Famine

by R A Doty

  “A boat. I understand you may have hidden one that was from Ancada, the island in the ocean.”

  David nodded. “I see. I can only assume you learned this from brother Cain and sister Betty. They obviously made it to their destination.”

  “That’s right.”

  “They said they would return with food, but they never did. And now you’re here and you want me to hand over the boat. Do you have any idea how long I fed and housed Cain and Betty?”

  Colton shook his head. “I don’t.”

  “For many, many years. And then one day they decide to leave.”

  “You can’t force them to stay if they don’t want to,” Luke said.

  David turned to him. “I understand that, son. My point is that I thought they may have been a little more appreciative of my generosity and perhaps have brought us back some food in return. Would that not have been an amiable gesture?”

  The small boy named Peter peered through the door as quietly as he could possibly be, hoping David wouldn’t see him. He listened as the men talked.

  Colton glanced at the boy as David waited for an answer from Luke.

  “The world is a challenging place these days,” David continued. “It’s hard to always do the right thing in an attempt to take care of one’s fellow man and woman. At some point, one has to admit that the battle may have been lost. You may have the boat.”

  “What do you want in return?” Luke asked. He couldn’t wait to hear the ridiculous demands they would have to meet in order to get the boat. He crossed his arms defiantly.

  “I want nothing, son.”

  “Wait,” Dan said. “So.. you’re just gonna let us take it?”

  “I am.”

  Dan smiled. “Okay.”

  Colton glanced at the boy again, who was gripping the door knob so hard in an attempt to carry his own weight he seemed to be hanging from it. He then turned to David, who also seemed to be somewhat lethargic as he stood with his arms dangling by his side. The look of a broken man. “We appreciate that, David, but we couldn’t just take it. We’ll be back for it in the morning with enough food to get you and your congregation along for a while.” He held out his hand. “You have my word on that.”

  David shook Colton’s hand. “Thank you.” He doubted he would ever see him again.

  The following morning, David heard a knock on the door. He opened it and was quite surprised to see two of the three men from the day before standing before him. The third man, Luke, he remembered, was behind them in the street, on horseback. The horse was pulling a long wooden wagon, and behind the wagon stood a black and white cow. Chickens clucked from cages in the wagon and a rooster sounded off loud enough for it to echo through the streets. With his mouth agape, David slowly walked past the men and down the steps. The horse whinnied. He touched its snout with a smile as he passed. He looked at the baskets of vegetables and wooden crates filled with what looked like smoked meats. He touched the crates holding the chickens and then stopped next to the cow. He turned to Colton, who was watching from the steps. “I can’t thank you enough for this.”

  “No need to thank us. A deal’s a deal. Now if you’d be so kind as to take us to the boat.”

  “Yes. Of course. Might I notify some of the members of the congregation to offer assistance in the handling of the supplies, first?”

  “Absolutely.”

  While the supplies were being brought into the church by David’s followers, David led Colton, Luke, and Dan behind the church to a path that wandered alongside the ocean and ended at an inlet barricaded by a thicket of brush and small trees. Two boats were tethered to saplings in a small lagoon, one a light blue and yellow and the other white with the Ancada insignia on its side.

  “I’m afraid the one has suffered some damage from looters,” David said, stopping at the edge of the water, “but the other seems to be in good operating condition.”

  Colton was more than impressed as he stepped into the water. He stopped briefly and inspected the first boat, and then headed to the white one. “Does it run?”

  “I don’t know,” David replied. “We had no way to start it.”

  Colton climbed a ladder on the side of the boat and went into the cabin. Dan and Luke followed. “Hey, this is pretty nice,” Dan said, eyeing the mahogany woodwork.

  “Nothing but the best for the privileged founders of Ancada,” Colton replied, familiarizing himself with the control panel.

  Dan entered the cabin and stood next to him. “Do you think you can get it to start?”

  “When I lived in Ancada the Power Elite assigned the same ignition code to all of the boats in case the island had to be evacuated in a hurry. They didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing them because nobody wanted to leave the island, but plenty of people wanted to get on it.” Colton found the ignition keypad. “It’s been a while so they probably changed the ignition code, but here goes nothing.” He punched in the numbers one, two and three. The boat hummed to a start. “I’ll be damned,” he said with a smile. He let it run for a while and then killed the engine.

  “Why’d you shut it off?” Dan asked.

  “There’s no need to expose it to the ocean right now. It’s better to leave it right here until we’re ready for it.”

  “But what if someone steals it?”

  “Nobody will take it,” David said from the shoreline. “I’ll see to it that it’s guarded. When will you return for it?”

  “The moon will be full in a few days, so we’ll be back for it then.”

  Colton, Dan, and Luke climbed off the boat and waded back to the shore.

  “Might I ask why you want the boat?” David said.

  “To get my daughter back,” Colton replied. He nodded toward the island of Ancada. “They took her.”

  Chapter Forty

  APRIL grew tired of sitting. She tried lying on the floor but one could only sleep so much. She glanced at Manolin, who was sitting with his back to the bars. He looked to be sleeping. She stood and began pacing around the perimeter of the cell, periodically looking at her reflection in the wall-sized mirror as she passed. She doubted he was still behind the glass. Watching. Listening. It’d been a day since she heard his voice. Why Manolin? she thought. She walked over to the bars and sat with her legs crossed, facing him.

  “Manolin,” she whispered.

  He moved his head.

  “Manolin.”

  He looked behind him and stared at her. “April?”

  “Why did he bring you here?”

  Manolin looked up toward the glass.

  “It’s okay,” April said. “I think he’s gone.”

  “They’re trying to find out how many of us can speak.”

  “The others?”

  Manolin shook his head. “I’m the only one he chose so far, I believe.”

  “What will he do with us?”

  “I don’t know.”

  April wondered, lowering her head to stare at the floor. He would have harvested us by now if he was going to. No, that isn’t his intention. There’s more to it, she thought. She raised her head. “Can any of the others speak?”

  Manolin shook his head without turning around.

  “I’m sorry for leaving, Manolin.”

  “You had to. If for no other reason than to see what is out there.” Manolin turned around and sat with crossed legs, mimicking April. He looked her in the eyes. “I don’t blame you for that, April. I’m happy for you. If you didn’t go we would still be spending each day in the kennel, staring through the fence, wondering what lies beyond the ocean. You answered that question for all of us. Don’t ever regret that.”

  April nodded with an appreciative smile.

  “I think you’re special, April. You were meant for more than this. I believe your journey is just beginning. Will you promise me something?”

  “Of course. Anything.”

  “Will you remember me when I die?”

  “Don’t talk like that, Manolin. We can ne
ver give up hope. Calla taught me that and I didn’t believe her at first, but now I believe she was right. We will both be free someday and I’ll show you the most wonderful pond in the middle of a meadow.”

  Manolin smiled. “Tell me about it.”

  “It’s perfect. You have to walk through this meadow filled with wildflowers to get to it, and the flowers attract many butterflies and bees that seem to come from miles away. And you can hear so many birds singing in the distance,” April looked up toward the sky, remembering the sounds, “so many, Manolin. And each species adorns a different color pattern.”

  Manolin’s face livened with excitement. “What kind of colors?”

  “There’s yellow ones with black stripes on their wings, and larger blue ones that can make many different sounds, and pure red ones Manolin. Can you imagine a pure red bird?”

  Manolin smiled, his head nodding excitedly.

  “But my favorite was a black one with little red stripes on its wings. Its song was so beautiful, Manolin. It would land on the tall fronds of grass next to the pond and sway gently in the warm breeze as if it didn’t have a care in the world.”

  April and Manolin both sat quietly for a moment, imagining what it must be like to live in such a world with no worries.

  “And then there’s the pond,” April continued. “The water was black with large patches of green floating on its surface. An occasional frog would jump in the water when we approached. Do you remember frogs from the tablet?”

  Manolin nodded.

  “Some of the frogs were very big and they made a deep sound with their throats.” April’s voice got deep as she bellowed, “jug-o-rum, jug-o-rum.” Manolin smiled. “Others made a high-pitched peeping sound—peep peep—and when they all joined in it sounded like they were singing together. I very much liked all of the variety of scents, also. The flowers were the most amazing, but everything seemed to have wonderful aromas.”

  “You’re very lucky, April, to have experienced it. It sounds beautiful.”

  “Someday you will experience it as well, Manolin.”

  Sometimes words have to be said for the sake of saying them. As if time would stop if they weren’t. Even if the person saying them knows it’s unlikely that their meaning is sincere and truthful. But to say them fills a void in the heart and it’s the only way one can move forward in life. April sat content, having said what needed to be said, although she and Manolin both knew he would never see the pond in the middle of the meadow. But they could imagine. William Weston could never take that away from them.

  He sat on the other side of the glass, studying the faces of the two nutrimen. For a brief moment, they almost looked human. He pushed a button and the wall of glass between the two cells emerged from the floor. The nutrimen quickly stood and faced each other until their own reflection stood before them. The lights went out.

  A bright beam of light pierced the darkness as Manolin’s cell door opened. Two orderlies lifted him from the floor to his feet. They led him through the door and down the same hallway he was initially brought from. Five minutes later he was sitting back on his bunk in his pen. When the door closed it could only be opened from the outside, or so the orderlies thought. When his head hit the pillow, he rolled to his side and faced the wall, his hand feeling the hole on the side of the mattress where the wad of cotton-like fabric had come from; the same wad he’d previously pushed into the latch hole to prevent the door from locking. A smile crossed his face as he pictured the pond in the middle of the meadow. For the first time, he’d be able to leave the kennel.

  Chapter Forty-One

  A full moon rose over the horizon, as Colton had predicted, exactly two days after he inspected the boat David had traded them. The night would give them cover in their attempt to rescue April, yet shine enough light so they could see their way. If all went according to plan they would return with April and Josh long before sunrise. Then they would decide what steps should be taken next if William Weston should retaliate, which, they all understood, was more than likely. Everyone stood in the kitchen going over the plan one last time before heading to the church to get the boat.

  Calla stood next to the front door, nibbling the cuticles from the side of her thumb. On one hand, she was anxious to bring April back, but on the other, the thought of going back to Ancada sickened her stomach to the point of making her want to throw up. Her face had lost all color and her forehead was dotted with perspiration. She had only been away from Ancada for a little over a month, but it seemed like a lifetime.

  “Are you sure you’re up to this?” Colton asked her.

  “I’m positive. I just want to get April back.”

  “And you’re sure you can find the kennel you were in charge of?”

  “Definitely. I could find it blindfolded.”

  The team Colton put together for the task-at-hand consisted of himself, Calla, who was the key to navigating the interior of Ancada once they got inside, Janette, Dan, and Cain, who’s brute strength would most definitely come in handy. Luke and Steven would stay behind to guard the compound, while Thomas and Monica held down the fort, waiting for their son to return. Betty usually busied herself by keeping the house tidy and doing most of the cooking, a welcomed surprise for Luke who was growing tired of cooking. Elana was spending some much-needed time with her daughter, Jessie. She still looked at her child as if she was a dream that would disappear the moment she awoke. She often brushed Jessie’s hair from her forehead as she watched her play.

  Colton walked over to Jessie and reached into a deep pocket on the interior of his coat. “I thought you may want this back,” he said.

  Jessie looked up, anxious to see what Cole would pull from his coat. Her face brightened with a very wide smile when she saw the teddy bear. “Walter!” She grabbed it and hugged it so tight to her face that its soft body distorted into an awkward position that would have squeezed its guts out if it had any. “Where were you, Walter?”

  Colton noticed the confused expression on Elana’s face. “I found it on the ground when the chopper from Ancada took off. I’ve been carrying it around ever since.”

  “Thank you,” Elana said.

  Colton nodded. “We should be going,” he said. “He touched Jessie’s head. “Goodbye, Jessie. You take care of Walter while I’m gone, okay?”

  “I will. Goodbye, Cole.”

  “Is everyone ready?”

  “Let’s do it,” Dan said with his unmistakable enthusiasm.

  They started for the door, and Luke stepped forward just before his brother left. “Dan,” he said, forcing his brother to turn around. He walked up to him. “Be careful. This isn’t going to be quite as easy as popping off intruders on the other side of the fence.”

  “Relax, bro. I got this. You taught me well.”

  Luke pulled out a pistol and handed it to Dan. “Remember, don’t hesitate if the time comes.”

  Dan took the handgun, eyeing it carefully. “I won’t,” he said. He pulled Luke close and gave him a hug. A good strong bear hug. Luke had no choice but to smile to the point of almost laughing.

  As Dan left, Luke followed him to the door and watched as he hurried to catch up to the others.

  Betty was standing at the window, her left hand holding the curtains open. When Cain glanced back toward the house, she waved with her right. Ironically, she thought, having lived with him for many years, she realized she knew little about him, including what his real name was. But she felt there was something he was hiding under that hardened exterior. Perhaps a man from a different life. She noticed it every once in a while, but you had to pay attention because it didn’t last long. Like when he smiled at her before walking through the gate. If she blinked she would have missed it. It seemed to be happening more often, now that they had left the church, and she looked forward to seeing more of it when he returned. If he returned. She lowered the curtains and slowly walked away from the window.

  “I find it hard to believe that David just handed th
e boat over to you,” Janette said, walking beside Colton.

  “He didn’t exactly just give it to us. We traded fairly for it.”

  “And you trust him?”

  “I do. There comes a time in every man’s life, and every woman’s for that matter, that they have to stay true to their word. That time is usually when there’s nothing to gain from a lie.”

  “I’ve known David for quite a while and believe me, there is so much more to him than meets the eye. And it’s not all good. Trust me.”

  “Isn’t that true about all of us?”

  Janette thought of her dark secrets. The ones that she would be incredibly embarrassed to share with anyone that didn’t belong to the church at one time or another. The things that they had to do in the name of religion and the meals they were forced to consume just to live another day. But doing it got her to where she was now. And is that really so bad? To be alive when so many others had died. No. It wasn’t bad, as long as nobody else knew. “I suppose you’re right. But I still wouldn’t trust him wholeheartedly.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Colton led them to where the boat was hidden, and in the distance he could see it. Two men were guarding it, both carrying rifles. As they approached, the men raised their guns at the five dark figures coming toward them.

  Colton raised his hands in the air. “We’ve come for the boat,” he said. “I told David we’d be back.”

  “What’s your name?” one of the men asked. He was shorter than the other man and stockier. His hair was black and the taller guy’s was blonde.

  “Name’s Colton North.” Colton turned to the others standing beside him. He pointed at each one of them in turn while announcing their names. “And this is Luke, Calla, Dan and–”

  “I know those two,” the man interrupted, glaring at Cain and Janette. “The traitors.”

  Cain began to lunge forward, but Colton blocked him with his arm. “Where not here for that,” Colton said. “Let’s not forget the plan.”