Paradise (Aftershock Series Book 1) Page 6

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible. To do so, someone would have to take you and we’d have to provide a wagon, horse, and enough food and water for the trip both ways. At the very least, it would be a three week round trip, if there weren’t any complications. It’s just too much to ask. I’m sorry. Maybe one of these days we’ll pick your wife up too.”

  “I’d be willing to work extra hard. I’ll do the work of two men, whatever it takes.”

  “I’m sorry, John. It’s not possible.” Samuel turned to leave. “I’ll check on you tomorrow,” he said over his shoulder with a wave of his hand.

  The others jumped when I slammed my fist against the door. I saw the concerned look on their faces. “Sorry.”

  It was true. Sarah would be sent to the wasteland once their youngest, Cindy, had reached the age of fourteen in two more years. I wasn’t willing to wait that long.

  * * *

  Chapter 5

  “Mom!” yelled Cindy, poking her head inside the tent flap.

  Sarah stepped out from behind a sheet serving as a partition. “What is it?”

  Cindy stepped inside, pulling the flap closed behind her. “There’s a strange man outside asking for you.”

  “Did he say what he wants?” asked Sarah, smiling at Cindy. Her daughter could be overly excitable at times.

  “Just that he wanted to see you.”

  “We just got home from the fields. Ask him if he can come back another time.”

  “I already told him. But he won’t go away.”

  “Okay. Tell him I’ll be right out.”

  Cindy relayed the message, standing directly in front of the flap, blocking any line of sight inside. It seemed to amuse the man.

  “You certainly are a pretty young lady. Cindy, isn’t it?”

  She was uncomfortable with the fact he knew her name. She didn’t answer. She had been taught not to talk to strangers, especially here.

  “And twelve years old?” he asked.

  She wondered how he knew about her.

  “Before long, you’ll be all grown up.”

  She didn’t like this man at all. His smile made her uneasy and suspicious.

  Sarah peeked through the slit of the tent flap. He wasn’t an unattractive young man, perhaps in his mid twenties, but she’d never seen him before, which was unusual since she knew most of the faces in Tent City. She threw the flap back and went out, stepping protectively in front of her daughter.

  “I’m Sarah Thomas. Can I help you?”

  “My name is Taylor Grey. I’d like to talk to you. Alone if possible.”

  Cindy grabbed her mom’s arm, not wanting to be separated.

  “I don’t think so. What do you want?”

  “I assure you I’m not a danger,” he said. “I’m just here to help, in any way I can. I know your husband is gone and I’m here to help you and your family out.”

  “Well, Mr. Grey, I appreciate your offer, but we’ll be just fine. Now, if you don’t mind, we’ve had a long day and we’re very tired.” Sarah and Cindy, arm in arm, turned to go back inside.

  “You know, it can be very unsafe without a man around. Someone to keep the scavengers away.”

  “And are you that someone or are you one of the scavengers?” asked Sarah, not really expecting an answer. They entered the tent, closing and securing the flap.

  “You’ll be sorry!” he shouted, before turning and stomping away.

  “Mom?” asked Cindy, not understanding.

  “I guess it was just a matter of time. I’ve heard about men like him. They’re sent by the governor to dig deeper into our pockets. Scavenger is a good word for them. They offer their ‘protection’ services for a portion of our grain allotment, which goes right back into the governor’s pocket.”

  “But I don’t want him here,” said Cindy.

  “Neither do I. “

  “How did he know Daddy was gone?”

  “The governor keeps records of everyone. I suppose some women, if left alone, might be willing to pay for the protection. But I’m not alone. I have you and Christopher.”

  “Christopher will take care of us now,” proclaimed Cindy.

  “You’re right, we’ll be fine. But I want you to let me know if he comes around again when I’m not here.”

  * * *

  It had been three weeks since the disposal team had taken me from Sector 4. Sarah would probably think me dead by now. At least that had been the governor’s objective when I had been taken away. Not to return and most assuredly not to survive. And she would have no reason to think otherwise. Maybe it was best to accept my situation and let her get on with her life. Then I realized it would only be another two years until Cindy turned fourteen and Sarah would be in the same predicament as I was in now. No. I couldn’t just accept it. Not since I knew there was still the possibility for a long life here together with my family. Somehow, I had to get back to her and my children and bring them back here, or die trying.

  I would try to talk to Samuel again and try to convince him to change his mind. I didn’t know if it was possible to make it back on foot or whether I’d be able to carry enough water and food to make a trip that long. I wasn’t positive about the direction either. A few degrees off course and I could miss home by miles. It seemed odd now to think of back there as home. It had never seemed like a home, just a place to survive. But I could see this as becoming our new home. This evening after work I’d look for Samuel.

  * * *

  Levi had met with each of us and work had been assigned according to our past experience in Sector 4 or to what we had done before the quakes. I had worked for a small engineering firm, wearing several hats, and based on that had been put into a leadership position of maintaining the irrigation systems at Sector 4. Samuel was thrilled when he heard, telling me they could use someone with my experience. I agreed to do what I could to make sure water continued to reach the crop plots and garden area. Jill had been a librarian, so she had been asked to help the school teacher, which she was thrilled to do. She loved being around children. Gary, as a carpenter, was asked to help with general maintenance and new construction. And if people continued to be brought here, housing would always be in demand. Paul’s past experience had come as a surprise, but it helped us to understand how he had come by some of the specialty items in his backpack. He was an entertainer. He could perform a soliloquy, quote poetry, tell stories, or sing a tune. In doing so back in Sector 4, he had been in demand to perform at many of the governor’s gatherings and other functions of the privileged. Even though he wasn’t one of them, it gave him access to those items reserved for the elite. Apparently, the way he told it, he was very popular. But even so, when he turned 40, he was just as expendable as we were, dragged away without any hope of reprieve.

  Samuel seemed to be pleasantly surprised to learn of Paul’s background. There was no one else in the settlement with his abilities. He would be valuable in providing an avenue of entertainment they’d never experienced before. Paul was just as thrilled at the idea of performing for a whole new audience. Dan was another story. He had been unemployed when the collapse occurred. In Sector 4 he’d been given tasks requiring little more than a warm body and physical exertion, which I learned he was perfectly happy with and seemed to make him a more agreeable person. He seemed to enjoy the mindless task of pulling or hoeing weeds in the garden and fields, being able to work alone and at his own pace without anyone looking over his shoulder. And from what I heard, he was good at it. It didn’t take long for the members of our group to become acclimated with the community. Dan was even having second thoughts about leaving.

  * * *

  When the work day had ended, I went in search of Samuel, finding him in the downtown area, visiting with the storeowners. He saw me coming and raised his hand to stop me.

  “John, I know what you’re going to ask. The answer is still no,” said Samuel. “Right now, when we’re about to begin the harvest, I need everyone to help who’s able.
”

  I wasn’t getting anywhere with him and I was becoming more frustrated each day.

  “You’d be conducting the harvest whether I was here or not,” I attempted to reason.

  “That’s true, but with your help we’ll be able to bring it in that much faster. The weather is perfect right now, but it could change in an instant and we could lose part of the crop.”

  “If I decide to leave anyway, will you force me to stay?”

  “Of course not, John. You can leave whenever you like. I just hope you’ll decide not to. But if you do, is there a reason why we should welcome you back?”

  “I can’t answer that. I just hope I’ve already shown you I can be a contributing member of the community. But there’s nothing more important to me than getting back to my family. And with your approval, I’d like to bring them back here.”

  “You can’t have everything your way,” explained Samuel, a slight smile appearing. He was the most pleasant man I’d ever met. The only time I’d seen him get angry was right after our arrival when he objected to Dan’s language. Other than that one time, he’d always been a man of reason rather than emotion.

  He already knew me better than I knew myself, even though he hadn’t known me but a short time. I wasn’t going to desert them if they really did need me, especially since I owed them. They had saved my life.

  “I’ll stay long enough to help, but you already knew I would, didn’t you?” I didn’t expect an answer. He just gave me a wink and a smile. “Will you help me get back after the wheat is in?”

  “It would be easier then, but then the corn will be ready for harvest in about six weeks.”

  “I could be back by then,” I said, testing his reaction, hoping for a favorable response.

  He stood there, staring at me, presumably thinking about it. At least he hadn’t immediately said ‘no’ this time.

  “Please?” I pleaded. I decided to give him a little push. “I’m going after the wheat harvest anyway. And with your help I can be back in time and with extra hands to help.”

  “You’re making an assumption,” he said.

  “And what’s that?”

  “That you won’t have any trouble finding your family and bringing them here. First of all, they think you’re dead. And secondly, they may not even be in the same place where you left them. And what if the governor won’t let you take them away?”

  “I don’t intend on asking permission.”

  “They’re going to try to stop you. The governor depends on them as laborers to work in his fields.”

  “Like you?”

  “I hope you see there’s a difference. For one thing, we all work together for the mutual benefit of everyone, and you won’t be taken out and left to die when you’ve outlived your usefulness.”

  “And who determines when we’re no longer useful? When we no longer toe the line? When we don’t follow the rules? When we become a burden?” I was taking my frustration out on Samuel. He’d done nothing but treat me with kindness since day one. He didn’t deserve the way I was acting, but I couldn’t seem to keep myself from venting.

  “I’m having a hard time trying to talk to you today,” said Samuel. “Maybe we should do this another time, after you’ve cooled off and had time to think.”

  * * *

  Cindy met her brother outside the tent as he returned from work, anxious to tell him about the man that had come to their tent, offering protection. Chris was puzzled. He was the man of the family now. They didn’t need help. He quickly entered the tent in search of his mother.

  “Mom! Cindy said a man came around offering to protect us,” stated Chris, bristling, wanting confirmation.

  “Don’t worry about it. I told him we didn’t need his help,” she said calmly.

  That seemed to help relax Chris slightly. “I can take care of you, Mom. We don’t need some stranger coming around here.”

  “I know, Chris. I’ve heard about men like him. They’re sent by the governor to take advantage of the women left single after their husbands have been taken away to the wasteland. It’s a form of blackmail where a man will promise to keep a widow safe in return for a portion of the widow’s allotment. And I want no part of it.”

  “Just let me know if he comes back, okay?”

  Sarah had used those same words to Cindy. She knew he took his new role as man of the family very serious. She smiled. He was only fourteen and already as tall as his dad had been and filled-out almost as much, and still growing. But he was still just a boy and no match for the man who had come by. It gave her a sense of pride though at his willingness to step forward to protect both her and his sister.

  “I don’t think he’ll be back,” she said, attempting to ease his mind further.

  “Mom,” said Cindy as she peered out through the front tent flap. “Come here.”

  Sarah went to her daughter, looking over her shoulder. “What is it?”

  “Look,” Cindy said, pointing.

  A short distance away, standing near the corner of another tent, was the man again, watching. Chris came over and saw him too. “Is that the same man?” asked Chris.

  “That’s him,” said Cindy.

  He slid past his mother and sister to the outside of the tent. “I’ll talk to him,” he declared, starting to walk toward him with quick deliberate steps.

  “Chris!” his mother called after him. “He’s not doing anything, so leave him alone. Come back here.”

  The man, Grey, became alert and stood up straight at seeing his approach. Two more men stepped out from the edge of the tent. Chris came to an abrupt stop, his bravado disappearing. One man was one thing, but three would be suicidal. And the two men looked considerably rougher than the first man. Chris stayed motionless, neither retreating nor moving forward, unsure of what to do, whether to stand his ground or not. He didn’t want to appear as a coward to his mom and sister. The three men stayed where they were too, smirks appearing on their faces, knowing they had the upper hand. The situation resulted in no more than a staring contest. Grey said something to the others and then suddenly all three of the men turned and disappeared, laughing and glancing back at the boy.

  “I don’t like them hanging around here, Mom,” said Chris, as the men disappeared.

  “Do you think they’ll be back?” asked Cindy.

  “No, probably not,” answered her mother, trying to be reassuring. The truth was that they probably would be back. She wasn’t sure how far they would go in an attempt to persuade her to change her mind, but she was sure they wouldn’t give up so easily.

  * * *

  I was determined. Now, I knew there was life and hope and a future in the wasteland, I couldn’t keep my mind on anything other than my family and how I could bring them to this place. But there was a problem. As it stood with Samuel now, if I left before the wheat harvest and was able to return with my family, we may not be allowed back into the community. Just as Samuel had learned to read me, I also thought I had learned a bit about him too. I had my doubts about whether he would actually turn me and my family away. It seemed an action like that would be contrary to his beliefs. Otherwise, it would be as though he was condemning us to death and it didn’t seem likely. So, I was counting on Samuel’s good nature and beliefs to accept us back. That was just the second part of my concerns. First of all, I’d have to find my way back to Sector 4 and get my family out of there without detection. There were a lot of ‘ifs’ involved. But if I could pull it off, I could once again be with my family.

  If I was able to accomplish my family’s escape, if you could call it that, I could make a future for all of us here. Escape, perhaps, wasn’t the right word. My family, to the best of my knowledge, was actually safer where they were, unharmed and unthreatened, at least until the age of forty. They may be safer where they are instead of fighting to survive in the wasteland while I tried to get them back to the valley. One of the potential dangers would be becoming lost, which could end badly. Another would b
e running into the Raiders, described by the governor as a band of cutthroats and thieves. It had been said they regularly attacked and stole goods from the governor’s collection patrols sent out to scavenge for supplies. Without any regard for human life, the Raiders were said to kill without mercy. I had no idea what we would do if we encountered them.

  I hadn’t asked Samuel yet, but often wondered if there were other settlements like this one in the surrounding area. But even if there were, the people may not be as hospitable as these people had been. This place was already well established and I liked the people. My companions and I had been welcomed with open arms, with only minimum and reasonable expectations. Not only did I hope to reunite here with my family once again, it would give me the chance to watch my children grow up and to perhaps one day see my grandchildren, which would have been impossible back in Sector 4. I had already made up my mind. I was going. But, right now, timing was the big issue. I had to work something out with Samuel, his help would be essential if I was going to be successful.

  * * *

  Chapter 6

  Four men approached Sarah’s tent. The one leading the way was dressed in black as one from the governor’s inner circle, escorted by two of the governor’s Guard. Following them was the man who had paid her a visit two days previously, Taylor Grey.

  Cindy and Chris were outside the tent, washing up after a long and dirty workday. Cindy was the first to see them coming, nudging her brother. Chris was quick to move in front of the tent entrance as Cindy ran inside.

  “Mom!” she yelled, anxiety in her voice. “Some men in uniform are coming with the man from the other day.

  Sarah came out from behind a partition. “Calm down. There’s no need to worry. We haven’t done anything wrong.”