New World Order

by S. M. McEachern

  “Now?” Summer asked.

  The perimeter around the panicking bears was clear of people, and I was able to have a good look around. But I couldn’t imagine a little girl staying with the wagons.

  I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled, “Teegan,” several times as I turned in a circle. I didn’t even know what the girl looked like or why she was important to Jack. Lots of kids had run home with their parents. Why didn’t this girl?

  Reyes hopped out of the other wagon, all the prisoners now cut loose. “What are you doing? Get to the gate.”

  “Hey,” Summer said, tapping my arm with the back of her hand. “Is that her?”

  A girl emerged from behind a small house on the corner of the street. She was a tiny little wisp of a girl, with a mass of matted dark curls and filthy clothes made of animal skins.

  “Teegan?” I asked as I walked toward her. “Jack told me to find you.”

  Big round eyes stared at me from a face dominated by a bright red cross on her cheek. I squatted down in front of her to get a better look. A spidery web of veins traveled away from the burn and fanned one side of her face.

  “Sunny, we gotta go,” Summer said. Reyes was beside us now, and they both had their pistols drawn and were looking nervously around us.

  The girl plucked at a few strands of my hair that had escaped from my hood. “Are you Sunset?” she asked.

  “Yeah,” I said, kind of surprised she knew my name. “I’m a friend of Jack’s. He wanted you to come with me. Are you okay with that?”

  “Is he coming too?”

  “He better be,” I said, looking around for him. What was taking him so long? “Come on.” I held my hand out for hers.

  “Do we head for the gate now?” Summer asked.

  “I’m not leaving without Jack,” I said. “We came all this way—where the hell is he?”

  “Look,” Summer said, pointing to the sky. Thick black smoke billowed up.

  The sound of a shutter scraping open drew our attention, and an arrow came racing toward us. Whirling Teegan around in front of me, I used my back as a shield. Summer cursed and fired at the window.

  “I’ll go help them,” Reyes said. “You three get to the gate.”

  “No way,” I said and handed Teegan over to Summer. “Please take her, and we’ll be there as soon as we can.”

  Summer picked up the girl. “You have three minutes before I come looking for you.”

  “Deal,” I said.

  Reyes and I sprinted to the street that led to the big stone chimney. There weren’t a lot of people around anymore; most had already sought refuge in the safety of their homes. But a few brave souls with weapons were trying to stop Jack and Hayley as they gunned their way down the street against the backdrop of a tall, thick column of black smoke rising into the sky. Reyes and I shot at a few open windows to deter the archers there from loosing their arrows.

  We waited for Jack and Hayley to pass us before we made our own getaway. And just before I turned away, I thought I saw a speck in the sky over by the distant mountains. I paused, squinting to see if it might be something... or just a bird. The sound of Jack yelling “Stop!” at Hayley got me moving again.

  “Let’s go,” Reyes said, yanking my arm.

  We ran and caught up, flanking the bike on either side to shield Jack and Hayley from any projectiles that were hurled our way. Most of the archers had taken cover in buildings by now, but as we made our way toward the gate, the street behind us started filling up with armed men again. I pointed my pistol behind me and fired a few warning shots.

  The gates were wide open, the bikes still there.

  I chanced a look behind us. Now that our backs were turned and we were on the run toward the gates, the villagers were getting brave and coming after us again. The immediate problem was going to be holding them off during the time it was going to take to get the bikes out of the back of the wagon and everyone on them. The only way we could do it was to close the gates once we were through and shoot down any archers that got up to the walkway at the top of the fence. In fact, anyone not wearing a suit was going to be vulnerable to attack until we were clear of arrow range. Reyes, Summer, and I were going to have to hang back and protect their rear.

  That whirring, buzzing noise was back, only this time it was accompanied by a whoop whoop whoop. I scanned the horizon where I’d seen a speck a few minutes ago and noted that the speck was getting bigger. And it had wings.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Jack

  I’d know the sound of the AV-22 Osprey anywhere. Ted had spent every day of the past ten months in a simulator learning to fly it, and I had visited him frequently. The Osprey was truly a stunning piece of engineering. It had the takeoff, landing, and hovering abilities of a helicopter, but the wings could rotate to give it the speed of an airplane. Since the wings could be folded and tucked away, allowing it to fit into a small place, it was one of the few aircraft that had been stored inside the Dome.

  And it was a beautiful sight to see as it sped toward us.

  “Sunny,” I said in a raised voice. She was running beside our bike as we raced toward the gate. “Get your pack and fire off a flare when we get to the gate.”

  “Okay.” She glanced behind her. “Watch your back.”

  I turned around to see armed villagers chasing us down. If they had taken the time to remuster, get better organized, and dip their arrows in devil’s blood, then they wouldn’t have to shoot to kill. They could hit any part of our bodies and we’d drop into unconsciousness. As we approached the gate, I recognized Jin-Sook, Naoki, and Talon on the guard’s walkway at the top of the fence. They climbed down when they saw us coming.

  We drove through the gates, and I watched Sunny actually spring off the ground, sail through the air, and land in the back of the wagon. The bears were spooked, but they weren’t as panic-stricken as the animals inside the compound. Sunny pointed the flare gun at the sky and fired off two flares.

  “Get the gates closed!” Hayley yelled.

  Sunny sent up two more flares. Reyes was swinging the gate shut. Arrows flew through the narrow opening, and a knife lodged in the wood. I aimed the rifle at them and fired a round, knowing if archers reached the fence they would gain high ground on the platform.

  The drone of the Osprey was loud, and I turned to see it bearing down on our location. Wings spread wide, it swooped low, rotor blades whipping the ground below into dust devils. The first two archers had just climbed to the top of the fence when the Osprey passed overhead, almost blowing them off the narrow walkway.

  The bears reared, sending Sunny flying out of the wagon. I ran to her.

  She was just getting up when I reached her. “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Fine.”

  The animals railed against their harness with enough force to break the wagon wheels. The wagon tilted, and the bikes and a couple of backpacks slid out onto the ground. The bears bolted, dragging the broken wagon behind them.

  The Osprey rounded on New Canon, the side door open and someone hanging out sending a spray of bullets at the men on the other side of the fence. The aircraft swept the entire length of the compound and kept going. I watched it head toward the tree line, still flying low.

  “Pull up, Ted,” I said.

  “What’s he doing?” Sunny asked.

  He was heading straight for the trees. “Pull up!”

  Sunny was putting a hand over her eyes just as the plane turned its nose up. It looked like the belly clipped the tops of a few trees, but it kept flying and gained altitude then turned back toward us. The Osprey slowed as it approached us, the wings rotating to reposition the rotors straight up, and finally began its descent. It set down a little too close, kicking up dirt and small rocks, and we had to put our arms up to protect our faces. Once it was on the ground, the engines shut off, and the wind stopped. It got a lot quieter too.

  Reyes had closed the gate, but there was no way to keep it closed on this sid
e of the fence. The lock was on the inside.

  “Go,” Reyes said. “I’ll hold it in case they’re stupid enough to come out.”

  Sunny stepped away from me. “Get everyone in the plane. I’ll go help Reyes.”

  I grabbed her arm before she could walk away. “No, you won’t. You’ll get on the aircraft.”

  She took my face in both her hands and kissed me. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

  “Sunny!”

  “I have my suit on, I’ll be okay. You go get Teegan. She looks terrified.”

  She pulled her arm free from my grip and took off toward Reyes. I started after her, but Teegan’s sobs made me stop and change direction. As much as I hated Sunny putting herself in danger, she was well protected in that suit whereas Teegan was alone and scared. I went and picked her up.

  “Hayley,” I called out. She turned and looked at me. “I don’t want to leave the bikes behind for Ryder. There’s no telling what that nut-job will do with them. Let’s see if we can fit them on the plane.”

  I scanned the top of the fence. No one was there. I imagined that most people were in their homes, terrified and with their doors bolted. When was the last time these skies had seen an aircraft? It probably looked like an alien invasion to them.

  “Are you ready for an adventure?” I asked Teegan as I headed toward the Osprey.

  She was looking at the Osprey in horror. “No,” she said, shaking her head.

  “There’s medicine on the plane that’s going to help you.”

  She fussed and squirmed but was weak enough with fever not to protest too strongly. Naoki was standing in the open back of the Osprey, and I passed her to him then turned to go back for Sunny. But she, Summer and Reyes were on their way, bringing the last three bikes with them. I noticed one man peeking over the fence, but he didn’t attempt to shoot at us. I fired at him just in case he got any ideas.

  Sunny wrapped her arms around me as soon as she set the bike down. I hugged her close, and a lump lodged in my throat. When I felt my eyes prick with tears, I shut them tight, pulled her hood down, and hid my face in her hair.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” I whispered. She nodded, her face still pressed against my neck. I could feel the dampness of her tears. “I missed you so much.”

  She sniffed and pulled back enough to look at me. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you?”

  Silently, I wiped her tear-stained cheek with my thumb, not ready for her to ask me that question. Her image had been the only thing that kept me sane throughout my imprisonment, and I had worked really hard to keep that image pure, untainted by all the sadistic events I had been forced to live through. I wasn’t ready yet to cross that imaginary line and start sharing with her.

  I pulled her back against me and hid my face in the crook of her neck in case she saw the lie in my eyes. “I’m fine.”

  Ted stepped out of the cockpit. I kissed Sunny’s forehead. “I’m going to say hi to Ted.”

  Sunny took a step away so I could move toward Ted. I slapped him on the shoulder. “That was the coolest thing I ever saw, brother. How long have you been flying her?”

  Ted was smiling from ear to ear. “Including today?” he asked and laughed. “You had us all a little worried, Jack.” He hugged me and slapped me on the back. “I’m glad to see you in one piece.”

  “You don’t know how close I came to not being in one piece,” I said.

  My hands balled into fists as I thought about it. Ryder had been about to disembowel me in front of his entire flock. He was going to put Teegan, a tiny little girl, in a hole to sleep for the night. He’d put my friends in a hole in the ground. And as I thought about it, all of the atrocities came crashing back in on me, and my chest tightened with the kind of revenge I hadn’t allowed myself to hope for during my captivity.

  “What kind of weapons is this bird kitted out with? Bombs? Missiles? Rockets?”

  Ted looked confused. “No weapons. You should know that.”

  Sunny put a hand on my arm, her face a mix of concern and bewilderment. “We agreed our exploration of the continent would be peaceful, remember?”

  “That was before I met Ryder. That man needs to die,” I said and turned my focus on Ted. “There’s a big house in the center of the compound where that coward is hiding. I say we fly over and give it everything we have with semiautomatics.”

  Sunny glowered at me. “Are you sure it’s only Ryder you’re going to kill?”

  I looked away from the intensity of her gaze. No, it wasn’t only Ryder I would end up killing.

  I glanced over my shoulder at Teegan, who was sitting next to Jin-Sook and eyeballing Reyes and Summer with curious horror. For one so young, she had been through a lot. My memory of the recruiters raiding their settlement was still raw, and I hadn’t even been there to witness it. It was their screams that haunted me; yet Teegan was both an eyewitness and a victim. I didn’t know where her parents were, or even if they were still alive, but her sister had been with us when we first arrived at the compound, and I’m pretty sure I saw her a few times in Ryder’s house. She was most likely his newest wife.

  I put my hand over Sunny’s where it rested on my arm and let my fingertips brush the material of her exoskeleton. One day in the very near future, I was coming back to this compound, dressed in my own suit, and I was going to put a bullet right between Ryder’s eyes.

  “You’re right,” I said, nodding. “Too many innocent people would die.”

  “Innocent people are already dying,” Ted said. “We have problems back home, and we’ll need every bit of our ammo.”

  That had Sunny’s attention. “Is it bad?”

  Ted looked at her in surprise. “You know?”

  “I didn’t know before I left, Ted. I swear,” she said.

  My eyes shifted from Sunny to Ted. “What the hell is going on?”

  Ted pointed out the window, drawing our attention to the archers gathering along the top of the fence. “The natives are getting restless. Let’s get out of here and set down somewhere else, and we’ll talk about it. By the way, I put together a bag for you. I figured you were going to need a change of clothes,” he said as he pulled a backpack from a shelf over the seats. He set it down beside me and returned to the cockpit.

  I looked at Sunny, my mind flashing back to that moment in the compound when she looked at me with remorse and said that we would talk about it later.

  “I want to know what’s going on,” I said.

  But as the motor started up, Teegan leaped from her seat, ran to me, and threw her arms around my leg, demanding my attention.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Sunny

  I looked down at the little girl clutching my husband’s leg, big fat tears rolling down her feverish face. Her cheek was so red with infection it looked like it was on fire.

  “Let’s take care of her, and then we’ll talk. I promise.” I had to yell over the roar of rotors.

  “There should be a medical kit onboard,” Jack said. He bent down and scooped her into his arms.

  The Osprey left the ground, rising straight up, and walking became a balancing act. I looked out the small round window and watched Ryder’s city get smaller as we climbed higher in the air. My stomach somersaulted, and my palms became slick with sweat. I looked over at Summer. She was clenching her teeth, one hand gripping the edge of her seat and the other Reyes’ leg. He had his arm around her and his mouth close to her ear. Hayley was casting covert glances at them, Zach beside her. Jin-Sook, Eli, Naoki, and Talon sat side by side on a bench seat that ran vertically against the hull, craning their necks to get a look out the small windows.

  I walked toward the cockpit at the front of the aircraft and leaned in between the two pilots. “We need a medical kit, Ted.” The other pilot glanced at me, but I didn’t recognize him. His name badge read “Ayers.”

  Ted thumbed behind him. “In the locker behind my seat.”

  “Thanks,” I said and started to lea
ve.

  “Sunny,” Ted said. I stopped and leaned back in. “Is everything good? You’re okay?”

  I knew he was asking about the baby. “We’re fine, although I’m super thirsty. And I haven’t had a chance to tell Jack.”

  He nodded. “There are bottles of water stored under the seats. What do you know about the fighting that’s happening back home?”

  I patted his shoulder, not really wanting to have this conversation over the noise of rotors. “Like you said, find a place to set down, and we’ll talk.”

  I ducked out of the cockpit, found the locker behind Ted’s seat, and took out the medical kit. It was better equipped than our first aid kits and included an antibiotic ointment with topical pain relief. Teegan wouldn’t let anyone but Jack touch her, and I wondered what had happened to lead Jack to develop a paternal relationship with the girl.

  I left him to it and found the bottles of water. I passed them out to everyone and sat in the empty seat across from Jack and Teegan. As soon as I handed him the bottle, he practically ripped the top off and guzzled it. I got up and retrieved a couple more.

  The ill-fitting, loosely woven clothing he was dressed in—not entirely unlike something Grandfather in Heidi would wear—drew attention to the amount of weight he had lost since the last time I’d seen him. His beard had grown in, his hair was unruly, and he needed a shower. Yet aside from the clothes, this version of Jack was intimately familiar to me. This was the man who’d never left my side when we were in hiding from General Powell. And now as I watched him rock the girl to sleep, my heart swelled even more for him. I rested a hand over my little guy and acknowledged that he was one lucky kid.

  Teegan fell asleep just before we landed, whether a side effect of the pill Jack had given her or just exhaustion I wasn’t sure. He laid her on the bench seat and tucked a blanket around her as everyone shuffled out of the aircraft.

  Ted came out of the cockpit. “Are you two coming?” he asked, pointing to the door.

  “Can you give us a few minutes?” I asked.