The Pirates of the Apocalypse

by J. B. Craig

  The group filled her in, sharing their adventures to date and what they had gleaned from what little news they had. They skimmed over a few details - how they had come by both of their sailboats, for instance - but together, the three gave a mostly unedited version of the truth.

  “We’ve come under attack a few times ourselves,” Chief Jones said, as they told him about the battles they’d had with the Dragons. “But we’ve been okay so far. We’ve only got the one main road through the center of town, and since we blocked ourselves off with the trucks in early days, we haven’t seen much trouble. Some, but not a lot.”

  “You guys are a little more rural around here,” Bannon pointed out. “I would think that would take some of the pressure off, food-wise.”

  “Well, yes and no,” Stella said. “Yes, we’ve got the farmland, but having all of the equipment go out in the beginning of planting season hasn’t helped matters. Everyone is working the land as much as we can, but it’s been all hands on deck just to get everything in the ground.”

  “A lot of our younger residents commute into bigger towns, and most haven’t come back. I’m sure you all know how it goes by now,” Chief Jones said. “That’s why we’re a little more flexible with greeting newcomers at the gate. We need more able, honest hands. Y’all are welcome to stay, but I do remember Miss Maria said that she’s trying to get home to her folks.”

  “We had heard that Piney Point would be a safe spot,” Maria said. “But then again, we thought it would be sleepier than it is here. Do you have any suggestions on how best to get out there?”

  “What about St. Mary’s?” Stella suggested. “It’s a few miles west of here, not so long that you couldn’t make it on foot without too much trouble.”

  “The college?” Maria asked. She and Pete exchanged a glance. “We came from Penn. We’ve mostly been avoiding campuses,” she said.

  “St. Mary’s is likely in a different situation than most colleges, I imagine,” Chief Jones said. “The agricultural program means they’re in good shape as far as food goes, and they’ve got enough students to have hands to work the land, unlike us. They’re paying kids for time worked - I don’t know what kind of resources you have, but you could probably end up with enough to earn a sailboat.” Sternly, he added, “They’ve got a decent ROTC program - we’ve had two kids come through who told us they have a little protection unit that’s deterred most raiders. So I don’t know what your plan was to get back on the water, but I would strongly advise you to do the right thing, and work for your passage. They and we crack down hard on piracy, which is part of why this area’s stayed safe.”

  Maria bit her lip to hide a smile at Pete’s disappointed face. She could tell he’d been looking forward to his next boat-stealing adventure. “We don’t need to steal,” she said. Whether that would turn out to be true or not, for the moment, she at least didn’t want Chief Jones to think they were planning a raid. “We’re all able, and we’re open to working. We just need options.”

  “Then St. Mary’s is a good one,” Stella said. “Tell them we sent you. Nothing that floats will be cheap right now, but they’ll take care of you out there until you can afford to leave. I wish we could help you on this end, but we’ve got everyone fishing and crabbing to keep food in all of our mouths. This was a big powerboat area, so all of those things are now useless holes in the water. Boats that run are pretty rare, and we can’t spare one.”

  “We wouldn’t ask you to do that,” Pete said. “You guys have already been kind enough not only to give us safe passage, but to share out of your own personal resources.” Looking at Maria, he said, “Like she mentioned, we came together from Penn, and made it to Bannon’s just before things got pretty ugly. Many people helped us in the beginning, but it’s been quite a while since we’ve been shown the kindness of strangers.”

  “We’re glad to do our part,” Chief Jones said proudly. “Now, let’s get you kids pointed in the direction while you’ve got plenty of daylight. I hate to rush you, but it isn’t a good idea to make your way down there in the dark at the moment. You want to approach slowly in broad daylight, if you catch my drift.”

  “We’ll be careful,” Bannon agreed quickly. “Thank you both so much. You’ve really helped us out.”

  Maria looked over at him - she hadn’t known her cousin to be so effusive - and noticed that he had a slight pink flush to his cheeks. She grinned to herself - she’d have to remind him to hydrate later, or he could have a nasty hangover. It figured that he’d be a lightweight.

  “Well worth a little friendly company,” Stella agreed. “You guys take care, and be safe out there. Jonesy, are you gonna walk them out to the western truck?”

  They raised their eyebrows at the nickname - Chief Jones didn’t seem like much of a ‘Jonesy’ - but he rolled along as if he was plenty used to it. “Yeah, I’m on it,” he said, hopping off the barstool with a groan. He picked up one of the empty bottles and handed it to Pete, who stuck it in his pocket. “Take this with you - you can show it to the folks at either of their barricades, and they’ll let you in.”

  “You got it, Chief,” Maria agreed.

  “I’ll carry the weapons, or my men and women will get jumpy, but you can have them back as soon as you leave. Ask for Sergeant Spencer when you get to the school - he’s in charge of the cadets,” Chief Jones continued. “Thanks, Stella,” he called, and they waved a goodbye as the pub’s doorbell chimed behind them.

  26. Saint Mary’s College

  With their returned weapons and their empty bottle ‘ticket,’ Maria, Pete and Bannon walked their bikes the few miles to the St. Mary’s barricade. It was both the most elaborate and the most fortified blockade they’d seen so far - these tied into the college’s own walls, and had snipers’ nests every forty feet or so.

  As they approached the gate, they knew they were under the watchful eye of several shooters. Bannon held Pete’s bike as Pete dug out the beer bottle, holding both it and his other hand straight up in the air. “Don’t shoot!” he bellowed. “We’ve been sent by Senior Chief Petty Officer Jones of St. James!”

  After a moment, the gate was pushed open, and a stocky young black man with close-cropped hair and combat fatigues came out to greet them, his M4 rifle at low-safe. “Advance and be recognized!” he called.

  “Hey there,” Pete greeted. “You wouldn’t happen to be a Sergeant Spencer, would you? Stella and the Chief sent us with their regards.”

  Though he kept his rifle in position, Spencer smiled, his face lighting up. “Then you know how it goes,” he said. “Weapons on the ground, and I’ll take IDs if you’ve got them. You’ll get them back when you’ve earned our trust.”

  Maria was the only one who still had hers, and she reached into her pack - slowly - and dug it out. “Miss, since you have your ID on you, please approach,” he said to Maria, and motioned her over. After making a show of inspecting her ID, he handed it back and whispered, “Hey. Are you good? These guys treating you right?”

  Maria smiled at him - it was nice to have someone who confirmed that she was safe and not being coerced, or worse. “I’m good, I promise,” she said. “I’m their captain - Pete is a friend from school, and Ban is my little cousin. They’ve taken good care of me and they really are just seeing me home. But, thank you,” she emphasized, “For pulling me aside and checking. Not everyone would’ve done that.”

  “I’ve got little sisters,” Spencer said. His sad smile spoke volumes. “I know the drill.” He bent down and picked up their rifles, never breaking eye contact with the group, and then waved over Bannon and Pete. “The lady vouched for you; you guys can come on over. Welcome to St. Mary’s!”

  “Uh, Sergeant,” Bannon said, hesitating. “Do you want my grenade, too?”

  Both of Spencer’s eyebrows went up. After a moment, he shook his head. “Nope,” he said, “But thanks for your honesty. If you don’t show me yours, I won’t show you mine,” he joked, patting his pants pocket as he slung their rifles
over his shoulder. “Honestly, if you and the Chief sat and had a beer, you guys are fine by me - but that doesn’t mean I can break protocol.”

  “It’s all good,” Pete said. “Best to be on the safe side.”

  Spencer nodded. “You guys hungry?” he asked. “They’re still serving lunch for a little while longer. You all can tell me your story while we hit the mess tent.”

  “We have MREs in our packs,” Maria said. She liked the sergeant, but she wasn’t sure what the food policy was here, and she didn’t want to unknowingly cross a line. “We don’t want to take anything from you guys here.”

  “Taste like ass, don’t they?” At three hearty nods, he burst out laughing. “Yeah, we all think so too. We’re good to share right now since some of the early summer crops are coming in. It might not have too much spice, but it’s hearty food. There’s also a bunch of game running from the craziness farther up the peninsula. We trap, snare, and shoot fresh meat all the time. Come enjoy it while it’s fresh.”

  The travelers each got a hearty tray of food from the campus dining hall - they had oatmeal, a few pieces of game, and fresh veggies. Compared to the MREs, it was heavenly. As Maria and her crew dug in she said, “There’s a lot of people here, Sergeant. Are most of them students?”

  “Yeah. Most of the out-of-state people decided to stay,” he said. “It’s meant we have a decent fighting force. We did have some early losses to raiders,” he said, with the thousand-yard stare of a man who had lost troops in battle. “So everyone who’s stayed has had to earn their keep. I had a few friends who’d graduated who are stationed at the nearby Dahlgren base - they dropped off some weapons for us so we could continue to defend this side of the peninsula.”

  “My brother’s at the Naval Academy, in Annapolis,” Bannon said proudly. “Or - he might be in Aberdeen, now. I think he’d said they were moving him.”

  Spencer whistled. “We’ve got some HAM radios set up, so we hear some chatter,” he said. “It sounds like the Aberdeen boys had a big victory in Baltimore recently. Do you know what unit he’s with?”

  “I’m not sure,” he said. “All I know is Reid’s call sign. He’s Dragon One.”

  Spencer’s jaw dropped. “You’re shitting me,” he said, grinning. “C’mon. Really?”

  “He’s got no reason to lie to you,” Pete said. “His brother’s one tough bastard. Maria is their older cousin. We all fought alongside him over on Gibson Island, before we made our way down here.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Spencer said. “You must be the older Beretta, then?” At Ban’s nod, he grinned. “Your brother’s making a name for himself, man. He saved a fuckton of people in DC, including some top brass.”

  Ban beamed with pride, Pete patting his back as Maria reached over to squeeze his hand. Spencer grinned at them as he handed them back their rifles - he’d remembered whose was whose, which moved him up in Maria’s estimation. “Then you guys had better have these back. If you’re part of the Dragons, you’ll do better things with them than I will. Keep ‘em across your back, and my greenhorns won’t get trigger-happy.”

  “Since I’m older, I wish I could say that made me the better soldier,” Ban admitted, “But I’m accompanying these guys partially because I’m looking to get out of the killing business.”

  “Aren’t we all,” Spencer agreed. “The problem is, someone’s got to do it, or we’re all in the dying business instead.”

  “I know, Sergeant.” Bannon offered his hand to Spencer, and they shook like brothers-in-arms: with mutual respect, and a sorrow previously unknown to most American civilians. Maria knew from her Dad that less than one percent of Americans had ever taken another life in combat - at least, before the lights went out. She was certain it had to be double digits now.

  “Well, you three Dragons are more than welcome here. I’ll make sure everyone knows to stay out of your business,” Spencer offered. “But if you’re willing, I’d like you to meet the Commanding Officer. Very few of us are trained in the kind of warfare we’re seeing here. A new perspective from you guys might be helpful.”

  “We’d be glad to,” Maria said, after a glance over at Bannon to confirm that he was okay. “It’s the least we could do to return your hospitality. That was a great lunch.”

  “Unfortunately, we might be asking more of you than advice,” Spencer admitted, his eyes downcast. “We’re expecting some trouble tonight; our scouts have seen activity out in Lexington Park, to our north. Fires and such. We expect the Locusts to hit us tonight, or tomorrow at the latest.”

  “Locusts?” Bannon asked.

  “Yeah, this gang of troublemakers from Waldorf has been moving down the peninsula. Like locusts, they strip everything clean, even people. Our scouts have seen bodies in the areas they’ve torn through in…bad shape,” Spencer explained. “If they were able to take Lexington Park, then they’re bigger than anything we’ve faced so far. The folks in LP have been good allies; we still keep in touch. Some of their kids went here, but since they were so close to campus, most of them have gone home.”

  “Hope they’re safe out there,” Pete said. “I don’t know that I would’ve gone, as bad as things have gotten. Strength in numbers.”

  “Truthfully, most of them were encouraged to go,” he said. “Not that they couldn’t return, but their families would need them, and while we aren’t hurting for resources now, it might be a whole different animal when winter hits. But, yeah,” he agreed. “I hope so too. My fear is that the Locusts are the kind of group who tries to prey on the weaker targets and hide from the military.”

  “I’m surprised they’re coming here, then!” Maria said. “You guys seem pretty well-stocked.”

  “Yeah, they’re probably thinking we’re an easier target than we really are. I don’t think they know about some of the ‘gifts’ from our friends at the air station,” Spencer said with a grin. “Alright, look sharp. Let’s introduce you to the Commandant.”

  Sergeant Spencer brought the trio across the campus to the main administrative office building. After depositing their rifles in another weapons rack outside, security waved them through, and they were escorted into a beautiful office. A man she presumed to be the Commandant was sitting behind a desk, jotting notes down onto a pad of paper. Occasionally, he punched figures into an old mechanical calculator at his right hand. “Sir,” Spencer said, and the man looked up. Maria had half-expected a military salute from Spencer, but he simply got down to business.

  “These guys just arrived on campus today. Chief Jones sent them here from St. James,” he explained. “Commandant Kirwan, meet Bannon, Maria, and Pete. Pete’s a trained EMT, and Maria and Bannon are cousin and brother, respectively, of Dragon One.”

  Commandant Kirwan raised his eyebrows. “Well now,” he said, clearly impressed. “It is a pleasure and an honor. Spencer, thank you for bringing them by.” Turning to the three, he asked, “Have you all had an opportunity to tour much? I’m sure Spencer has told you that we’re expecting some movement within the next several days.”

  “He has, sir,” Maria agreed. “We literally just got here, but he was kind enough to take us to the mess.”

  “The food was fantastic!” Pete eagerly chimed in.

  “Especially after several days of MREs,” Bannon agreed with a grin. “It was awesome to have something fresh.”

  “Excellent,” Kirwan said. “We’re very fortunate to have the kinds of resources we have here. It makes my job easier, that’s for sure.” Gesturing to Spencer, he said, “I handle most of the administrative duties - inventory and supply, some organizational - while Spencer mostly runs the show in terms of the troops.”

  “Speaking of, sir,” Spencer cut in. “I hate to interrupt, but I need to go check on the watch. I’ll leave them to you?” At Kirwan’s nod, Spencer grinned and fist-bumped with all three of them and then strolled out, closing the door behind himself as he left.

  As he left, Kirwan relaxed into his chair with a sigh. “He’s a g
reat young man,” he said. “I wish he would drop the title, but it caught on with the others and I can’t seem to shake it.”

  “You’re a civilian?” Bannon guessed.

  “I am,” he said. “Technically, I’m the Chancellor - which used to mean both a lot more and a lot less. The Sergeant tells me that since we’re a defensible fort, a military title is in order.” He sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. “So. What brings you all in front of me today?”

  Maria, Pete and Ban exchanged glances. “A little bit of everything,” Pete volunteered. “We’re trying to find ourselves a boat so we can get back on the road to Maria and Ban’s family - her father is in Virginia, and by sea is currently the fastest way to travel. They’re hoping to establish lines of communication between their family home and the Dragons out on Gibson Island.”

  “Chief Jones let us know that there was potential work out here,” Maria said. “We’d love to help out, but our goal is still to get home. We aren’t interested in staying permanently.”