“Hey, Mac!” he shouted, waving his spoon at her.
She gave him a smile as she headed out, and saw Magda and Charlie both give her a polite nod, which she returned.
At the top of the large staircase she carefully made her descent, taking slow steps down until she reached the first floor entrance hall, and turned right towards the nurse’s office. When she reached the open door, she gave the frame a few knocks.
“Oh, Mac. Come on in,” Christina said a bit absent-mindedly as she adjusted a few bottles in a cabinet, then piled some books on her desk.
“Here’s some soup that for some strange reason I was chosen to bring down to you,” Mac said feigning confusion as she placed it onto the short counter that held a little sink.
“Oh yeah? Interesting,” Chris said giving her a big smile and patting the top of one of the examination tables. “Well, since you’re here…“
“Mm-hm,” Mac said as she begin to slowly pull her arm out of her long sleeve, then took a seat.
Chris began to poke and prod, occasionally asking Mac how it felt. She listened to her breathing, and had her raise up her arm.
“Okay,” Chris said, walking over to her bowl of soup while Mac put her shirt back on. “You’re healing very nicely. That bruise back there is more yellow than purple now, and I give those ribs a couple weeks before you feel completely back to normal again.” She lifted the spoon to her mouth over and over again, devouring her meal. “So, what are your plans once that happens?”
Mac slid herself off the edge of the exam table. “I have some errands to run.”
“Is that what you call what you do out there? Just shooting out to the market? Pick up some things?” Chris asked with a tinge of sarcasm. She picked up the bowl to drink the remains of the broth.
“I do a lot of things, but that’s what I’m looking to do next,” Mac looked at her for a moment as she set her empty bowl down on the corner of her desk. “Do you have any kids here?”
Chris looked a little startled by the question, “Me? No. I haven’t had any kids.”
“Are you here with anyone?”
“I was hired to work here when the school opened. So, I was here waiting for the kids to arrive. Setting all this up,” she waved a hand out to the infirmary. “And I stayed when everything started.”
“Ok. Then are you with anyone here?” Mac asked, rephrasing her question.
Chris hesitated for a moment, not sure why this line of questioning was happening. “I’m sorry, I’m not sure what these questions have to do with anything,” she said suddenly looking a bit agitated.
“It doesn’t have to do with anything really. I was just wondering.” An awkward silence hung in-between them for a short while. “In all honesty, I’m probably going to head out in a week.” She let her statement linger for a bit then slowly headed for the door, then stopped herself as she was about to enter the hallway. “Like I said before, I have errands to run. Sometimes I run them for myself, but most of the time, I do them for other people. I do plan on checking in on you guys from time to time.”
Chris was suddenly finding it hard to look Mac in the eye.
“So, if there’s anything you can think of, that you may need here, for the Block… for the kids. Try and think of it before I go… I’ll keep my eye out.” Mac gave her a couple seconds then turned back to the empty hallway where a faint echo of the voices from the common room could be heard.
“Mac,” Chris called out, bringing her back into the doorway. “What’s the payment for you to do these errands?”
“Payment? There’s not really a payment. I do things for people that need my help- that deserve my help. I guess all I ask in return is for you to respect that, and maybe keep a room for me whenever I show up,” she smirked.
“Ok,” Chris smiled at her, but took a long breath before committing to giving her a request. “We could use some vitamins. Anything really. Dailies would be best. We have these kids here, and I know they’re not getting everything they need.” She looked Mac in the eye for a split second almost embarrassed. “I know it’s a pretty ridiculous request, but I think it’d be the most beneficial. I’m not going to hold you to it. It’s not like you can just pop into a pharmacy. Hell, I’m pretty sure I remember the nearest one being at least a forty-five minute drive from here. I’m sure it’s been ransacked by now…” she faded off, then finished, “But it doesn’t hurt to ask, right?”
“Right,” Mac said giving her a supportive nod and taking a step backwards into the hall again. “I’ll see what I can do.” Then she left Chris standing there, awkwardly still holding her spoon.
CHAPTER 6
Choose Your Battles
It took exactly twenty days. Twenty days from her arrival to the day before her intended departure for them to finally come to her. From the first day there, Mac always knew they were just waiting for the right moment to do it, but she’s not exactly an inviting guest- and that’s for good reason. She knew she’d be forcing their hand when she announced she was leaving to Chris. She also knew this was not their motivation for taking her back to the Block, but it usually always comes to it once they start putting the pieces together of who they think she is, and what they think she does. That’s why it’s always easier for her to stay on the outskirts of groups. It makes the inevitable favor sting a bit less, especially because she’s never asked anyone for anything. But she eats their food and sleeps under their roof so she’s always aware how most see her as a sort of taker. Despite that it all was willingly given without being asked, and usually barely accepted. So when the knock on her door came early the morning before she was set to leave, it was not a surprise, but their choice of messenger was.
“Hi, Mac,” Harrison said brightly as the door opened to him. “My Dad and Magda wanted to make sure you got one before they were gone.” He held out a small muffin set perfectly center on a cloth napkin. “They’re apple muffins. Well, they’re pretty much always apple, but it’s better than having that hard bread we usually get. They said they’ll pack you up some more to take with you when you go if you want.”
“Thank you,” she said giving him a smile and accepting the muffin. And so the negotiations begin, she thought to herself with a smirk. She turned to let him in, and headed to the tiny kitchen to set the muffin on the counter, and pour herself a glass of water to wash down the offering.
Harrison walked in excitedly, taking in her room. Quickly he noticed it really looked no different than before she was there, save for the low pile of clean clothes that sat on the corner of her bed.
“Are you still leaving tomorrow?” he asked, craning his head around a bit to get a peak into her bathroom.
Mac put the muffin to her mouth, and took a bite that made almost half of it disappear. It was still warm.
“That’s the plan,” she answered, washing it down with a gulp of her water.
He kept slowly wandering around the small space as she finished her breakfast, stopping at the window to look out at the courtyard below.
“Who makes these?” Mac asked as she pointed to the napkin, a stray crumb or two clinging to the fibers.
He flopped on her mattress, crossing his legs.
“Anna’s mom makes them, she was a cook or baked or something. She was going to be the cook here too, for the school. They live across the hall.” He pointed at the door.
Mac remembered the teenage girl from her first day. The one who showed her the game at the gate.
“I thought Mrs. Tate did the cooking?” she inquired, leaning back a bit in her chair.
“No. Well, I guess. She basically cooks for the kids. You know, the smaller ones that were supposed to go here. And then the big pots when it’s a holiday or something. But she's actually a teacher.” He flipped himself over to his knees to look out the window again.
“Why doesn’t Anna’s mom do that then?”
“She’s sick. My Dad says she has too much sadness in her, and she doesn’t have her medicine to help get
it out anymore. But sometimes she feels happy, and she’ll go and make us all bread or muffins or something.” He bounced back around to her, making the cheap mattress yell with the sound of the crinkling synthetic fabric it was covered in. “Sorry, I tried to shoot you that time.”
He said it so plainly that she couldn’t help but chuckle at the casualness of it, then took a moment, remembering the shot that hit the door when she was finishing her work at the storage units.
“That’s okay. Thanks for missing.” She gave him a wink, and he was silent for a bit seemingly embarrassed by her comment. “You’re the first to ever apologize for it, by the way, so double thanks.” She gave him a smile to ease him embarrassment.
He gave her one back, “Hey, can I show you something?”
Mac shrugged her shoulders, and leaned forward out of her seat, “Sure.”
“Come on!” he said as he flew off the bed, and out the door.
She followed him down the stairs and into the basement. When they walked into the gymnasium she was pretty sure he was going to ask her to play something with him, but he just kept walking to the opposite wall. It was lined with light blue padding to cushion blows in rigorous class games like most schools, but she was at a loss for what was so special about it that he wanted to show it to her. She stood in the center of the floor, her forehead scrunched a bit in confusion. She didn’t like not knowing things.
When he got to the far side of the gym he put his hand to the wall, and turned around towards her.
“This way.” With a turn of his wrist, the wall opened up letting bright florescent lights into the barely lit room, and he stepped through into it.
Mac realized she had missed the door the few times she had been down there, but it’s not like they were hiding it. So why was she walking so slowly towards it?
As she was about to walk in she heard a few voices going back and forth, but as she cautiously set her booted foot through, then her head, they stopped. She was in a parking garage. The garage they had slid the door down on when she first arrived, forcing her through the main entrance. She was aware they had one, knew where it was, but never once thought it would look like this.
The cement floors were fairly clean and had a slight shine to the perfectly smooth surface, save for the white lines once intended to corral vehicles. In front of her was a ring of people, some in chairs, and some sharing a bench. Harrison and Charlie stood in the middle. Magda stood by a small folding table opened up at the end of their circle. One of those giant water coolers you’d see poured onto coaches heads after winning the big games sat atop it. Glasses sat next to that, and a pile of muffins in a basket next to those. More of the same napkins as the one hers was served on, folded neatly and piled next to that. A large van with the school’s name on the sides was parked off to the other side of the door. Beyond that, against the wall was what she assumed was intended to be a storage lock up.
It had strong chain-link fencing making up its walls, bolted to large steal poles. A large padlock hung from the door, which was slightly askew. On one side sat cardboard boxes, some with their contents drooping over the sides. Some didn’t even look like they had been opened since their original deliveries. Stacks of folding chairs and a few more tables. But on the other side of the little storage area, was a very organized section.
A sturdy, wooden table had been brought in from somewhere, and slid against the wall which was set up with numerous hooks and shelves. Some had cubbies or containers, and all of those were housing weapons. Not many though for this world, but it was still easily deduced as a cache. Some bullets loose and boxed. A few large knives. About ten baseball bats she assumed were meant for the schools use originally, a golf club, even some hand tools, and a rifle she recognized as the one the kid used to shoot at her when they first met.
If her initial presence had brought some uneasiness to their meeting, her prolonged glance at their weapons lockup turned it up to high tension. Their silence screamed that she shouldn't have been brought there, but their knowledge of her had them weighing how to proceed. She knew who was going to figure that out first.
“Ms. Mac, nice to see you. Did you enjoy your muffin? There’s plenty more where that came from,” Magda said politely smiling, and waved her hand at the pile. “Mrs. Hahn went a bit-“ she caught herself at something, most likely not wanting to call her crazy. Then proceeded, “Well, she was very excited to get in the kitchen and cook this morning.”
In the center of the circle, Charlie gave Harrison a stern push towards an empty chair on the opposite side of where Magda stood.
“Go sit over there,” he said in a harsh whisper.
Mac wasn't sure what she walked in on, and in most cases like this, she found it best to just let them fill in the blanks on their own. So she remained where she was, and let Magda fill the prickly quiet of the room.
“We were just finishing up a meeting so to speak. Just preparing for the spring as it is almost upon us.” Her smile widened in an attempt to break the awkwardness.
Mac gave her a nod, but still didn’t move. There was something more than a facility meeting going on, and she wanted to know what. She looked at the faces of those in attendance: Joe, Cara, Laila, Nate, Doug, Jack, Liam, the guy she saw from the courtyard and common room, and a man she was pretty sure she had seen at the gate. She didn’t know much about this group, The Block, but she knew enough to see that almost all of the people there were the ones who made runs outside of these walls. So, what did they need? Or was it, what have they done?
“Would you care to join us? We were just going to move to a much more entertaining topic. One I think you could help us with since you’re here. And one which you have inspired actually.” Magda invited Mac to stand next to her, and Charlie took his seat next to Jack on the end of the bench.
“I’m going to take my leave, go check on things some more,” the man from the courtyard said, and politely gave her and Magda a nod as he stood up and started his way to the door to the gym.
“Alright, Ted. Keep me posted on your progress,” Magda said after him, and he waved a hand back in silent acknowledgment.
After the door slammed shut, the quiet started to seep into their skin making them fidget around ever so slightly. People looked to Magda, their eyes flitting quickly over to Mac, then down to the floor.Then back to Magda waiting for her to proceed. Though more likely after Mac’s interruption, how to proceed.
“So, here we are,” Magda said, opening her hands up to the room, then turning to Mac. “I’m sure you’ve already noticed our group here have a few duties that go outside of our walls.”
Okay, Mac thought to herself, this Magda is much smarter than I thought. She’s not going to fool around here.
“Since your arrival, and the incident that preceded it, we have come to realize we are not as situated as we would like to be- simply put, as we need to be.” She paused a moment taking a calculated breath as a few people fidgeted a bit in their chairs or cleared their throats. “So, we would like to correct that. It is fortuitous that you have been brought here, though. Frankly it was not our intention.” Harrison guiltily looked to the ceiling, “But since you are here, we would like to take advantage of that. Of course, if that is alright with you?”
Magda stopped and gave her a kind, but questioning stare. Mac was not one to agree to anything without knowledge of what was about to be asked, so again she waited for them to fill in the blanks.
Magda let her smile grow a bit more across her face as she again took a breath, looking out to the group. She brought her hand up and held it in the direction of the man she didn’t recognize.
“This is Mr. Pelligrino.” She took her hand and raised it, signaling for him to rise and come forward. He stood up and took a few steps towards them. “Mr. Pelligrino is going to show us a few defensive moves. I know some of you have had training. Just think of it as a refresher course.” Mac heard someone scoff towards the opposite end of the circle and didn’t have to look to
know it was Joe. Magda gave her throat a hard clearing and continued. “He will be giving them some basic maneuvers and techniques in the hopes of giving them more aid on their journeys. Also, as I stated previously, since you’re here, I would appreciate any input you could lend to us as well. Maybe Mr. Pelligrino could use you to demonstrate?” Mac noticed Jack shuffle around in his seat a bit at that, and Magda waited for a reply from her this time.
“Sure,” Mac said flatly turning her body to face him, then waited.
“Uh, well, you can call me Mike,” he said to her meekly. “I”m just going to run through some basic stuff. I used to teach a women’s self defense course.” She looked at him with an eyebrow slightly raised, and he nervously continued. “I was a Jiu-Jitsu instructor, too, for quite a while. I was going to teach a few classes here…” He trailed off, but still seemed to want to explain why he was in anyway qualified to be doing this at all.
Mac nodded at him, and give him a motion to proceed. He let out a breath, relieved, and turned to the rest of the group.
“So, first I’m going to kind of run through a simple way to escape a hold from behind.” He turned back to Mac, cracking his knuckles nervously. “If you don’t mind, could you just put me in, like a choke hold, from behind?”
She took three steps toward him as he turned his back to her, and she wrapped her arm around his neck, locking it off with her other arm at the wrist. She scanned the room. Most were intently watching, but the ones who had already seen her in action looked nervous and uncomfortable.
“First, you’re going to want to stomp down as hard as you can on their foot.” He feigned a blow to her with his heel. “Then throw your elbow into their side. In their kidney area is best.” He traced a circle on himself to indicate where those would be. He feigned another blow to Mac, throwing his elbow behind him. “Twist around, and away from their grip.” He slowly turned. Mac taking his lead, loosened her grip. “And strike at their throat or nose. This will most likely be the best way to incapacitate them. And of course, there’s always the groin,” he joked giving a bit of an uncomfortable head shake. He turned back to her. “So I’ll do it a bit faster now so you can see it in action a little bit better.” He went through the motions once more at a more realistic pace, with her playing along.
Evangeline, Alone. (Book 1): Evangeline, Alone Page 9
