by Eric Vall
“Well we wanted to ask for a favor,” I said.
“Anything,” Justin said. “You’ve already helped us so much.”
“Well, it’s not exactly us that we’re asking for,” Bailey piped up.
“What do you mean?” Marla asked as she removed Anna’s bandage.
“The civilians that were left at the camp need some help,” Betty said.
“There’s some at the abandoned farmhouse and some at the old school,” Jenny offered. “They need some help learning how to grow food.”
“I’m sure we could manage that,” Justin smiled.
“Hey!” Briar called out as he came down the stairs. “I thought I heard you guys down here. Come to tell me what good use you got out of that silenced Rugar?”
“It helped a lot,” I grinned. “Thank you again.”
“Ah, don’t mention it,” the old man waved. “I’m just glad you got some use out of it.”
“Oh, we did,” Tara grinned at the man.
“It looks like you’re all good,” Marla told Anna as she replaced her bandages and then she turned to Paige. “You did a good job.”
“Thanks,” Paige smiled.
“I’ll go with you to help the others,” Justin offered. “I think it’s best if Marla stays here with Briar and the boys.”
“Of course,” I said.
“Who wants to go where?” Anna asked.
“I can go to the farm,” Justin offered. “I used to help out the people who lived over there once in a while so I know the land pretty well.”
“I’ll go with you,” Dan offered.
“Okay,” I said. “Let’s head out. Tara, can you go with Dan and Justin and teach the civilians how to make some rabbit traps?”
“Sure,” the pretty platinum blonde responded with a smile.
“Bailey,” I said. “You’ll go with the group to the school.”
“Okay,” Bailey smiled.
“Paige and I are going to check out the Burlington refugee camp,” I said to the others.
“Isn’t that dangerous?” Marla asked.
“They just took down a National Guard outpost,” Justin laughed. “I’m sure they can handle it.”
“Anything we can do to help?” Briar asked.
“Yeah,” Betty added with a concerned look. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner? We could’ve gotten some supplies for you.”
“We’ll stop by the campus before we leave,” I said.
“Give ‘em hell,” Briar grinned and then he winced in pain as he sat on the couch.
“We’ll help however we can,” Justin offered.
“The best way you can help right now is to help the other civilians,” I said with a smile.
“Well then, consider it done,” he said, and he went to give Marla a kiss before he left.
“Be safe,” she called to him as we headed out the door.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” he said.
“Thank you all for doing this,” I said, and I looked at each of the farmers. “We really appreciate it.”
“After everything you’ve done, it’s the least we can do,” Jenny said with a smile.
“Yeah,” Dan said. “You saved my sister.”
“And our livelihood,” Justin added.
“We can teach a few people how to farm,” Betty said, and she gave me a smile.
“We didn’t do anything for personal gain,” I said. “I just wanted you all to know that we appreciate your help.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Justin said, and he clapped me on the shoulder.
“I’ll bake y’all up some more bread for when you’re back,” Betty said with a wink.
“We’ll have to make it a short trip then,” I grinned.
“Be safe,” Jenny said with a small smile.
“Take care of yourselves,” I told them, and then I opened the truck door.
“You better hurry back,” Tara said, and she gave me a kiss. “I haven’t had quality Tav time in a while.”
“I’ll be sure to do that,” I laughed.
“Savor this.” Tara grinned at Paige and then gave her a hug.
“I will,” Paige laughed.
“Be safe out there,” Rolly said, and he clapped me on the shoulder.
“Don’t worry,” I said. “We’ll be fine.”
Rolly gave Paige a hug then we loaded into the truck.
Anna fired up the engine and started down the old road.
“I don’t like this,” she sighed once we hit the highway. “Normally we plan things out for a lot longer.”
“I know,” I nodded. “But we need to know what we’re dealing with so we can plan our next course of action.”
“Just be safe,” she nodded.
“We will,” I smiled. “Take care of everyone while we’re gone. I know you can handle it.”
The redhead blushed but kept her eyes on the road.
“Think of it as a trial run for when you have your own team,” Paige grinned.
“I suppose,” Anna laughed. “I don’t think I can replace Tav though.”
“Well let’s hope you never have to,” Paige said. “I have needs that I just don’t think you could fill.”
“Do you mean holes?” Anna asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Oh my god!” Paige turned red and smacked the redhead on the arm. “Who are you, Tara?”
“Just be glad you get him to yourself for a couple days,” Anna smiled. “He’s going to have a lot of work to do when he gets back.”
“I think I can manage,” I laughed.
I knew Anna would be able to keep things on track in my absence, I was more worried about what Paige and I would find in Burlington.
No matter what we found, I was sure it wouldn’t be good.
Chapter 17
As we rode through town, I realized that the small area was just as Paige and I had left it, and I was happy to see that the spike strip at the end of the road to the college was undisturbed, so I hopped out and moved it out of our way and waited for Anna to pass through before I put it back in its place and got back in the truck. When we arrived back at the college, the familiar landscape and buildings were a comfort, and I noticed how well Bailey’s garden had turned out. New sprouts had popped out of the ground in just the short time we had been gone, and I was proud of all the work she had put into providing food for our little family.
“Do you need any help getting packed up?” Anna asked as she shut off the engine of the truck.
“No,” I shook my head. “We’ll be alright. Go help the rest of the team.”
“Okay,” she said, and she reached over to envelop Paige and I in a hug.
“We’ll see you soon,” I said as I kissed the top of her head.
“Be safe,” Anna said as Paige and I hopped out of the truck, then she fired up the engine and gave us a wave before she started back down the road toward the farms and the rest of our tribe.
“Man,” Paige started. “Everyone seems really on edge that we’re leaving.”
“Anna’s right though,” I said. “Normally we plan things out for longer. I think it makes them uneasy that we’re leaving so abruptly.”
“Well let’s get going then,” she smiled. “The sooner we leave the sooner we’ll be back.”
“Right,” I smiled back at her. “Grab enough food, water, and ammunition for a few days.”
“Right,” Paige said. “I want to change too.”
“Good idea,” I grinned as I looked down at my dirty clothes.
Paige and I headed inside to pack our supplies and change.
I made my way to the dorm room I had claimed and found a semi-clean shirt and a pair of cargo pants, so I put them on, along with my kevlar vest and then I filled up my magazines from the ammunition in my room and grabbed enough for Paige too. I would have my rifle and sidearm, and she would have her shotgun and side arm.
When I left my dorm room, Paige was already gone, and she had left her dirty clothes in the co
rner, so I headed down to our meat shed to gather some food supplies, but Paige was already there when I arrived.
“Looks like there’s plenty of smoked stuff still in here,” she said. “I’ll grab some canned food from the kitchen too.”
“Good call,” I told her as I wrapped up some smoked wolf.
I watched Paige’s ass as she walked toward the kitchen. She was a strong woman and she didn’t require much outside protection, but as I watched her small frame, I was reminded how much I cared about these women and why this mission was so important in the first place.
It would be a long few days, but it would be worth it to protect the little family I had created.
I made my way to the motorcycle and set my pack near it before I checked the gas and filled another container. I needed to make sure we wouldn’t run out of gas on this trip, we didn’t need to end up stranded in Burlington, especially if that camp was as bad as the civilians said it was.
Next I went to the library and found several maps of the area and marked out our journey. Hwy 116 would take us most of the way there, and we most likely wouldn’t run into too much trouble on that road. The freeway would be far more dangerous, the National Guard could have checkpoints, and I did not want to run into those assholes.
When I returned to the motorcycle, Paige was already there, and she was dressed in a green tank top and black skinny jeans with her hiking boots and her long brown hair up in its usual messy bun.
“I got us some canned veggies,” she smiled.
“I got our map,” I said, and I held up the papers.
“Where’s your vest?” I asked.
“I put it in my pack,” she said. “Should I put it on now?”
“Yeah,” I nodded. “We don’t want to take any chances.”
“Okay,” she said, and she retrieved the vest from her bag.
“Have you ever ridden one of these for an extended period?” I gestured to the motorcycle as she put on the vest.
“No,” she shook her head. “I made sure to wear pants. Anything else I should know?”
“Your thighs will probably hurt,” I said with a laugh. “But I think you’ll be alright.”
“Can’t hurt more than what you do to me,” she grinned.
“Alright,” I laughed. “Let’s get this show on the road.” I threw my leg over the bike and waited for Paige to do the same.
“Hey Tav,” she said with a small voice.
“Yeah?” I asked.
“Thanks for choosing me to go,” she said as she looked at the ground. “I know I kinda freaked out in the hallway at the outpost, but I want to show you that I can do this type of stuff.”
“Of course you can,” I said as I hopped off the bike and moved toward her. “That was a scary situation, and you handled it well.”
“It was pretty scary,” she said with a small smile.
“You’re a valuable member of this team,” I told her, and I lifted her chin to make her look at me. “I’m happy to have you by my side.”
“Thanks,” the bookish brunette smiled, and then she gave me a kiss. “Now I’m ready.”
“Alright,” I laughed. “Let’s get going.”
Paige hopped onto the back of the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around me, then we made our way down the mountain and onto the 116. The roar of the engine was loud, but we were ready if we saw anyone looking to cause trouble. The drive itself should technically be just over an hour once we passed Lanceton, but there was no way to tell what or who we might run into on the way.
The road was quiet as we drove, and I thought about what our course of action might be based on what we found in Burlington. If the camp was abusing civilians, we would have to do something, but there was a chance that the place would be under better control than the outpost and nobody but my team was ready to take on an organized military group. Hell, my team was too small to take on one themselves if there were more men than the outpost, and I expected there to be at least a battalion there.
There was also an off chance that the North Korea thing wasn’t bullshit, and there wouldn’t be a camp when we arrived. I didn’t want to think about that, but if there was any way to gain information on what was really going on, we had to try.
Signs for the town of Bristol pointed me to the right, but I continued on straight. I didn’t want to go through a town since there was no way to know who might be left there.
We drove on for almost an hour and passed a small storage facility to our right. The roads were still clear, but it had become quite hot, especially in long pants and a kevlar vest.
“What’s that?” Paige asked, and she pointed ahead.
There in the distance were four figures. I couldn’t make out if they were men or women, but I could tell that they were running. From what, I didn’t know, but I slowed down and watched as they ran to a graveyard on the right-hand side of the street.
“Who do you think they are?” Paige asked as she leaned around me to watch the people, and we saw them duck behind some gravestones.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“Do you think they’re dangerous?” she asked.
“No,” I shook my head. “I don’t. I think they’re running from something dangerous.”
“What should we do?” she asked.
“Get out your shotgun,” I said. “Even though I don’t think they’re dangerous, I can’t say that for sure.”
“Right,” she said, and she pulled the shotgun off her back.
“Now hold on,” I said, and I took off toward the graveyard.
I could no longer see the people when I stopped the motorcycle and hopped off, so I pulled my rifle from my shoulder and aimed at the gravestones.
“What do we do?” Paige asked, her shotgun at the ready.
“We figure out what we’re dealing with,” I told her. “If they have weapons and open fire duck behind the bike.”
Paige nodded, and I took a step toward the graveyard.
“Hello?” I called out. “Is anyone out there?”
The world seemed to grow silent as I scanned the area looking for signs of the people, and a minute passed before a male voice called back.
“Who are you?” they asked.
“We live a little ways away,” Paige offered. “We’re out looking for supplies.”
I nodded to her to let her know that I agreed with her lie.
“Are you National Guard?” a female voice called out.
“No,” I yelled back. “We’re civilians. What about you?”
I knew these people weren’t National Guard, but I wanted them to trust me and if they thought I was worried about the Guard too, it would give us some common ground.
“We just came from the camp in Burlington,” the first male voice yelled.
“Why don’t you come out, and we can talk?” Paige asked.
“How do we know you won’t shoot us?” the woman’s voice called.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “We can’t lower our weapons until we know that you aren’t packing and going to shoot us.”
“Tav,” Paige whispered. “They’re obviously scared.”
“I know,” I said. “But we can’t risk them trying to trick us.”
“I have my knife,” she said. “I’m going to set my gun down and walk toward them.”
“Paige,” I whispered fervently. “If they have weapons--”
“Then I’ll handle it,” she said. “If they pull a gun, I’ll duck, and you can take them out.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. I didn’t like her putting herself in harm’s way, but it wasn’t a terrible plan either, so I sighed and nodded at her.
“Okay,” she yelled as she set down her shotgun. “I’m going to walk out into the graveyard. I’m leaving my shotgun here.”
I kept my rifle raised as Paige made her way through the headstones.
It was quiet, and I was not fully comfortable with the situation, but Paige was right, these people seemed scared, and if they had t
old the truth about coming from the camp, then we had to try to help them.
Paige looked left and right as she walked until I saw her pause near a large white grave marker.
“Hey,” I heard her say. “I can see your foot. Don’t be scared. I left my gun over with my friend. Can you show me your hands so I know you aren’t armed?”
It took a few seconds but soon I saw two hands lift from behind the white stone.
“Perfect,” Paige said. “How many other people are with you?”
“Three,” I heard the male voice say.
“Okay,” Paige said. “What’s your name?”
“Thomas,” the man said.
“Thomas,” Paige repeated. “Thomas, it’s okay to come out now, I won’t hurt you.”
Another few seconds passed by, but then the man stood up, and he still held his arms at chest level to show that he had no weapon. It looked like he was wearing a jumpsuit of some kind. It was striped, and it hung off his frail body and looked three sizes too big, and I thought about what the civilians at the outpost said about Burlington being like Auschwitz.
“Hi,” Paige stuck out her hand to the man. “I’m Paige.”
The man looked down at her hand before he reached out to shake it.
“Where’s the rest of your group?” Paige asked.
“I-I’m not sure,” Thomas stuttered. “We all just ran in here.”
“Can you call out to them?” Paige asked.
“W-what do you want me to say?” Thomas asked.
“Can you ask them to show us their hands?” Paige asked. “We just need to be sure that none of you are going to shoot at us.”
“Okay, hey I think this girl wants to help us,” he called out. “Everyone put your hands up, so they know we aren’t armed.”
“How do you know they’re not making sure we aren’t armed so they can shoot us?” another male voice called out.
“I’m out here with you,” Paige answered. “We don’t want to hurt you.”
It took another moment but eventually three more sets of hands raised up, and Paige looked over at me and nodded, so I lowered my rifle and watched her work. She was doing a hell of a job diffusing the situation.
“I have some food and water,” Paige said. “My friend has lowered his rifle. If you’ll all follow me to our motorcycle, I’ll get you something to drink.”
