Chapter 23

Guns I had never seen before, energy bars, large knives, and boots. I hoped for flashlights, but neither carried one. After tying the men together to a flipped car frame, I created a bundle of everything I thought had value and hid it in a separate trunk. I’d go back for it if I had time.

  The young man was unconscious, or at least I assumed he was. My age or younger with heavy acne, he was the type I would have never paid attention to and looked like he stumbled into his role and kept it. The older man who clearly shaved with a dull blade woke, his eyes glaring at every move I made.

  I removed the tape wrapped around his mouth and clenched my knife. If he called for help, I’d cut his throat; that was the threat, at least. I doubt my shaking hands convinced him, but he didn’t yell or draw any attention.

  I knelt on one knee and leaned in towards him. “Who are you people?”

  He hocked a wad of mucous, and for a moment, I thought he’d attempt to hit me with it, but he swallowed it. “Awfully tough sneaking up on a man little girl, but I’d think twice about who you’re threatening.”

  I had a hard time talking with Allie, Chris, or Dan sometimes. Short sentences and stuttering. For some reason, tying people up made things easier. “Are you someone I should care about? Someone important? Who are you?”

  After a short pause, his body slumped, and he sighed. “I’m nobody, girl. Just like everyone else, nobody at all.”

  Only a few somehow held on to their importance. Everyone else was a nobody. “You working for Greer? Someone else?”

  “Someone else?” His eyes widened, and soon a grin turned into a chuckle, then a cough. “Who else is out doing dirty work, girl? Ain’t nobody saving lives but Greer.”

  Alton Greer. Admittedly, I hadn’t spoken to anyone other than Allie, Chris, Dan, and Andy in months. Still, all I kept hearing about was Alton Greer. If he was trying to unite humanity, why would he need to kidnap people? They forced groups at gunpoint and had no problems killing anyone that disobeyed. Did that count as saving?

  Our world had fallen so far that Alton Greer—sex cultist and sleazy politician—had everyone convinced he was the savior of humanity.

  “What happened to the army?”

  He shook his head and looked towards the orange glow of the town’s center. “You holding on to hope? There’s a reason folks ask us to save them.”

  Were we hoping for someone to save us? I didn’t think we were. I wanted to survive the breach; that was all.

  “I’m looking for a friend. Tall, bushy beard with a flat face and much stronger than you. You see him?”

  His shallow eyes squinted, and his jaw clenched. “I wouldn’t bother. He’s claimed.”

  “What’s that mean? What’s claimed?” I hadn’t heard the term claimed.

  “I’ve said enough, girl. Take my advice, forget about your friend and turn yourself in. Alton’s always in need of people like you.”

  They captured Dan, Greer was real, and the military was useless. Every time I spoke to someone, they gave me bad news.

  I covered the man’s mouth with tape, and he almost smiled in response until I put my hands around his throat and slowly squeezed. If I hit his head too hard, I’d probably kill him. If I choked him for too long, he’d probably die. I didn’t know if choking someone really put them to sleep or how long it lasted, but I didn’t think leaving him awake was smart.

  His eyes bulged, and he squirmed, attempting to wriggle free, but there wasn’t much he could do. Not long after, his head fell to the side, and I released him. He was still breathing from what I could tell, so I taped his and the younger man’s head together.

  The cord Allie gave me would grow shorter each time I had to cut a piece to tie someone, and I didn’t have an endless tape roll. I needed to avoid as many people as possible if I wanted to find Dan.

  Using essence-vision, I kept away from any patrols I spotted. If there was a pattern to their searching, I couldn’t tell what it was. More like meandering through the rubble. Each pair talking openly without worry until I saw the first signs of scabs. Captured scabs.

  A handler with three scabs resembling wild beasts combed the region and sniffed the air like bloodhounds. Even though the wind died down considerably, it swirled enough that I couldn’t imagine they’d be able to track by scent.

  The scabs dug through garbage and wood scraps blown into piles like snowdrifts and climbed in and out of cars. Similar to dogs on a leash, they never strayed far from their handler. Although I tried not to, I couldn’t help wonder what they were like as humans. Most were probably decent people working office jobs and shopping online from their beds at night.

  I’d avoid them as much as possible, but I had no problem killing scabs or their handlers anymore.

  I snuck past three more patrols, with each moving together in pairs, rummaging through the wreckage as if the tempest uncovered something valuable. They never entered too deep into the darkness; instead, they stayed close enough to their base that the fiery glow still cast their shadow onto the dusty ground. Dan said night-vision scopes weren’t rare, but it didn’t look like they had any.

  Deeper into the town center, the fake soldiers stacked cars and rubble, creating barricades and watchpoints. Beneath every step I took, concrete and glass scraped and crunched as if I were walking across frozen puddles. Advancing through the village slowed as I had no choice but to switch between essence-vision and night-vision, ensuring nobody was within 50 feet.

  Every 100 yards, a stack of garbage mimicking a guard tower rose with two people on watch. Weak signatures, but they most likely carried some type of weapon. They didn’t show signs of movement, but I assumed they had a way to see me if I came too close. Although long-range detectors weren’t common, there were plenty that detected essence spikes within 50 feet, according to Dan.

  Entering unnoticed probably wasn’t possible. Still, I wanted to stay somewhat hidden until I discovered a way in.

  Staying outside the glow of the town's center, I circled the makeshift wall and searched for any weak points. Two hours later, I made my way around the entire square and found a single opening. They left an area on the eastern side near the river bank undefended. I had no doubts about whether it was a trap. Still, I couldn’t find any other space to enter without guards to swarm immediately.

  While I searched, the detector in my helmet logged at least 100 weak signatures huddled in three regions and four stronger signals, though only two were at Dan’s level. If he was inside, then one was likely his. For the time being, they were on opposite sides of the village.

  I didn’t want to go back and tell Allie that I may have found Dan based on how strong the people appeared. At the very least, I needed to check. I needed to see him before deciding what to do.

  After watching the unguarded area for an hour, I crept towards the wall of junk and crawled over, careful not to knock the entire thing down as I pulled myself up. The first group of huddled signatures wasn’t far, and I needed to pass them.

  The darkness of the night turned bright in the orange glow of barrels burning scrap wood like torches. I no longer needed night-vision to move around the surprisingly clean area. Building remains had been removed or repurposed into shacks and garages covering vehicles. In a way, it looked like a temporary community that would disappear with the next breach.

  I crept towards a hastily built cinder block hut with a wooden door held by heavy chains. Nearly 20 signatures, but none strong. Approaching carefully, I peeked through the small holes and saw an unexpected scene. Scabs huddled on a dirt floor, sleeping in a tightly packed group as if trying to keep warm.

  I had never seen them so quiet. Every scab I came across fought like a rabid animal trying to kill or capture me. Families that held on to hope locked their relatives away in basements and sheds. How hard would it be to kill your small son or daughter when they looked so peaceful in their sleep? Thankfully, I’d never know, and I didn’t want to look at them any longer.

  Beyond the den of sleeping scabs, an old schoolhouse withstood the hordes with only minor damage. A tattered flag whipped in the wind in front of the building filled with people. Weak signals were grouped in one area with one much stronger not far away. The detector couldn’t create a map, but signals and distances were easily distinguishable.

  I only waited a moment before sprinting across the broad road and darted behind any cover I could find until I reached the rear of the school. From what I could tell, there was no security. All guards, which totaled 28, sat on the wall or walked the perimeter. It didn’t look like they bothered patrolling the inside of their bunker. I assumed they knew where I was, though, so I didn’t want to waste time standing still.

  The school had four entrances; they left each unlocked. I took a deep breath and paused until my body stopped trembling. It was a trap. It was clearly a trap, yet I was still going to enter. I hadn’t fought anyone, but before I left, I knew I would have to. They had weapons; I knew that and went, anyway. The world wasn’t kind anymore, and I needed to find out if I could survive. That’s what I told myself before leaving. That was how I convinced myself to go. And I felt foolish because of it.

  Every dumb decision that turned my stomach led me to a school entrance. With no better ideas, I opened the door closest to the signals, almost expecting a bomb to go off. But there was nothing, so I entered.

  Once inside, I slinked along the walls, watching with essence-vision, then switching to night-vision to avoid tripping. Classrooms with desks thrown about lined the hall. An old bell remained fastened to the wall, no doubt worshipped by the kids every afternoon. Lockers tossed to the ground, and papers strewn on the floor made quiet travel difficult.

  Unlike the roads, the hall I walked down hadn’t been cleared. Splotches on the walls and dried stains on the floor were likely blood. Judging by the claw marks on the painted concrete, beasts and scabs dragged people outside who thought they were safe. The soft ceiling tiles fell, and fluorescent light strips dangled from their wires, swaying side to side.

  Block letters and rainbows over classroom doors. I was in an elementary school.

  I continued forward and turned down a cleared hallway, free of litter and trash. Positioned at the end of the hall in a room with double doors, the stronger signal hadn’t moved since I entered. Just before it, a large space filled with people. As I passed, I peeked through the window of a door—a gymnasium door. Dozens laid on cots and chatted with each other happily using battery-powered camping lamps for light. They could leave the gym at any time and chose not to.

  Alton Greer was not a great man before the collapse and going by Andy’s reaction, he hadn’t changed. What Allie told me matched what Andy said, so I never questioned it. Why were the people in the gym so happy then? Did everyone believe they were finally going to a better place? Depending on where they came from, it was possible they were. I couldn’t tell what was true and what was false anymore.

  Food, safety, and shelter. If someone provided that, nobody would want to leave, even if it came at a price. Not that different from what I hoped for. I was looking for a safe area to wait out the breach, and I doubted Albany would take me in if I didn’t offer something they needed. What would they ask for? What did Greer want? And who offered the better deal?

  They were things I considered, but I had no way to know for sure if I was making the right decision. Men, women, and even a couple of children acted genuinely happy. I watched until finally a young girl saw me through the window and waved in my direction. A little girl who knew nothing of a world without breaches. I needed to leave. I hoped Greer wasn’t a monster as I continued down the hall.

  After reaching the end, I opened the doors to an old media room or library someone had cleared. To my relief, I found Dan, but he didn’t react to my entry, not moving at all as if he sat in a drugged daze. Seated in a chair, unbound and unharmed, which made little sense.

  Something was off, but before I said a word, a loud ping went off, and a powerful signal charged me from behind. I spun in time to catch a shoulder ram that knocked me into the wall across the room. An empty bookshelf fell next to me, and my back crumpled an electric heater.

  A burly man wearing a vest similar to mine stepped forward and turned towards Dan. “Is this one of them?”

  Dan glanced in my direction and nodded. Emotionless and unwilling or unable to talk. He looked like Dan, and his signature matched. But he wasn’t the Dan that would never leave Allie and Chris behind.

  “Well, let’s deal with her first.” He removed an odd-looking gun from his waist and shot me in the leg.

  An invading presence dug into my hardened skin and burrowed its way into my soul like the parasites. But they were nowhere near as strong, and I repelled them almost immediately.

  I balled my fists, then pulled my mace and stood. The fight came like I knew it would, and the man used a weapon that attacked my soul. But I still didn’t think I would lose. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a fight against enemies. Dan joined in. I never thought I’d have to fight the person I came looking for.

  Hopefully, Allie didn’t mind if I brought him back a little banged up.