by T. W. Brown
“Yes, ma’am.” I had no idea what outrider duty was, but I could tell it was not pleasant.
The two men turned and hurried out. I returned my attention to this woman behind the desk. She was actually very pretty. She had dark hair just touching her shoulders and eyes that were large and very blue which were made all the more striking in the frame of her almost perfectly black hair. I say almost because of the few strands of silver that were laced throughout. She was dressed in black (which reminded me that she was my captor, and therefore, probably the bad guy).
“My name is Suzi. I don’t imagine you are quite ready yet to tell me yours?” She had tweaked her inflection at the very end of her statement just enough to hint at a question.
I was not ready to say a thing to her. One of the things that I learned when I was in training to be a field scout was the art of keeping quiet. Of course I had learned that lesson much earlier from the likes of Billy, Paula, and Dr. Zahn. I could not count the number of times they got me to tell on myself by just staring at me and not saying a single word.
“That’s okay.” Suzi leaned back in her chair and regarded me over steepled fingers. “So perhaps I can let you in on a few things. Maybe that will help you realize that I am not your enemy.”
I made a point of keeping her gaze. I could not tell if she was trying to stare me down, or if she was just trying to figure me out.
“The first thing that you should know is that we did not engage the people of this area until they left us with no choice. If you are from one of the small communities around here, then you should know that we did not mean any harm, and we would not have launched an attack without provocation. Our patrols came under attack first. We simply retaliated.”
As she spoke, this woman rose and began to pace. That did two things: first, it put me on the defensive physically; second (and I think this had to be her actual reason), it broke our eye contact. She was lying—if not outright, at least partially. I had seen with my own two eyes as this army had struck that smaller community just to the west and up against the foothills of the Blue Mountains. That had been a bunch of college kids that migrated here to escape the insanity of the valley corridor war zone. I believed Cricket over this woman that seemed to radiate a coldness that I could feel physically.
“When we arrived in this valley, we were delighted to find so much lush farmland,” Suzi continued. “When we discovered that there were some settlements, we sent our emissaries to see if there might be a place that we could settle and call home.”
“Where are my friends?” I blurted in the moment that she took a breath during what I was now thinking had to be some sort of rehearsed spiel.
I was not surprised when she did not turn to face me. If she was half as smart as she needed to be in order to be running an operation like this, then things like eye contact tells during a lie were probably common knowledge. However, the one thing I might be able to assume here in the moment is the fact that she has a visual tell in her eyes or on her face when she is being dishonest. I could at least bank that nugget of knowledge.
“They are all alive and well,” Suzi said. She turned after that statement and her face held no emotion at all. It was entirely blank. I was getting nowhere with this playing cat-and-mouse garbage.
“Then prove it.”
“You are a bold one,” Suzi said appreciatively. That was perhaps the most emotion that I’d seen from her so far. “But maybe you can tell me why I should just give you what you want. What can you give me in exchange?”
“If you think I would ever tell you where my…” I tried to think of the correct word while still keeping it as generic as possible, “where my home is, then you are mistaken.”
“And why is that?”
I actually laughed out loud. And it was not in a happy or pleasant way; nope, it was laced with all of the nasty sarcasm that it needed to have at the moment. I saw something flash in her eyes; it might have been anger, but it was gone too quick for me to be positive.
“Do you really need to ask that question? Maybe you should look out across the valley to what is left of Island City.” I felt my anger build. The fact that she could even ask that question was just a little insulting.
“Are you so quick to condemn? Do you know the whole story?” Suzi was suddenly right in my face. She had not raised her voice, but there was a threat in it now that did not rely on volume.
“I know that killing the living is no way for humanity to have a chance. I know that I have heard folks say for years that maybe it was time we were gone as a species. I never understood such things…until now.” I did my best to keep my voice from wavering. Inside, I was a bundle of nerves. I have heard Paula say more than once that a person can be brave and still be scared; now I understood what she meant. “Your people came in and killed women and children. Maybe you can tell me what threat they posed.”
“How many children did you see?”
The question caught me off guard. At first I thought that it was a trick; then I realized that she was being serious. She was looking at me with an open concern on her face. Either she was searching for something, or she was actually asking me.
Suzi continued to stare at me with that raised eyebrow that indicated she was expecting an answer. I let my mind drift back. I replayed when we first entered the break in the barricade. Almost immediately we had come across a pile of corpses. I remember how something had seemed off, but that I was too overwhelmed to figure out what I was missing. Like a sack of rocks, it hit me with an almost physical force.
“Few…if any.”
Making that admission was difficult for more than one reason. The first was that I had missed something so obvious; but then, so had the others. Or, if they had noticed, they had not bothered to point it out to me.
“Good, I was worried that my men might have lied. You just saved about a dozen lives, little girl.” Suzi actually had an expression of relief on her face. For whatever reason, she had been concerned about the children of Island City. Still, that did not make okay what had been done to the people of not only that settlement, but the others that had fallen to these raiders.
“So what is the whole story?” I asked, taking our conversation back to the point she had tried to make earlier.
“Excuse me?”
“You said that I did not know the whole story, and that I was being too quick to condemn. What’s the whole story?”
“How about you tell me your name first.” A wicked smile curved Suzi’s lips. It was not malicious or evil; it was more playful than anything else. That had me returning to the idea that this was some sort of cat-and-mouse game. I knew which one I was, and I knew how it often ended up for the mouse.
“My name is Thalia Hobart.”
“Pleased to meet you, Thalia.” Suzi folded her hands on the table. “Would you care for something to eat or drink?”
“I want to know where my friends are being kept and be sure that they are okay.”
The last thing I was worried about was a snack with the person responsible for capturing and keeping us prisoner. I knew for a fact that Billy would be worried by now. This was supposed to be an out-and-back mission. We were to grab whatever supplies we could find, teach Dorian a lesson about how rough things can be outside the fence of Platypus Creek, and then get back home. We were long overdue.
“If I can show them to you and that they are okay, will you return to my tent with me? Will you answer a few of my questions?”
“Not if it has anything to do with where I am from.” There was no need to lie. She was either going to do this or not, but there was no way that I was going to tell her where my home was so that she could launch an attack on it.
“Fair enough.” Suzi rose and started for the exit.
I hurried to catch up. She walked with purpose and wove through this massive camp, making it a point to hail individuals by name as they called in greeting. I was impressed. It was clear now more than ever that she was running this show.
It was also apparent that she knew these people. They were not just anonymous faces of her army.
We passed one large tent and a dozen children between the ages of four and maybe ten came rushing up. Suzi paused, kneeling in the dirt to hear what the little ones had to say as they all seemed to speak at once and at a million miles an hour. There was no fear, and I had to admit that they all looked rather healthy. This was starting to confuse me even more.
I knew very well that every story has two sides. Still, I had a difficult time being able to accept that the people of Island City deserved the fate that had been dealt. These people were raiders.
Pure and simple.
Right?
We stopped at a series of large wooden grates that were over a handful of deep holes in the ground. I was led to the first one and felt my heart flutter.
“Jim!” I leaped forward and collapsed on my knees at the edge of the large square cut into the ground.
It was at least ten feet deep, and it showed signs that Jim (or whomever else had occupied it before) had made attempts to climb out. There were gouges in the walls that gave evidence to the failed efforts.
As for Jim, he was a filthy mess. Not only was he bloody and visibly battered, but he was caked with dirt. Much of it had mixed with his blood, which only made him look worse. His normally curly hair was matted to his head, and I could make out at least two nasty gashes that had bled like only a head wound can bleed.
“Hey, cupcake!” Jim looked up at me and his face instantly broke into a huge grin that looked just a bit creepy coming through all of that filth.
“You look terrible,” I managed around the growing lump in my throat.
“Yeah…I missed my day for shower sign up.”
I wanted to cry, but hearing him still be able to make a wise crack was enough to give me the strength to push my tears back. As I gave him a closer look now that I was over the shock, I saw that he had one hand that was terribly misshapen; easily twice the size of the other.
“Are you okay?” I know that it was a stupid question, but I was at a loss. What could I say? How long would this Suzi person allow me to stand here and talk to Jim?
“I’m not making any new friends,” Jim said with a shrug.
“Would you like to see the other gentleman?” Suzi asked, stepping up beside me.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” Jim hooted. “Are you my reward for not beating the crap out of my guards the past two days?”
I had to stifle my smile. At least now I had some idea of why he looked that way. Despite his obviously beat up condition, I was feeling much better about things for some reason.
“If you behave today…Jim…” Suzi said with obviously fake sweetness, “…perhaps you will be allowed to clean up. A few of those wounds look nasty. Wouldn’t want to risk infection.”
I cursed myself, I had just given up his name, and judging by the emphasis she put on it when she said it, he had not given even that bit of information up to our captors.
“That would be awful swell, ma’am.” Jim clasped his hands together and tried to bat his eyelashes. I imagine it would have come across better minus all the caked mud and blood. That, and if his right eye was not almost swollen completely shut.
I felt a hand on my elbow. Suzi was leading me away. I expected to stop at another of the pits, but instead, we continued until we reached a metal box that was about eight feet high and maybe three feet by three feet square. A single guard was standing at the latched door.
“How has he been?” Suzi asked the sentry.
“Same as always. As soon as he gets his voice back, he starts yelling until he loses it again. I imagine he should be able to muster up enough voice if you want to question him.”
This did not sound good at all. What had Jackson gone and done? I braced myself for the worst.
“Open the door.” Suzi gave a nod of her head. I saw a look of concern flash across the man’s face. He looked around like he was expecting help from somewhere.
“Don’t worry about him, he will behave.” That coldness had returned to Suzi’s voice. I felt my flesh pebble up; whether it was because of her or my growing fear over what I would see when that door opened, I have no idea.
The sentry undid the chain and let it slide through the latch. Hand on his large belt knife, he opened the door. The stench that rolled out from it made me think that maybe Jackson had become one of the undead. It was a sour mix of sweat and blood and human waste all mixed together and then heated.
Standing in the box, looking like he had been beaten with a sledgehammer, Jackson stared out through slits where his eyes should be. His mouth was swollen almost to the point of sealing off his nostrils; and it did not help that his nose was a flat smear on his face.
“Oh!” escaped my lips before I could silence myself. For some reason, I did not want to give any satisfaction to our captors in regards to showing how upset I was over the condition of my friends.
Jackson made a noise that sounded like a laugh. His face was simply too misshapen to tell if he was smiling or grimacing. I saw a twitch at the corner of his mouth and decided that he was trying to show me that he was okay.
I spun to face Suzi. “And just how do you think showing me this will get me to cooperate in any way with you for any reason.”
“Because,” she gave a curt nod and the door to the box was shut, sealing Jackson off from me…the world. “They are both still alive, yes?”
“Is that what you call it?”
“In this world, absolutely. Now, I have been very patient with you, Thalia Hobart. So I am going to ask you a series of questions. You get one chance to answer.”
“Or?” I knew the response was going to be unpleasant, but I was trying to stall in hopes that any idea at all might form and guide me through this.
“I guess that is for you to find out.”
Suzi walked over to a wooden table and sat down, motioning for me to sit across from her. I had no other option. I spotted at least half a dozen men who were lurking around the perimeter of the area that I had to assume to be their detention block.
“How many others were in your group?” Suzi asked.
That was simple. I could answer that question without lying or giving anything away. I told her about Blake and Chelsea, making sure to emphasize that they were not with us. As I explained the details that made up that encounter, I saw Suzi’s face begin to darken. It was a few seconds before I realized that I had stopped talking in mid-recount.
“Well, that would explain your reactions to me and my people,” Suzi finally muttered somewhat cryptically.
I stayed silent. As far as I was concerned, I had answered her question. Sure, I left out the part about the rest of the team that I had traveled with, but I had been truthful by omission.
“Hunter!” Suzi barked suddenly, causing me to jump.
A man trotted up. He was in black much like Suzi. I guessed him to be an older guy; possibly in his late forties. He had a crew-cut and it was almost silver, but I could see hints of the dark brown it must have been when he was younger. He had brown eyes that seemed warm and friendly. I noticed when he shot me a glance that he actually smiled in a pleasant way that did not seem anything other than pleasant. I would guess him to be just under six feet and around two hundred pounds of lean muscle judging by the arms coming from the short-sleeved shirt he was wearing.
“Yes, ma’am.” Hunter came to a stop and stood almost at attention. He was favoring his left side just a bit, and that was the only imperfection in his stance.
“I am not aware of a man who went by the name of Skins. Is there one?” Suzi asked with just a hint of anger starting to show in her voice.
“Not that I am aware.” Hunter glanced at me after he replied, then his eyes went back to Suzi.
“And what became of the dead bodies that were found on scene when our three guests were apprehended?”
“Burned, ma’am.”
“And were there signs of another male and
female with the three that were brought back?”
“Not according to any of the reports.”
Once again Hunter shot me a look. Now I was starting to get uneasy. This was coming down to my word versus that of the people who brought us back. However, that left me with some other questions and concerns. If Skins and his gang were not part of this group, then what group were they a part of?
Suzi turned back to me. “So…these men you killed were not mine.”
“I don’t know what to tell you.” I felt my mouth go dry and my mind began to replay the images that I saw of Jim and Jackson. I hoped that I would be able to withstand whatever torture was in store for me. It was obvious, or at least I felt comfortable in the assumption that neither man had said a word.
“I do not doubt what you have told me, although it has been very little up to this point. Perhaps we should try again tomorrow.”
With that, Suzi gave a nod of her head. Hunter stepped forward and ushered me to come with him. I glanced over my shoulder as I was led away. Suzi remained at the table we had sat at and was staring skyward in deep thought as she vanished from my view.
Hunter remained silent as he escorted me through the camp. I still could not get over all of the activity. There were children running and playing, people doing wash and hanging clothes up to dry. Basically, everything about this place screamed normal. Only, these people had sent scientists in to Island City. They had infected them with some terrible virus that they passed off as a cure or inoculation against the bite of zombies. They had wiped out a small community of college kids who were nothing more than farmers trying to make a home for themselves here in the La Grande Valley area.
At least, that was how I saw everything. Was I missing something? Perhaps Cricket had lied. How could I justify believing one person over the other? I was going on what I saw with my own two eyes.
Or, at least what I thought I saw.
“How old were you when all of this started?” Hunter broke the silence. It was in that moment that I realized that it was not an uncomfortable one. There was something about Hunter that I liked. I was oddly relaxed.
