Wipeout | Book 4 | Overdrawn

by Richards, E. S.

  “Surely that’ll be to bring their big ship into port?” someone else asked, saying what was also on Jessie’s mind.

  “Yeah, I thought that,” Casey replied. “But it just feels like it’s building up to something else. Their main ship is moored up around the eastern side of the island now and it looks like it’s there to stay, I don’t know why they’d want to move it again.”

  “Hmm, strange,” Dennis mused. “Was there anything else?”

  Casey explained how the children were still going to school and everyone was still going to work. Life was almost normal, with the added arrival of roughly a hundred Chinese soldiers who patrolled the streets. Casey reported on what happened when someone stood up to them and questioned what they were doing, the tale of a very public beating.

  Try as they might, none of them could figure out why the Chinese government was doing this. It seemed bizarre that they had chosen the small collection of islands which, aside from their location, offered no real advantage to anyone. Without any further information about the plans in particular they couldn’t conclude whether it was truly dangerous or not, but all were in agreement they wanted to remain hidden from the intruders for as long as possible.

  “You’re positive they didn’t see you?” Dennis asked once Casey and Ben were finished, the two men rewarding themselves with large portions of the shared meal and stuffing their faces like they had hardly eaten in the days they’d been away.

  Ben nodded. “If they had, I don’t think we would’ve made it back,” he replied with a grimace. “I do think they’re going to start scouting the island soon, though. I don’t think anyone has mentioned the fact that we left and moved up here, but if they come looking, there’s no doubt, they’ll find us. They didn’t have a problem,” Ben nodded to Jessie and her family.

  Jessie and Art were aware that they needed to stay on Dennis’ good side to keep their family safe. He had been sufficiently civil with them, putting them both to work and demanding their children help out, too. Jessie wasn’t best pleased about that point, but knew it needed to be done. At least now, Dennis’ focus would be elsewhere, as Casey and Ben had corroborated their story. The only question was how were the small group of them going to prepare? If the Chinese were scouting the island, then they needed to be ready for when they reached the retreat.

  Dennis was of this same opinion too, nodding and looking around the room. “If and when they do come here,” he declared, “they’ll wish they hadn’t.”

  The threat was ominous, but it did the job. The men and women in the room were filled with confidence that they stood a chance. Only Ben and Casey were more reserved with their approval. Jessie watched them carefully and nudged Art, making sure her husband was aware, too. Between them they would have to hatch an additional plan to look after their children, but that would need to wait until much later when they were away from prying eyes and ears.

  When that time finally came later that night, Jessie and Art were still extremely careful about what they said. They sat in the family area of their suite after putting Zayn and Axel to bed. Even the lower priced rooms in the retreat featured ample sized bedrooms and communal areas big enough to sit ten or twelve people. Dennis had deliberately given them a room in a part of the hotel which he didn’t regard to be as nice as where he was staying. But even after years of decay and a lack of attention, it was still more elegant than their home on Kauai.

  “What do you think they’ll do if they find us?” Jessie asked.

  “I’m not sure,” Art shook his head and stroked his wife’s hand. “By the sound of what Casey and Ben said, it doesn’t seem that bad down there. But I think the fact that we’re a separate group now might actually hinder us rather than help.”

  “You think we’ve made it worse for ourselves?” Jessie asked with a slight gasp. “Do you think we should’ve stayed?”

  “No,” Art shook his head firmly. “We did what we thought was right for our boys and I stand by that, Jessie. We did what we had to do – things might be more relaxed down there now, but we can’t forget that they pulled guns on us and have effectively taken over our island by force. They might be acting all friendly toward us now, but the wolf in sheep’s clothing is always the most dangerous.”

  Jessie nodded, agreeing with her husband wholeheartedly. “What should we do then, if and when they find us here?”

  “I’ve no doubt Dennis is hatching a plan for that as we speak,” Art replied. “I dread to think what he’s coming up with.”

  “I don’t want to put the boys in any more danger. That’s what we came here to avoid.”

  “I know, sweetheart,” Art soothed his wife as best he could. “We’re not going to let that happen.”

  The two of them talked until the early hours of the morning, the sounds of the island changing around them as night fell and the sound of birds chirping was replaced with the mysterious rustling of other animals. Living at the retreat on the northern tip of the island was interesting; it was like a holiday that was coupled with an eerie camping trip. Even then, there was still work to be done.

  Art had been helping out with the building and maintenance projects and Jessie was working in the kitchen. Zayn and Axel were forced to help out wherever they could, which Jessie had managed to mean working in the kitchen alongside her. She couldn’t help but feel sidelined and singled out in her role, one of only three women in total who were in the north, but she kept her mouth shut and did what was needed in order to survive.

  In the days while Casey and Ben were away, Dennis and the others treated them with caution. They were allowed to mingle with everyone and had access to everything the others did, but there was always someone looking over their shoulder, like they couldn’t be entirely trusted. Now that the scouts were back from Kauai, both Jessie and Art hoped that would change. Their story had been confirmed and they all needed to work together; united against one common enemy.

  “I’ll speak to Dennis in the morning,” Art promised Jessie before they fell asleep. “We’ll figure out what to do, but the bottom line is we’ll keep our boys safe. No matter what that comes to, I promise I will always protect the three of you.”

  The next morning, Art went and sat with Dennis and the other engineers as soon as possible. They were splitting protein bars and preparing for what looked like a big day. A big day that Art was determined to be a part of.

  “Mind if I join you?” he asked as he sat himself down, making it clear he wasn’t really waiting for permission. “What’s the plan for today? What are we going to do about their scouts?”

  Everyone looked from Art to Dennis and waited for their leader to make the call. Dennis watched Art for a couple of seconds.

  “We’re going to fight them off,” Dennis said bluntly. “We came up here for a reason and I intend to stand by that. I don’t care if it’s the Chinese, my brother, or the United States army that are pushing us away, we’ve made our decision and we’re sticking to it.”

  “Yeah!”

  “We’re with you, Dennis!”

  Approval came from around the table and Art nodded, understanding what Dennis meant. He locked eyes with the man and made sure Dennis saw he was on board, prepared to fight alongside him. As a first attempt, Art figured it was worth a shot. If they could keep this place hidden from the Chinese, that was their best bet for survival.

  “If they’re going to be sending scouts up here,” Dennis continued. “Then we need to be ready for them. We know this area better than anyone else now, we need to be positioned amongst the trees and watching for them. We need a signal and as soon as anyone has a sighting, we need to all be ready for what that brings with it. We’re not unarmed and we’re not afraid to defend this place. It sounds like the Chinese got the jump on the rest of you,” Dennis aimed his point at Art, “because you weren’t prepared. We won’t make that mistake. We’re going to be ready and this time it’ll be them that is caught unprepared.”

  Just like his brother, Dennis was
a natural at giving speeches. When he spoke, he captured the whole room, his voice soft yet controlling, almost like he was speaking only to you. His body language echoed that as well and much like everyone else around the table, Art couldn’t help getting animated and enthused by what was to come. He still had his family’s safety at the forefront of his mind, but he was committed to trying things Dennis’ way and even believed that it might work.

  Two hours later, Art was hidden amongst the trees with Casey beside him. They were both armed with automatic weapons, though the instruction had been to capture rather than kill if possible. It was frightening that things had escalated to that level so quickly. Art felt like he was in a video game.

  Casey stood beside him and reminded Art of what they were potentially facing. Both men had seen what the Chinese soldiers had done and it was clear what he’d seen had affected Casey. The man seemed apprehensive but determined, telling Art that he did not want to be taken back to Kauai city center by the invaders.

  It made Art wonder exactly what the harsher side of things looked like. Allowing the islanders to carry on with their normal daily lives could just be a way to make them feel comfortable, while the Chinese controlled things from behind closed doors. Casey had told them about the public beating of a couple of men who didn’t want to fall in line, but Art had a feeling there was more to it than that.

  Another thing that worried Art as they scouted the surrounding area of the retreat, was how Jessie and his boys were coping. They were still in the hotel and while he and Jessie had agreed on a contingency plan if things went wrong, he still worried about her waiting there. She was practically a sitting duck and her life, plus the lives of their two precious boys, truly depended on what happened on the front line where Art, Casey and many others waited. As they watched and waited, Art wondered how things had gotten so bad.

  Chapter 19

  The sound of a branch snapping ratcheted the tension in the forest up several notches. Art tried to find where the noise had come from. The forest around him and Casey had gone deathly silent. Casey noticed it, too. Someone or something was nearby.

  The hunting rifle which Art carried in his right hand knocked against his leg as he realized his hands were shaking. Doing everything he could to remain calm, Art lifted the weapon and held it in both hands, trying to steady himself and breathe calmly as he slowly took in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view of the forest around him, turning with Casey so they remained back to back with one another. Tension had never been higher as neither man dared to speak, both trying to figure out what they had just heard.

  With no warning, several figures exploded out of the trees in front of them, shouting in another language and pointing weapons in their faces. The Chinese soldiers had appeared as if out of nowhere. Left with no other option, Art and Casey both dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender, terrified of what was about to happen to them.

  “Don’t shoot!” Art blurted out, unable to keep his mouth shut. “Please. Don’t shoot.”

  “Put your hands on the back of your heads,” one of the soldiers barked at them in heavily accented english, jabbing his gun in their direction. Other sudden bursts of shouting carried on throughout the forest around them, the other pairs of scouts all being ambushed in the same way and the Chinese soldiers quickly taking control.

  The same soldier barked again. “Take us back to your camp.”

  Art and Casey both did as they were told. Live to fight another day. Some of the others were not as wise. Art and Casey started walking. Moments later, gunfire peppered the trees behind them. They dropped to the ground, protecting themselves from the oncoming fire. Which side was shooting?

  Art remained frozen in place on the leafy forest floor as he listened to what was happening. He heard cries and shouts both in American and in Chinese. There was another peppering of bullets and then the struggle stopped.

  “Get up!” The soldier barked at Art and Casey once more, kicking Art in the foot.

  “What just happened?” Casey asked as he scrambled to his feet. “What did you just do?”

  “Walk!”

  Casey was jabbed in the ribs and forced to turn back around, away from the scene. The Chinese had come out on top, the soldiers leading Art, Casey and those who remained away from it. While Casey struggled against them, Art kept his head and did what he was told. Art had to think about his family and prioritize their safety. He had to pretend to be submissive and not give anyone any reason to hurt him.

  “Take us back to your camp,” the Chinese soldier instructed again.

  “Casey, come on,” Art whispered at his companion who was still fighting back. “They’ll kill you, too!”

  “You traitor,” Casey snapped at Art, shoving him sideways and slamming his body against a tree trunk. “I knew you were never one of us.”

  Art was shocked by the reaction, rubbing the back of his shoulder where it had hit the tree and shaking his head. He was tempted to open his mouth to retaliate, but thoughts of his children stopped him. It was better to have Casey as an enemy than the men with the guns. Shrugging off the insult, he stepped back onto the path and continued walking, trying to avoid eye contact with his former associate as he led the Chinese to the resort.

  “Line up!” the soldier instructed.

  As he was marched into the courtyard of the resort and pushed over to one wall to fall in with everyone else, Art spotted his family at the far end of the already formed line.

  “Dad!”

  “Zayn!” He couldn’t stop himself from rushing over to them now, despite the order that the Chinese were trying to put in place.

  “What are you guys doing here?” Art questioned as he wrapped his arms around Zayn, looking up at Jessie. They had agreed that if there was any sign of trouble, Jessie would take the boys and run.

  “I just couldn’t go without you,” Jessie replied in a whisper as Art finally stepped into line beside her, Zayn on his other side while Axel clung to his mother. “I’m sorry.”

  “Silence!” A different Asian man shouted the order this time, bringing a hush over the courtyard and a stop to any and all conversations.

  Art looked over at him and regarded the man in uniform. There wasn’t a hair out of place or a single fleck of dirt on him despite the trek he would have had to take across the island. He looked like he’d just stepped out of a dressing room, so finely pressed and pruned that he might as well be a model, not a soldier. The perfect man held the captive audience for a few seconds, looking up and down the line carefully.

  “I am surprised to find so many of you here,” he began with a smile. “Our earlier reports documented this part of the island as empty. How long have you been here?”

  There was silence as people looked up and down the line, Art included as he leaned forward and searched for Dennis, waiting to see if he or anyone else would respond. For once, Dennis remained silent, standing straight and staring forward, unwilling to even put a toe out of line.

  “I asked you a question,” the uniformed man spoke up again. “How long have you been here?”

  “Not long,” Art found himself replying, the words coming out of his mouth before his head had properly caught up with them. A number of faces turned in his direction, including that of the man in uniform, who raised his eyebrows and waited for Art to continue.

  “About a week.”

  “A week? I am impressed, you seem to have got a lot set up in that time. Very efficient.”

  Art didn’t know what to reply so, he made the decision to stay silent. Besides, whatever was coming next was surely more important than their length of stay.

  “Let me introduce myself,” he continued. “I am General Xiao and I am now the commanding officer of this island. Kauai has been claimed in the name of The People’s Republic of China and President Yang Xi Zhipeng. Your American government has fallen and is no more. You are citizens of China now. We will escort you back to the main city now. You will be given work details
and new residences where required. If you have any questions, please direct them to myself or one of my officers.”

  There was a moment of apprehension across the courtyard as people looked up and down the line once more, many of their eyes going to Dennis to see what the man would do. There were some who looked like they were ready to fight back, but it was impossible to forget the gunshots which had rung out in the forest and the four faces which were missing from the line of men. If Dennis didn’t start an uprising against this, then there wasn’t going to be one and Dennis stared resolutely at the floor as he refused to meet anyone’s gaze.

  Art waited with his family – who had already gathered their meager belongings – as everyone else did the same. He never let go of Jessie or Zayn, keeping them firmly by his side as they prepared to leave and make the long trip back to the main city of Kauai. He was filled with apprehension over what was to come.

  The walk back to the city was long and arduous; the soldiers offered them no water and, as darkness fell, gave them no lights to see by. They were being treated like prisoners despite the Chinese commander insisting they were citizens of China. Art resolved to stay calm until they were back in the city and had a better understanding of what the Chinese government and General Xiao planned to do with them.

  Some hours later, Art, Jessie and their boys stood outside their house with two Chinese soldiers. “This is your home, yes?” one of the soldiers said.

  “Yes,” Art replied and nodded.

  They had been marched through the city like a procession, stopping to deposit Dennis’ men into their homes or new places of residence as General Xiao saw fit.

  “You will stay here,” one of the two remaining soldiers addressed Art. “You will report to the General at 0800 hrs. Do you understand?”

  “Yes,” Art nodded again.