The First Twenty

by Jennifer Lavoie

  That thought gave her pause.

  What if someone had been caught out, unable to find shelter or make it back? Maybe they had time, seen the clouds coming in the distance. Peyton and her group hadn’t had that luxury because the storm had started where they were, a product of Nixie’s skills. It was pointless to worry about it now. She couldn’t do anything about it, even if someone had been injured. They were too far away, and some things were simply beyond her control.

  Like Dad’s death.

  She sighed as the words came unbidden to the surface. It had been a little over a month since he’d been killed, and the pain still hit her as if it had happened yesterday. Every time she thought of him, the wound ripped back open. He wouldn’t want her to be consumed by it, and really, she wasn’t. Still, whenever she thought of him, the pain bloomed deep in her chest and spread outward until she burned with it. And eventually that burn turned to anger, a slow anger that threatened to consume her.

  She thought back to that day they’d buried him and her promise to find who’d killed him and punish them. When she’d asked Nixie about the Scavengers who murdered her father, she claimed not to know. Peyton hadn’t wanted to trust her at first, but now she did. Nixie didn’t know who killed him, but what if it was someone close to her that held the secret? Would Peyton want to be responsible for taking the light out of those blue eyes and putting sorrow there?

  Not if she could help it.

  Her mind raced as the moon crept across the sky. How would she punish his murderers? She’d been so sure that she would bring them back to the Mill and execute them. She’d wanted revenge so badly she had been able to taste the blood…but now she’d lost the taste for it. Revenge wouldn’t bring her father back. What was the point?

  Maybe Jasper was right. She was soft on Nixie, and she was getting soft on everyone else. Times were changing. A few months ago she would have balked at the idea, but now it didn’t seem so bad. With Nixie at my side, I feel like I can do anything.

  Wasn’t that just a kicker?

  The boys’ tent rustled and the sound of a zipper broke the stillness of the evening.

  Speak of the devil. Peyton watched Jasper as he crawled slowly and carefully from the tent, doing his best not to disturb Cooper and Static. He stretched and yawned, his back popping loudly as he stood.

  “Didn’t realize you were getting so ancient, old man,” Peyton teased quietly as he approached her place. He flipped her off as he sat down.

  “You should hear yourself, then.” He stared into the flames, his eyes slipping closed for a moment.

  “If you’re still tired, you should sleep longer. I can manage a few more hours.” Even if she went to bed now, she didn’t think she’d be able to sleep. Not with Nixie so close.

  “Nah, I’m good,” Jasper said, waving a hand in her direction. “It’s just one more night, right? I’ll manage.”

  “We both deserve a day of rest after this trip.”

  “You said it. I say Ryan takes my shifts.” His grin showed his teeth, the white catching the fire and reflecting back dangerously. Peyton chuckled.

  “Somehow I doubt that’ll go over well.”

  “You’re the boss. Just make him do it.”

  Peyton shrugged a shoulder and stood, stretching her back as she did. “I could. We’ll see.” She wouldn’t. As much as she couldn’t stand Ryan, she knew dumping Jasper’s load on him would do more harm than the momentary pleasure of watching him work a double shift. Retaliation on Ryan’s part would likely hurt an innocent, and she couldn’t allow that to happen.

  Quietly she bid Jasper good night and slipped over to her tent. Nixie hadn’t zipped it fully, so she pulled the zipper enough to let her crawl through before turning and sealing them in. Two sleeping mats lay on the floor—one for her, and one for Nixie. But in her sleep, Nixie must have moved around because she was in the center, occupying half of both mats.

  Peyton sighed softly and sat on the ground, carefully removing her boots and placing them off to the side. She eased onto her side, back to Nixie, and tried to settle into a comfortable position. It was hard to with Nixie taking up so much space. Amazing how someone so small could fill a room or a tent.

  Nixie murmured in her sleep and shifted, scooting back a little so that her back pressed against Peyton’s. Peyton held her breath, not wanting to wake her. She was afraid to wake her. Afraid of what she’d do if she looked into those drowsy, trusting eyes.

  Half on her mat, half on the hard ground, Peyton closed her eyes and tried to sleep. The heat radiating from Nixie’s body warmed her and lulled her into a peaceful rest, but she didn’t sleep. Her body might be comforted by the nearness, but her mind just wouldn’t shut off.

  “I can hear you thinking,” Nixie murmured sleepily.

  Peyton nearly ripped a hole in the tent when she flailed out in surprise. “What are you doing awake?” she asked. Then she added, “Move over, you left me no room.”

  “That was the point,” Nixie said. Her voice sounded more alert this time, the sleep fading with each word. The blanket rustled as she shifted, and Peyton rolled onto her back. She glanced over to find herself face-to-face with Nixie.

  “The point?”

  Nixie shook her head and slid back on her mat. Peyton took the opportunity to settle more fully onto her own, but before she finished, a small arm wrapped around her waist and a head came down to rest on her shoulder. She stiffened, surprised by the contact. Nixie’s breathing evened out again, and Peyton was stuck in her position, comfortable or not.

  It’s going to be a long night.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

  The sun shone brightly the next morning as they set out for the Mill. All of their gear had been packed, a hasty breakfast eaten, and more water filtered to fill their canteens. Static waved good-bye to the campsite, calling out, “Fare thee well!” as they crossed the bridge. Everyone laughed.

  “I’ve never seen him acting so strange,” Cooper said.

  Static grinned, the color rising in his cheeks from a blush rather than a burn. “Just glad to be going back to get started on my work,” he replied.

  They were all glad to be returning, Nixie decided. Jasper teased Static, watching him carefully as they walked over the cracked highway. Cooper wandered off to explore, bringing back various plant samples or edibles and marking their location on his map. And Peyton…Peyton had a small smile that actually reached her eyes, and she flashed it to Nixie every so often.

  It lit her up like a clear, starry night.

  Everything felt so easy. The tension from their trip out had faded and was replaced with a pleasant camaraderie in which Nixie felt included. Whether it was from the success of their mission, the landscape, fresh and bright from the rain, or something else entirely, Nixie couldn’t tell. On the first trip, the group had walked in a mostly single-file row with Jasper and Peyton constantly on the alert, scanning their surroundings and switching places seamlessly. Now the group walked nearly side-by-side. Jasper and Peyton still scanned their surroundings, but hard lines didn’t mar their faces, and their eyes were wide open and bright instead of narrowed. Peyton walked next to Nixie most of the time, too, and didn’t try to keep her voice whisper quiet when she spoke.

  For the first time in her life, Nixie felt as if she were a valuable part of the mission instead of just an accessory added on after the fact.

  It gave her an idea.

  “Peyton,” she said after a long stretch of silence between them. The girl looked at her, eyebrow raised, as she grunted acknowledgment of her name. “If Scavengers were to show up at the Mill, in peace, wanting to join the settlement, would they be accepted?” Despite the progress between them and their shared kisses, Nixie half expected the guard to recoil, so she was surprised when Peyton took her question seriously and gave it careful consideration. She didn’t answer right away, and after ticking off the seconds in her head, Nixie wondered if she had dismissed the idea and wasn’t going to bother with an answer.<
br />
  “I’m not sure, honestly,” Peyton said finally. “I’d like to say they’d be welcomed, but I think a lot of people would have problems with it, for a lot of reasons, not just because they’re Scavengers.” She carefully picked her way over a clump of concrete before continuing. “There would be a lot of distrust at first. People would want to know why they were there. They’d think they were after something, like you were.”

  Nixie felt the color rising in her face. Had she ruined her people’s chance at a better life?

  “But after this mission, some might change their minds. Avery certainly likes you, and if Avery does, Julian will. Graham trusts you, and Dr. Easton. If you can get Old Joe’s approval, then it will make the rest of the people easier.” She paused before adding, “And then there’s us, of course.” Her smile chased the worry from Nixie’s gut. “It would take a while, but I think it can be done. Of course there are other issues as well. Where would they stay? What would we do about food? Clothing? It would be taxing on our resources, at least initially, depending on how many people came for help. But I think in the long run, it would only make us stronger. And with Static trying to connect us with the rest of the country, shouldn’t we be doing that?”

  “Have you been thinking about this?” Nixie asked.

  Peyton shrugged. “It might have crossed my mind. Do you think there are Scavengers who would try?”

  “If I talked to them, yes. I think there are some who would. I know they’d at least consider it.” She shook her head sadly. “Life as a Scavenger is hard. Not everyone is made for it, and I know the mothers worry about their children. Just the thought of a solid roof over their heads and more food in their bellies would be enough for some.”

  “Were you hungry growing up?”

  The hunger pangs still haunted Nixie, and she closed her eyes, remembering nights when she’d stumbled across berries she was told never to eat, and the temptation to pluck them from their branches just to ease the gnawing hunger had grown so strong she’d almost given in the way some had. She’d seen adults and children cave in. It didn’t happen often, but when it did, the loss lay over the group like a swarm of bees. And then the guilt seeped in, because someone, usually a family member, would benefit from the extra rations. While they mourned the loss of their loved one, they greedily ate their share of the food, their constant hunger temporarily abated as rations increased. The irony of it all was lost on no one.

  She realized she hadn’t answered the question, but when she looked at Peyton, she knew she didn’t have to. The answer must’ve been written all over her face.

  “If you stay with us, you’ll never have to feel that way again.”

  “I know.”

  The group stopped a little after noon to eat the rest of their food. Nixie would have been worried if they weren’t on their way back to the Mill, or if Cooper hadn’t been with them. But shortly after eating, and during a brief rest for Static’s benefit, the forager had wandered off and came back with a plastic bag full of greens.

  Jasper laughed at the sight of him strolling back through the brush. “You look like you’ve just gone to the grocery store.”

  “I wish it were that easy,” Cooper said as he set the bag on the ground. They crowded around and looked inside. “It’s peppergrass. I figured we could snack on some of it and give the rest to Mrs. Burgoine on our way back, when we drop off her bags.”

  Peyton murmured her agreement and after they had picked through a few of the leaves, the group resumed their progress. Time passed quickly as they headed into familiar territory for all of them. The group picked up their pace, and soon the recognizable sites passed faster than they had on the first trip. Nixie commented on it, and Jasper said it was because they were all eager to get home.

  By late afternoon, they reached Ox Farm. The little girl was nowhere to be seen, but the chickens were picking at the ground in an enclosed yard. Out in the field Nixie saw two large men working with large, handheld tools. As they approached the farmhouse a dog barked and growled from inside.

  “Hello?” Peyton called out. Nixie glanced through the screen and could see a large brown dog baring its teeth. Peyton didn’t bother knocking on the screen, though she held up her hands, palm out to the dog. It seemed to pacify it for the moment.

  “Yes?” a voice called from around the back of the house. Nixie poked her head around the corner to find Mrs. Burgoine walking toward them, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. Little Ada trailed after her, holding a basket. “Oh! You’re back already! I thought you would have been gone much longer.”

  “We would have been back yesterday, but we got a little lost in the city. We found the bags you requested.”

  Everyone unloaded the bags and Mrs. Burgoine exclaimed in delight. She took them gratefully, along with the bag of peppergrass from Cooper. “So many bags! This will keep us for a long time. Thank you!”

  “We found them in RadioShack with the parts Static needed.”

  “So you found everything?”

  Static grinned and turned to show off the bulging pack he carried.

  “That’s amazing. I wouldn’t have thought anything would be left.”

  “Well…technically there wasn’t much. But I can adapt what we found. I—”

  “Makes you wonder what else is there,” Nixie said, cutting Static off before he could get going.

  “Maybe all the settlements can group together and send in a larger party. It couldn’t hurt,” Mrs. Burgoine said.

  Everyone turned to Peyton and she nodded slowly. “I think it’s time we start exploring again.”

  “We need to do it sometime. No time like the present,” Mrs. Burgoine added. “Thank you again for the bags. If you have anything you need repaired, send it over and I’d be happy to mend it for you.”

  “Thank you,” Jasper said. “I think we do have some damaged netting. Willow mentioned something about it.”

  “Oh! The strangest thing happened after you passed through. You’ll probably hear about it from your people, but it rained!”

  “Rain, rain, rain!” Ada sang, setting her basket down and skipping about the yard. “Thunder and lightning, rain!”

  “The storm came out of nowhere and didn’t last nearly long enough, but it was so refreshing. It gave us hope. Maybe the climate is changing.” She trailed off with a sigh. “Did it rain in the city?”

  “Yes, just as you said. Sudden and intense.”

  “Well, I hope it comes again.” Mrs. Burgoine looked up at the clear blue sky. “Though, right now, it doesn’t look like it.”

  “You never know,” Nixie spoke up. “The sky looked like this before it started to rain, right?”

  The woman gave her an appraising glance before nodding. “Yes, you’re right.”

  Before they left, Mrs. Burgoine insisted on filling their canteens. She asked Nixie to help her, so she followed along while the others rested outside.

  “I don’t know everyone at the Mill, but I get this feeling that you’re new there.”

  The question would have caused panic on the trip out to the city, but a lot had happened since then, and Nixie just handed over another canteen. “You’re right. I am new. I’m from the area, but I’ve only been at the Mill for a few months.”

  “Good to know my instincts are still strong.” She laughed.

  Nixie stilled her pounding heart as best she could, then added, “I’m a Scavenger.”

  The hand turning on the faucet to fill the last canteen paused. Mrs. Burgoine stared at the sink for a moment before turning to Nixie with a look of surprise. “Well, I’ll be.”

  “You’ll be what?”

  “Just an old expression. My grandmother used to say it when she was surprised.” She finished the job and tightened the cap. She didn’t make another comment on the matter as they left the house and rejoined the group lounging outside.

  “Thanks for the water, Mrs. Burgoine,” Peyton said as she took hers back. She hooked it onto her pack and stoo
d.

  “Anytime. Thanks again for your help,” the woman said with a smile. She nodded at Nixie and called for Ada. They all parted ways with friendly waves and Ada chasing after them, laughing and singing about the rain.

  Nixie watched the little girl until they disappeared around the bend and hoped her new ability wasn’t just a one-time fluke.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  Going into the city, they had come down the steep part of West Street, but on the return trip, they had to climb it. Static, who had been pleasant until this point, complained as soon as they hit the base, and Jasper traded packs with him.

  “I can’t wait to be home,” he moaned, trudging up the hill. “I have blisters on my feet. There are blisters on my blisters.”

  “We’re all tired, Static, so shut up,” Cooper grumbled. “It’s not going to make this any easier or faster.”

  “But it feels good to get it out,” he whined.

  “It won’t feel good when I knock you out.”

  “Enough, boys.” Peyton’s command stopped them for a moment, but the silence didn’t last long. Peyton wished she had something to tie Static’s mouth shut, at least for the last leg of their journey. At her side, Nixie snickered, and the boys were quiet for all of five minutes before they started up again. Peyton tried to ignore them and instead focused on thoughts of home and her own bed. A softer bed than the ground she’d been sleeping on.

  Maybe Nixie would want to move into my place.

  She didn’t need a mirror to show her the color rising in her cheeks; she could feel it from the thoughts and images that flitted through her mind. Maybe she’d rather stay with Graham. Once the group crested the rise of the hill, it was all downhill back to the Mill. They picked up their pace and Static’s complaints turned to exclamations of how everyone would throw a parade in his honor once he got the radios back up and working.