by Kip Nelson
Rifts From The Sea
EMP Crash Book 8
Kip Nelson
Copyright © 2017 by Kip Nelson
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter One
The contingent of sailors who arrived in New Haven settled in right away and took great delight in experiencing all the settlement had to offer. They had been stranded at sea for months, and appeared to be very happy to be on land again, and to be with other people. They weren't shy, and didn't seem to have any compunction about manners or politeness. It was impossible not to be aware of the sailors’ presence in New Haven, although the people who welcomed them had mixed feelings. They were loud, and some would say obnoxious, not really caring about standard protocol. They had lost a sense of manners in the time they were at sea, and were now gruff and blunt, not afraid to take what they wanted when they wanted it. At first, Mack had urged the people of New Haven to be welcoming and inclusive, and indeed it was the way everyone wanted to be. However, it was difficult to control in the face of these brutish men who lacked social decorum.
They threw themselves into life, and made no secret of the fact they had missed the comforts of society while being lost at sea. Everyone in New Haven wanted to allow them the freedom to explore after their ordeal, although given the sailors’ behavior, there was a limit to what the people of New Haven could tolerate. The sailors took great pleasure in food and the company of women, leering at them and making lewd remarks. Both of these behaviors were unacceptable. The food situation already was untenable without the additional appetites of the sailors, who seemed to fill their bellies with little thought of the need to ration for the months to come, or reduce their ravenous appetites. They all gazed at women as well, and made approaches whether they were unwanted or not, even to women who already were attached.
Mack had received a number of complaints, and had talked directly to the sailors during meal time, stressing the importance of maintaining the food through winter. The season’s chill now was around them, and everyone had to wrap up to keep warm. It was a sad thought to look at the food supplies and think about the months to come, and if they would be able to survive. Mack was determined to overcome the odds, although he knew not everyone in the settlement had the same resolve as him, and he couldn't control their willpower. Their bodies needed fuel, and if there wasn't enough, he was powerless to prevent the inevitable.
The thought burdened him and weighed on his soul. He questioned his ability as a leader, for it was only his fault that they were not better prepared. They had trusted him with their lives, and it was his decisions that had led them to this point in their lives. Seeing the sailors gorge themselves on food was frustrating. On the one hand, he wanted to be hospitable and accommodating, but he had to think of the overall well-being of New Haven as well. The sailors said they understood, and that they would try to change their behavior. However, he knew he would have to talk to Flint directly to make his concerns clear.
As for the problem with the women, he was afraid there was little he could do about that. The sailors’ reputation was well-earned and, again, all he could do was talk to Flint about trying to keep his men in line, for Mack could not give them orders. They were guests, and Mack wanted to make them feel at home. He didn't like the way they were acting, but he didn't want to take such drastic measures as to turn them away from New Haven, and lose any chance of a potential alliance with Flint and his crew. Other members of New Haven weren't concerned with being so diplomatic, however, especially when they were being harassed.
It was during one of the meals when the incident happened. People were sitting around in their various groups, chatting while they ate, and Anna happened to be sitting with Grace and Luis. A few sailors came up and, ignoring Luis, sat down with the women. Luis immediately was incensed, but didn't say anything. The sailors were not so kind. They stared at the women as though they were pieces of meat, and made lewd comments about taking care of their needs after they had been lost at sea for so long. Their eyes were greedy, but food was the last thing on their minds, and the lascivious energy radiating from them was palpable. They made no secret of their desire, and one even went so far as to place a hand on Anna's thigh.
Grace was unsure how to handle this, for she never had been in this particular situation. She never had thought of herself as a particularly desirable woman, and since she had shut herself away in a virtual world, she never had learned how to rebuff unwanted advances. She also was acutely aware of Luis sitting beside her, and he bristled with tension. If she didn't do something soon, then he would cause a scene. While she loved him, she didn't want to see him try to defend her honor against a bunch of sailors, because it only would lead to a brawl, and New Haven didn't need that at all.
She glanced at him warily, trying to warn Luis not to react. However, she could see his mind had clouded over with a red mist, and he was about to surrender to his anger. Before he could, however, Anna spoke up. Unlike Grace, she had moved in various social circles over the years, and always had known she was attractive to the opposite sex. Her natural beauty was accentuated by her confidence, and a sparkle that drew many men into her aura, although she only had allowed a few into her heart.
To her, the whole thing was a game. She smiled slyly at them, and carefully plucked a finger from the hand that was weighing down on her thigh, then lifted it up. She narrowed her eyes, while still wearing the smile and looked at the men around them. Some of them had qualities that could have been considered handsome. However, even though they had tidied themselves up shortly after arriving at New Haven, they still were rough and brutish, and were not suave at all.
“Now, now, gentlemen, let's remember that even though this is the end of the world, it doesn't mean that anything goes. I've seen you move around here the past couple of nights, and you seem to be under the impression that this is one of those ports you would have sailed into. It's not. We're not here for your amusement, and while there may be some single women around, my friend and I are not two of them. I also would suggest you take a more reserved approach when trying to get to know a member of the opposite sex.”
“I'm sure you must be bored of the men around here,” one of the sailors said.
“Yeah, they don't seem to have as much energy as we do. I think we could show plenty of women here a damned good time,” another one added.
“I'm glad you have confidence in your own abilities, but the two of us are not interested at all. I'd prefer it if you leave us in peace now so we can dine with our friends. If you can respect our boundaries, then, of course, you would be welcome to join us, but until then it's best if you move away.”
The sailors were somewhat taken aback by the way Anna spoke so assuredly, and they reluctantly moved away, grumbling as they did so. Grace thanked Anna for the way she handled the situation, but Anna shrugged.
“You just have to know how to handle
them. Those type of men, especially given what they've been through, would probably push the limits of anyone until somebody told them no. It'll take them a while to adjust to being back among people. Unfortunately, we have to put up with that until then.” For the rest of the meal they were left alone, but Luis let his frustrations fester. It wasn't until later that he was able to express his anger.
“Why aren't we doing more to control the sailors?” he said as he burst into the sheriff's office.
He hung his jacket on the back of the door, and went to pour himself a drink. Maggie was sitting at her desk reading a book. She barely looked up as Luis stomped through the office and huffed his way through his morning routine. The two of them had become used to working together, and used to each others' presence, and had formed a strong bond. Maggie was the wiser one who tried to teach Luis not only about the law, but also about the way to live. While Luis tried his best to remind Maggie that she could afford to have fun and balance the different aspects of her life. When the two of them had started working together neither of them were sure it was going to work out. But now they were glad for it, and each of them valued the time they spent together.
“Something bothering you?” Maggie replied dryly.
“They come in here, and we're supposed to just let them run riot over the place, doing whatever they want, all because we're supposed to be friendly? I know we're trying to be inclusive, but that doesn't mean we should just let them get away with whatever they want. I like what Mack is trying to do, but they just seem to be taking liberties. I don't think they should be given special treatment just because they were stranded on a ship. We've all been through a lot, and none of us are special. I don't trust them one bit.”
“I agree with you,” Maggie said. Luis looked at her, shocked, since he didn't expect her response.
“Pardon?”
“I think you're right,” she said, closing her book.
“I wish Mack would be firmer with them, but until they actually do anything that's illegal, we can't do anything. So far, they've annoyed people and probably eaten more than their fair share, but they haven't done anything that pushes any serious boundaries.”
“I still think we should lock up a few of them. Just for a night. Just to remind them that their actions have consequences. I don't like the way they just saunter around and think they can take whatever they want, or just go after any woman they like.”
Maggie studied him for a moment, and correctly guessed that one of them had made an advance on Grace. She had to hide her smile, for it was cute to see Luis get so worked up like that, especially when everyone knew that Grace wouldn't have done anything to hurt Luis.
“I know your pain, but you shouldn’t let emotions control you. You need to calm down and take a step back, because going after them is not going to do any good. Let’s show them a little understanding, and if they do end up stepping over the line, then we'll be there to take them down.”
“I hope they do,” Luis said, gritting his teeth. Maggie didn't have anything to say in response to that, and decided to try letting him work through his anger by himself.
In the couple of days that the sailors had been in New Haven, Mack had spent quite a lot of time with Flint, and the two of them found they were cut from the same cloth. Both of them knew what it was like to have to lead a ragtag group of survivors to safety, and the pressures that came with it. Flint was a hard man, but he had a good sense of humor about him, which was surprising considering the hardships he and his men had endured. In those first couple of days, Mack spent a lot of time talking with Flint as they shared tales of their previous lives, and also of their lives during the apocalypse.
“It was hell, it really was,” Flint said, running a hand across his beard.
“I tell you, Mack, there were times when I really thought we were done for it. I used to stand on that deck, and look all around us, and see nothing but the sea. Our throats were dry, our stomachs were rumbling, and there didn't seem to be any hope at all. For all we knew we were the last people alive on Earth, and it seemed like an ignominious end. I know it couldn’t have been easy for you, but at least you had the land to nurture you.”
“We did, but with that came its own dangers. Not in the least were other people. I'm sure you know as well as I do how dangerous other people can be. We had to tread carefully. There were more than a few times when our lives hung in the balance, and we only just managed to pull through. Then there were wild animals as well, and now the changing seasons. It's going to be a tough winter, and we must make sure we have enough food to last,” he said, trying to hint at the concerns of the settlement. Flint caught his tone, and gave him a knowing smile.
“I know, my friend, my men have shown some more exuberance than what you may have been prepared for. I shall talk to them, and make sure they know to calm down a bit, but they're tired of fish, and it's nice to have some variety in our diet again. And you can be sure we will help out in any way we can.”
“I appreciate that.”
“But what of after the winter? Do your plans stretch that far ahead? Beyond survival?”
“I have plenty of plans,” Mack said, looking wistfully out the window.
“I want this place to grow, maybe not to the size of the city that came before it, but just big enough so that we're strong enough to defend ourselves and anyone who comes here looking for sanctuary. I want word to spread about New Haven so people can know there are people out there who have made it through the end of the world, and also to show an example of what others can do if they set their minds to it.”
“That's an admirable goal.”
“There's a place for you and your men here, if you want it. I'm aware that we have a food problem, but we're going to need able-bodied people to help us grow, especially ones who know how to survive.”
“We certainly know that,” Flint said, his teeth gleaming as he smiled. “I'll certainly take the offer under consideration.”
Tristan awoke in a darkened room, head throbbing. He tried to move his arms, but found that his wrists and legs were tied to the chair that he was sitting on. His throat was dry, and when he cried out his voice was raspy and raw. The last thing he remembered was the pain. Instantly, he was filled with a sense of guilt and shame at having let everyone down. He should have seen it coming. He should have done better. He was convinced that Grace or another one of the adults wouldn't have been caught so unaware, but he was also sure that nobody else knew he was there, or else they surely would have come after him.
He was afraid for himself, and for New Haven. The last thing he wanted was to play a part in another enemy making their way to the settlement and threatening the safety of the people who lived there. He had come to feel safe in New Haven, and didn't want anything to happen to the people there, people who had taken the time to care for him after everything that had happened. His cry was met with more muffled moans, and he knew that some of his companions were with him. Although he didn't get a chance to know all of them, as shortly after he made a noise the door opened and a brutish sailor strode in.
Tristan wasn't sure how long it had been since he had been knocked out. All he knew were the echoes of pain that traveled through his body, and the hunger and thirst that ached within. The man stood above him and grabbed Tristan's neck. He yanked it back and put a metal cup to Tristan's lips. The water trickled in and around his mouth. Tristan gulped eagerly, and in his thirst for water he probably missed more than he actually would drank, and was left wanting more when the sailor had taken the cup away.
“What do you want?” Tristan gasped.
The sailor smirked. Tristan was sure he was going to get beaten as his eyes roved across the man's muscular physique with dread. But instead the sailor merely spoke, and his hands left Tristan's body untouched.
“Just some assurances, and patience. Don't worry, things will become clear soon.”
“But you said we could be friends. We were going to help you!” Tristan wai
led.
The sailor chuckled dryly. “That was your mistake,” he said, then turned and walked away, leaving Tristan wondering how he was going to get out of the situation, and what was going on with the people he had left in New Haven.
Chapter Two
Back in New Haven only a few days had passed. The people were unaware of the fate that had befallen Tristan and the others who had volunteered to stay at the dock, and none of them were worried, for there had seemed to be no rush to bring them back. The exchange program had been welcomed by both parties and the sailors were happy to stay in New Haven and experience everything it had to offer. However, they were just a few days in, and already they were beginning to overstay their welcome. The signs from the first day were ominous, and hadn't been dealt with at all. Although Mack had had a word with Flint it, seemed the sailors still were unconcerned with the issues that had been raised. They ate with abandon, and although some of them did try scaling back the amount of food they ate, they were so hungry for the things they had missed that they were eager to fill their bellies until they were fit to burst.
They also hadn't backed away from the women either. Anna's attempt to dissuade them had caused them to move onto other targets, but they were quick to make lewd offers and cheap attempts at flattery. Some women drew their attention more than others, and a division began growing between the people of New Haven and their guests. All of them wanted to try making the effort to help the sailors acclimatize to New Haven's way of living, but they needed the sailors to meet them halfway, and they simply weren't doing that. The women who were subjected to the sailors' attractions were perturbed at being seen in that way, and the men who were involved with these women felt as though they were being disrespected, too.
