alcove off the road and now were ready to get on with the journey. Nat led the way, and Garrett was thankful the pace was slow and steady. It meant he wouldn’t tire out so quickly, and it would help build up his strength in case he decided he wanted to go on more outings like this.
Suddenly, Nat froze. His eyes were wide with shock, and he started turning his head to look back down the road that they’d come from. Garrett could see the panic in his eyes. Wait. It was dark. He shouldn’t have been able to see anything, much less the expression on Nat’s face. His thoughts raced. What if they were being followed? If it was a car, then they could be run over before they even knew who’d been driving. He frantically searched the road for a place to hide, but that wouldn’t do. They’d never make it in time. All he could do was turn around and face what was coming.
“Oh my God! Look!” Garrett wasn’t quite so coordinated yet, so he had to stop his bike and put a foot down before he could turn back to look at what had Nat so worried.
Chapter Five
Fear coursed through Garrett. He only could imagine a car coming up behind them, Austin at the wheel, trying to run them down. The horror of what was behind them was even worse. It was the factory. But the power was on, and the whole thing was lit up like a Christmas tree. He started looking around, instinctively looking for danger. If he and Nat could see it, so could others.
“How could they get the power on like that? Does that mean it’s over? Can we go back to our normal lives now?” The excitement in Nat’s voice was palpable, and Garrett didn’t have the heart to tell him that it was a fluke. Instead, he came up with a plan of action.
“Nat, look at me. I need you to listen to me and do exactly what I say.” The commanding tone in Garrett’s voice snapped Nat’s head up. He was staring wide-eyed at Garrett.
“I need you to ride back to the factory
and tell them to turn off the power. This is going to be a beacon for other people to show up. Tell them to get that power off and to hide where they can before people start showing up.” Garrett finished giving his instructions and stared at Nat. The boy stared back.
“GO!” Nat snapped out of his trance and wheeled his bicycle around.
Garrett watched as he stood up on the pedals to get more momentum going. How could they have got the power on? Nothing electrical worked. It had been months since they’d lost power, and even a generator shouldn’t be working right now. Was it over? Was it truly over? Could they go back to a semblance of normalcy? If it was over, then he’d need to find a way to get an authority figure to help him free Alice and Seth from Austin. Getting the town back under control and back to the way life was before the EMP attack was going to be difficult. They would have to rebuild from the ground up, and a census would have to be conducted to see how many people were still alive. With Nat gone, Garrett focused on himself. It was now up to him to get to town and get the job done that Nat originally was supposed to do. He needed to find out if there had been any changes, and if the gang had made a move on Austin yet.
He started to pedal the rest of the way to town. Pain shot through him on a continuous loop, and even though it was all downhill right now, a nagging thought told him there was no way he was going to make it back to the factory, uphill the whole way. He pushed that thought to the back of his mind. He’d cross that bridge when he came to it. For right now, he just was going to focus on getting to the town. A rumbling noise caught his attention. Headlights came from the direction of the town, and he already could hear drunken whooping and hollering coming from the two vehicles that he could see tearing out of the town, headed toward the factory.
Garrett barely could move fast enough to get safely off the road. Even then, he stumbled and fell to his knees. Once he was down, he decided he may as well use that area to hide in. He laid the bike down, crawling under the nearest bush. It felt like someone had a paddle with needles sticking out of it, and was hitting his right knee with it, over and over again. He bit his lip, willing the pain away, but to no avail. Fear swept through him. The sudden reality that Nat wasn’t going to make it back to the factory in time tore out his heart. His daughters were there. They had no one to protect them now because he had stupidly gone off to play vigilante and do things his own way.
Wren. Wren was still there. He hoped and prayed she would be able to take care of the group on her own. If no one else was there to help her, they might still be overrun. As he lay there, hidden, the lights of the factory went off, leaving the afterimage burned into his mind’s eye. Had they turned off the power? Had whatever generator they’d got going died again? It didn’t really matter to him if it was by accident or by design. It gave him hope. This meant the gang would have to guess at finding the factory again. Granted, it would be easy to remember where the building itself was, but it meant they would have to search it in the darkness, giving his group more time to hide. The darkness even would be on Wren’s side, because she knew the factory’s layout and they didn’t. He just hoped that it was enough.
He was starting to regret leaving the factory. They could use what little help he could give them. He just hoped that Nat could make it back safely. If anything happened to anyone in his group…he would hold himself responsible. He already was beating himself up for what had happened, and he knew it only would get worse if something bad happened while he wasn’t there. He stopped to consider going back, but he knew that this recon needed to be done. He didn’t think Austin would hurt Alice or Seth, but if he got riled up enough he might take it out on them. Thoughts of John and Kayleigh flooded his mind. He might not be like John, but Garrett didn’t want to take that risk. He refused to gamble with Alice and Seth’s safety.
Maybe Austin and his group saw the light on at the factory, too. He only could hope that they would go out to investigate, run into the other gang, and they would finish each other off. If Austin’s group thought that the gang had turned on the lights, then they would take care of each other, leaving Garrett’s family alone. Then he could slip in, get Alice and Seth, and head back to the factory in a roundabout way so they wouldn’t get caught. How much time passed before Garrett got to the furniture store, he didn’t really know, but when he did, it was absolutely silent. There was no light, no noise, and no signs of life at all. Garrett’s heart started beating a painful tattoo into his chest, and every other ache and pain disappeared. What if something had happened to Alice and Seth already? What if he was too late? He told himself to calm down. They simply could have been moved to another home. He had to have missed them. Garrett put his head in his hands. What was he going to do now? He had no idea where to start looking for them. It wasn’t like Austin just was going to show up, strategically in front of him, and spill the beans, like it had happened for Nat. That was an anomaly in and of itself. He was on the verge of going back to the factory with no information whatsoever. He cursed himself for having this happen, because he still blamed himself for the circumstances that had landed him here.
Garrett didn’t know what to do. Maybe he could look around for some clues. He didn’t have much hope, but it was better than going back without even trying. He stuck to the sidewalks so he could duck out of sight if anyone came along. He saw something shimmering in the light of the moon. When he got closer, he saw a metal cylinder. His eyes widened. It was a shell casing. It looked as though the gunfight already had happened. Maybe the town was empty because Austin had evacuated it. That was a relief to him because it meant Alice and Seth were safe, but it also tore at his heart because he had no idea where Austin had evacuated them to. What if he couldn’t find them?
He tried following the trail of shell casings as much as possible, and noticed that most of them were from rifle bullets. That meant the gang had been here. Austin and his men only had pistols and the occasional shotgun. High-powered rifles were easily recognizable by the bullet, and he now was starting to worry that Austin hadn’t moved them in time. What if someone had been hurt? He knew one thing. If anything had happened to Alice or Seth, he’d kill the person who had done it, then kill Austin for letting it happen. It didn’t matter anymore that they weren’t technically his immediate family.
He felt a thought starting to worm its way into his mind. What if they hadn’t been moved at all? What if the gang had come into the town and shot it up before Austin knew what was happening? Garrett wanted to believe what Nat had relayed to him about Austin wanting to protect the people. But what if he’d failed? What if the town was empty because everyone had been shot and killed, then dragged away by the gang? No. He couldn’t think that way. If he did, he’d go absolutely crazy with grief, and do something stupid. Either going after the gang, or going after Austin, or both. He had to keep looking until he found something that told him they were safe. He firmly grabbed hold of the thought that Alice and Seth were dead, and started forcing it into a little box in the back of his mind. It didn’t want to fit at first, but he took his anger and pain out on it, shoving and punching until it did. Then he locked that box, put it in the furthest, deepest, darkest reach of his mind and tried to forget it even existed. He didn’t see any shotgun or pistol casings anywhere, and that made him feel a little better.
Even if the gang had caught the town by surprise, Austin and his goons would have been able to return a little fire. That meant there should be some proof that they’d got off shots, too. He didn’t see any. That meant that no one was here when the gang came to shoot up the town. He did his best to look around and see if there were any telltale signs of people struggling. Maybe some blood. No matter where he looked, however, he saw no signs of injured people. Something loosened in his chest. He hadn’t realized his breathing had been labored until the relief washed through him, letting him breathe deeply for the first time since he’d come into town. He didn’t know what he was going to do to find them now, but he knew he needed to get back to the facto
ry to find out what had happened while he was gone.
He took a deep breath and stared in the general direction of the factory. The thought of the whole way being uphill was completely daunting to him. Now that he was no longer terrified, the aches and pains that he’d accumulated over the course of the trip made themselves known with a vengeance. He limped back to the place where he’d hidden the bicycle, catching himself on a fence when his knee buckled. He sent up a silent prayer that he could make it back in one piece and undetected by anyone. Thoughts raced through his mind as to what possibly could have happened in his absence, and whether Nat had made it back in one piece. There was no way of knowing one way or the other until he got back, so he climbed back onto his bicycle with a grimace of pain.
Chapter Six
Dinner was over, Nat was on his way to town, and poor Garrett was in his room resting. The rest of the group was trying to spend some quality time together, sitting in the main space of the factory where they had set up their little camp. Brooke was combing out her little sister’s hair, weaving it into hundreds of teeny tiny braids. It was something that Alice always had done, and since she saw that Jenny was in a melancholy mood, she thought it would be the best thing for her to do to create some normalcy for her sister. Brooke’s fingers were sure, and even though it was hard to see in the dark, the flew over the thin strands of hair, deftly making even, smooth braids for her sister. For her part, Jenny just was trying to focus on not showing any emotions at all. She knew her dad would want her to be strong, and she wanted to be, but it was hard to think about her mom and her baby brother in the hands of a raving lunatic who acted like a teenage boy and might be mentally unstable. She was comforted by the presence of her sister, and that was all she had to cling to for the moment. Brooke respected her silence, not forcing her to talk if she didn’t want to, and sat there with her. It was something that Jenny loved about her.
