Solace Within

by Gavin Zanker

Aiden rolled up his sleeve and showed her the bullet wound. ‘It looks worse than it is,’ he said, wiping away some dried blood.

  ‘Give me your first aid kit,’ she said, holding out her hand.

  Aiden smiled at the tone of authority in her voice, and did as she ordered. She took the kit from him and rifled through it, pulling out some gauze and a strip of tape. ‘Can you hold a light so I can see properly?’ she asked.

  ‘My flashlight is dead. You’ll just have to do your best.’

  ‘How did you learn to fight so well?’ Leigh asked as she wiped the blood from his arm.

  ‘The hard way. A rough childhood spent getting into a lot of fights soon teaches you what works and what doesn’t.’

  ‘Can you teach me what works?’ Leigh asked, her tone hopeful.

  Aiden studied the skinny girl, her tongue sticking out slightly as she concentrated on securing the gauze over his arm. He doubted she could win a fight with a gust of wind.

  ‘You run,’ he told her. ‘Running works.’

  ‘I don’t want to run though, I want to fight.’

  ‘If you want to live, then you run. If running isn’t an option, then… then keep it simple. Hit hard, hit first. Go for vulnerable places like eyes and the groin.’

  ‘Run first, fight later, eyes and groin,’ Leigh said. ‘I’ll remember.’ She finished taping the gauze into place and nodded. ‘All done.’

  As Aiden repacked the canteen and first aid kit, Leigh pointed at the scrap of fabric sewn into his pack. ‘Why’s that bit blue?’ she asked.

  Aiden glanced at the blue patch, torn from the Kinship robes Ellis had given to him for saving his life years ago. ‘To remind me to pick my battles,’ he said, ‘and that sometimes… the world can be worth fighting for.’

  Voices drifted over to them from the road. Aiden peered over the tyres again to see three men heading towards the scrapyard, their flashlight beams weaving across the road.

  ‘We have to move,’ Aiden whispered. ‘Quick-’

  ‘Aiden,’ Leigh hissed, tugging on his jacket in alarm.

  Aiden turned and froze as he saw a large pear-shaped man pointing a shotgun at them. Hitch let out a low growl.

  ‘And what might you two be doing sneaking around my scrapyard in the dead of night, eh? Looking to steal something are you?’

  Aiden considered reaching for his pistol, but he’d never get it out of the holster before the man could pull the trigger. ‘We didn’t realise we were trespassing,’ he said, slowly raising his hands. ‘We stole nothing, just wanted a place to sit for a spell.’

  ‘Please, mister,’ Leigh said. ‘We meant no harm.’

  Aiden glanced in the direction of the men on the road as their voices drew closer.

  ‘Would they be here for you?’ the armed man asked. ‘They look like red bands to me. You get yourselves in a spot of bother with the locals?’

  ‘We might have pissed off a few of them back in town,’ Aiden said warily. ‘We’re not looking for trouble though.’

  The man’s chubby face creased into a beaming smile and he rested his shotgun over his broad shoulder. ‘Ah hell, anyone that bloodies the nose of those no-good criminals is all right in my book. The name’s Hefty. Come on, you can wait it out inside my shack. Watch your step though, I set bear traps around here to catch thieves.’

  The men were just moments from stumbling over them now, and Aiden saw no other choice. He nodded to Leigh and the three of them hurried after the scrapyard owner towards his single-story shack. Hefty lifted the garage door, and they ducked through. ‘You wait in there and I’ll deal with these cowboys,’ he said as he rattled the door down.

  A small electric bulb overhead cast a dim glow over the cluttered garage. Hitch sniffed around the scattered piles of boxes cautiously. An empty chassis of an old muscle car sat raised on bricks in the centre. A few large chest freezers against the wall hummed with power.

  ‘Do you think it’s safe?’ Leigh whispered.

  Aiden put his finger to his lips as he heard voices outside. They were muffled and he couldn’t make out the conversation. It was possible this Hefty guy was selling them out, looking to claim a reward. Aiden pulled out his pistol and waited, straining his hearing.

  The voices grew louder as they argued, and he heard Hefty start shouting. ‘You get yourselves off my property before I carry you off myself. I told you already, it’s just me here since my wife passed. If your boss has a problem with that she can come down here and tell me herself. Now piss off!’

  A door slammed shut, and Aiden heard footsteps moving away from the shack. He let out a sigh of relief and wiped his brow. The door connecting the garage to the shack swung open, making Leigh jump back in surprise.

  ‘It’s all right, kiddo. It’s just old Hefty.’ The man eyed Aiden’s pistol and nodded at the weapon. ‘If you’d be so kind…’

  ‘Right,’ Aiden said, holstering his gun.

  ‘Thanking you. I don’t much like weapons inside my home. So keep that thing put away if you don’t mind.’

  ‘No problem,’ Aiden said. ‘Thanks for covering for us.’

  ‘No skin off my nose. Me and them Crimson dogs have never gotten along. Speaking of which,’ Hefty said eyeing Hitch, ‘I’ve never had much luck with canines. They always seem to want to take a bite out of me. That fella isn’t going to make me regret this decision is he?’

  Aiden clicked his fingers and Hitch moved to his heel. ‘Don’t worry, he’s well trained. He’ll be no trouble.’

  ‘Well okay then,’ Hefty said with a grin and beckoned them through. ‘Come on inside.’

  They followed him into the main room which was as chaotic as the garage. A table sat against one of the corrugated walls, an iron-sprung folding bed in the corner, and a lamp cast a dim glow across the room from its spot on the crooked bookshelf.

  ‘Forgive the mess,’ Hefty said as he lay his shotgun by the front door and took a seat at the table. ‘I don’t get many visitors. And since Jan passed, well… it’s just old Hefty on his own these days. You can make yourselves at home. Those animals won’t be back tonight, not until they’ve run back to their master with their tails between their legs.’

  Leigh hopped up onto an old engine block in the corner, swinging her legs as she gazed around the room with curiosity. Hitch kept to Aiden’s heel as he turned a chair and took a seat opposite Hefty at the table.

  ‘I appreciate the help,’ Aiden said. ‘If there’s any way I can repay the favour, just let me know.’

  ‘Dinner, of course,’ Hefty said.

  ‘I’m sorry?’

  ‘You stay for dinner,’ Hefty said with a rumbling chuckle. ‘Can’t have you wandering around out there in the dark. Who knows what unsavoury types you might run into.’ He hauled his sizeable bulk out of the chair and walked over to the fridge. ‘Let’s see what I’ve got in, shall we?’ he said, opening the door and leaning inside.

  Leigh looked at Aiden hopefully, but he shook his head at her. She stuck out her bottom lip and kicked her legs in response.

  ‘Nope,’ Hefty said, bringing his head out of the fridge. ‘Nothing good enough for guests in there. Let me check the freezers in the garage.’

  Hefty slammed the fridge shut and headed into the garage. Aiden walked over to the fridge and took a look inside. Slabs of meat lay stacked up on the shelves. He frowned. How could Hefty have so much meat without any livestock? Then it dawned on him: the bear traps outside, the freezers in the garage, the sheer size of the man when others were starving.

  ‘We’re leaving,’ Aiden said to Leigh, already on his feet and heading for the door. He whistled Hitch who got up and followed him.

  ‘Aww, but we just got here,’ Leigh protested, ‘and I’m starving.’

  ‘Now,’ he said, opening the door and stepping out into the night. ‘I’ll explain later.’

  Leigh ran out after him, and they headed carefully back to the road. They checked it was clear, then ducked back under the fence and continued s
outh. Aiden pushed them forward at a steady jog, keen to put a reasonable distance behind them. After the far-off lights of the town retreated behind them he finally relaxed a little and slowed the pace to a walk.

  ‘What happened?’ Leigh asked, catching her breath again.

  ‘You must’ve noticed he wasn’t starving like most people around here,’ Aiden said. ‘Where do you think he gets all that food?’

  Leigh frowned, still not understanding.

  ‘You remember what Val and her group did to people?’

  Leigh’s face fell. ‘But he seemed so friendly!’

  ‘People are rarely what they seem,’ Aiden said as they left the town behind. ‘If you want to stay alive then you’d better learn that quickly.’

  ‘You mean I can’t ever trust anyone?’

  ‘Exactly.’

  ‘But that sounds awful.’

  ‘The alternative is worse. Come on, let’s find a quiet place to camp for the night. We’ve got a few days of walking to get to the city, and after today I could use some decent sleep.’

  CHAPTER 9

  AIDEN CRESTED THE slope in the road and up ahead the familiar white shape of The Oak Arms came into view, and with it the chance of a decent rest after the last few days on the road.

  Halfway between Kiln Commons and the Rim, The Oak Arms was a pub that had served as a reliable rest stop for travellers for decades. Frank and Sharon, an older married couple, had run the place forever, and their pub was the perfect place for travellers to fill their stomach and wash the dust from their throat. Aiden had known the couple from long before the Event. They had been friends of Kate’s family, and he had visited here with her on occasion. He still stopped by when he passed on his travels, but since his wife’s death, he saw only pity in their eyes.

  ‘So they’re friendly here?’ Leigh asked, pulling Aiden from his thoughts.

  ‘Frank sounds like he swallows gravel, but they’re the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. As long as you stay on their good side.’

  The spare shirt Aiden had given her was oversized, and despite constantly pushing the sleeves up her arms, they continued to fall down over her hands.

  ‘We’ll find you some new clothes when we get to the city,’ he said.

  ‘My clothes are okay, it’s my feet that are hurting,’ Leigh said, wearily shuffling from foot to foot. ‘I think I have blisters.’

  ‘Probably,’ Aiden said, glancing at her tatty trainers whose soles were busy trying to detach themselves and make a run for it. ‘Where did you get those shoes anyway? They clearly don’t fit you.’

  ‘They were my mother’s,’ Leigh said offhandedly. ‘That’s a big tree,’ she said, pointing at the ancient apple tree that towered over the pub. ‘Do you think they’ll let me climb it?’

  ‘Doubtful, they’re quite protective. Sharon makes the best apple pie this side of the Expanse from that tree.’

  ‘Wait, why is it called The Oak Arms if it’s an apple tree? I thought oak trees made acorns or something.’

  Aiden frowned. ‘You know what? I’ve never thought to ask.’

  They headed down the slope towards the crossroads where the pub sat. Aiden removed his sunglasses and pushed the thick wooden door which jingled a bell as it creaked open. Inside, a small radio on the bar played soft music, and the enticing homely smell of baked bread and cider made Aiden’s stomach tighten. Frank was stood behind the bar, his rounded shoulders and bad comb-over exactly as Aiden remembered. Apart from him, the only other person there was an elderly man who looked to be sleeping at a table in the corner.

  ‘Hullo there, Aiden,’ Frank said, the yellow bar lights shining off patches of his scalp under his white hair. ‘Been a while since we saw you in these parts.’

  ‘Frank, good to see you again,’ Aiden said, moving up to the bar and dropping his pack. Hitch padded over to the fireplace and stretched out in front of the warming flames. ‘How have you been?’

  ‘Can’t complain.’ Frank set down the glass he was polishing on the bar. ‘What brings you around here then?’

  ‘Heading south to make a stop at the city. Hopefully avoiding trouble along the way.’

  ‘I was just hearing there’s a circus set up down there now,’ Frank said, nodding towards the radio on the bar. ‘Commodore Woodrow’s Exciting Theatricality.’

  ‘Bit of a mouthful, isn’t it?’

  ‘That’s what I told Sharon. She’s talking about heading down there to take a look. I can’t be doing with that nonsense though. I see you bought a friend with you,’ Frank said, looking at Leigh. ‘Well, pull up a seat, kiddo. I’ll go give Sharon a shout. Let her know you’re here.’

  Frank disappeared into the back somewhere and Leigh took a seat next to Aiden at the bar. ‘This place is cosy,’ she said. ‘I like the smell.’

  A cat leapt up onto the bar causing Aiden to flinch. ‘Oh I see you’re still around, you little fleabag,’ he said. He reached out and patted the cat once. ‘That’s all you’re getting from me, go bother someone else.’

  The cat stared at Aiden with its one eye, purring gently as it waited for more attention. Leigh reached over and stroked its grey fur. ‘What’s its name?’ she asked, wrapping her arms around the purring animal with a smile.

  ‘Her name’s Trish,’ Frank said, reappearing behind the bar.

  Sharon entered behind him, heavyset and wearing a flowery apron dusted with flour. She carried a tray of food to the old man sat alone in the corner. She gently touched his hand and placed the tray in front of him, then turned and approached Aiden.

  ‘Hello, love,’ she said, wiping her hands on her apron. ‘How are you doing?’

  ‘Tired, hungry, the usual,’ Aiden said with a thin smile as he slipped off his field jacket.

  ‘I see you’re still getting yourself into trouble,’ Sharon said eyeing the gauze on his forearm.

  ‘It tends to find me,’ Aiden said. ‘Mind if I use your facilities?’

  ‘Help yourself,’ Sharon said and he headed away to the toilets. ‘And who’s this then?’ she asked, turning to Leigh.

  ‘I’m Leigh. I like your pub.’

  ‘Bless you, dear,’ Sharon said with a warm smile. ‘I’m Sharon, and it’s lovely to meet you. It’s wonderful to see a child in here again, isn’t it Frank?’ Frank grunted in response as he wiped down the bar with a cloth. ‘You just ignore the grouch over there,’ she said, waving her hand at him dismissively. ‘You and Aiden must be hungry. Let me go grab you a couple of slices of my world famous pie.’ She winked, then headed into the back.

  Trish jumped down from the bar and wandered away to the fireplace leaving Leigh alone. She resisted the urge to go and curl up with the two animals by the fire, knowing she should make an effort to be social around new people.

  ‘So, you’re a young 'un,’ Frank said. ‘Was Aiden friendly with your mum then?’

  ‘Er, I don’t know,’ Leigh said, smiling nervously. ‘She’s not alive anymore,’ she added, unsure what to say.

  ‘Well you stick close to that fella then. He’s a good man. Tough too. You’ve got to be tough in this world, or it’ll use you up and spit out your bones.’ Frank leaned over the bar towards her. ‘Don’t forget that someone, somewhere is always waiting to take advantage of you and take what you’ve got. The trick is to never give them the chance.’

  ‘Frank,’ Sharon called from the back, ‘I can hear you out there. Stop scaring the poor girl.’

  Aiden reappeared from the toilet and returned to his seat at the bar. ‘I’d almost forgotten what flushing toilets were like,’ he said.

  ‘Drink is it?’ Frank asked.

  ‘A drink would be good,’ Aiden said. ‘You still brewing that cider?’

  ‘Aye, let me get you one. And for the kiddo, how about a non-alcoholic apple drink?’

  Leigh frowned. ‘How do you drink an apple?’

  Frank laughed, a grating raspy sound, as he set about pouring the drinks. Soon Aiden and Leigh were set up at one of the
tables with warm, home-made apple pie which they devoured with joy.

  ‘That’s what my dad used to smell of,’ Leigh said, nodding at the glass of cider while still chewing the last mouthful of pie. ‘Can I try some?’

  Aiden pushed his glass across the table. ‘Just a sip though.’

  Leigh tried it, her face creasing up as she swallowed. ‘Bleh, it tastes horrible.’

  ‘You’ll like it when you’re older,’ Aiden said laughing.

  ‘I doubt it. I like apples though,’ she said, sipping her juice, ‘they’re sweet. Hey, do you have a pen?’

  He reached down into his pack which lay against his chair and pulled out one of the pens he had found a few days earlier in the bunker. Leigh took it and began scribbling on a piece of crumpled paper that she pulled out from one of her pockets.

  Sharon came over to the table and collected their empty plates. ‘What’s that you’re drawing, dear?’ she asked, noticing Leigh scribbling.

  ‘I’m drawing Trish,’ Leigh said, her tongue sticking out as she glanced from the cat sleeping by the fire to the paper in front of her.

  ‘Looks like you’ve got some talent in those skinny fingers,’ Sharon said, leaning over to get a better look. ‘I used to do a lot of painting back in my day. Why don’t you come with me and I’ll set you up with some of my old supplies.’

  Leigh’s eyes lit up and she looked to Aiden for approval. Seeing her enthusiasm, he nodded and she disappeared into the back of the pub with Sharon.

  ‘Hey Frank, Leigh was asking me something earlier. Why did you call this place The Oak Arms when there’s an apple tree out back?’

  ‘I didn’t name the place, and I asked that same thing myself years back. My grandad ran things back then, he told me it was because he lost a card game. With the amount of liquor he put away, I don’t think he was joking either.’

  The bell above the door jingled and from his seat Aiden saw a stocky man in a long trench-coat enter the pub. He glanced around, eyeing the room warily before stepping up to the bar.

  ‘Hello, wanderer,’ Frank said, leaning on the bar. ‘What can I do for you?’