FACING UNFAMILIAR GROUND _an EMP survival story Read online

  Mia frowned. “Does it bother you that I’m with Christian now?” she asked. “I’m sure you’ll find someone too. What about Melvin?”

  “Melvin is devoted to his cause. I don’t think he even looks at women as potential partners. And anyway he’s too old for me. I want someone closer to my age, and maybe just a little handsome. But don’t get me wrong, character comes first.”

  “So, not Glen then, if age is an issue,” Mia said and grinned.

  “No!” Sally cried. “My god, Mia, he’s old enough to be my father.”

  “Some women like older men,” Mia said. “Sugar daddies.”

  “Ew. Yuck. No, thank you. Young men are bad enough, I don’t want one who is all old and wrinkled.” Sally pulled a face.

  “Wait,” Mia’s eyes grew wide. “Are we talking penises here? Because I don’t think Glen’s would be wrinkly.”

  “Mia! Shut up. No, we aren’t talking, um, private parts, we’re talking faces. And Glen isn’t really old enough to be my dad, but he feels kind of like an older brother. I have no interest in seeing him undressed. Just, no.”

  Sally’s face was so scrunched up that Mia just had to laugh. And then run away as Sally pitched things at her.

  She made trips to the apartment to fetch supplies in the company of Robbie, a ten-year-old street urchin who’d befriended Sally the day they’d been attacked in the park.

  She felt marginally safer going out with Robbie than on her own. He wasn’t a big ten-year-old, but he was scrappy, and he knew the areas to stay away from. He also was handy as a pack animal, and carried supplies back from the apartment.

  At first, she was worried he might spread the word to his friends, and they’d come back one day to find out the apartment had been looted or was filled with pre-teens, but as that hadn’t happened, she had to assume he hadn’t said a word to anyone. They traveled back and forth, sometimes two and three times a day, always taking a different route and checking to see no one had followed them before scooting through the fence at the back of the apartment building.

  One day, they were on their way back with a particularly valuable haul when Robbie stopped short and hissed, Can’t go that way, follow me,” and ducked down an alley. They were two-thirds of the way from the next street when a looming shadow appeared. Mia risked a glance behind. There was someone there too. Two buildings, and…

  Panic had begun making her heart beat faster when a hand reached out and pulled her through an arched entryway to a courtyard. Robbie was there before her, standing with the tall woman who’d grabbed her. The door to the yard was slammed shut and bolted.

  The woman motioned her to follow, then led them across the entryway and through a doorway into a building. It was dark, cool, and eerily silent. The only noise was coming from her hiking boots as she walked the tile floor. The woman wore a kind of moccasin, and Robbie’s sneakers also made no sound.

  They moved through a maze of hallways lit only by a glow stick the women pulled from a pocket, turning this way and that in the eerie green light until Mia lost all sense of direction. They went through an opening that had been knocked through the wall between the buildings. Now they were walking on worn carpeting, and her footfalls were silent as well.

  Considering the route they were taking couldn’t be more than a square block long, it seemed to be taking them a long time. Mia’s head had begun hurting from straining her eyes to see if there were any markings on the doors or walls that would indicate where they were. There were occasional signs, but nothing she could read in the dim light, beyond the EXIT or floor signs. They descended a stairwell down into a basement and moved through a cavernous space into what looked like a hand-dug tunnel. It was claustrophobic. Mia sucked in air and tried to steady her heart. Then they were through it and into another building, going up the stairs. When they finally exited they were across the park from the museum, having walked the remainder of their trip through dark buildings.

  Mia was nervous about leaving what felt like the safety of the building out onto the street, but the woman motioned her out with both hands, using a quaint sweeping motion. Mia reluctantly followed Robbie onto the road, and when she turned back to thank the woman, she already was gone.

  “That was the quietest person I’ve ever met,” Mia said, following Robbie across the street. “Is silence crucial in there?”

  “Her tongue’s been cut out,” Robbie said, “She can’t speak. But she’s a good guide.”

  “Her tongue was cut out! Why?” Mia was outraged and slightly sickened by the thought.

  “That happens to people who know too much about the Koupe Tribinal.” He shrugged. “That’s why most of us stay far away.”

  “And how did she know to help us when we were trapped in the alleyway?”

  “There are many such places around town,” he said. “A group of people watches them on a rotation. Sometimes they get shut down by the Tribinal, sometimes by other people. But when that happens, a new one will crop up somewhere nearby. There’s always been one in that alley.”

  “But don’t days go by when no one needs help?” She was trotting and a little breathless now with trying to talk and keep up with him.

  “People don’t use them just when they are in trouble. Lots of people use them to move across town. It’s far safer, and the people of the Tribinal can’t follow you. The less those people know about you, the better.”

  They reached the museum and went around back. Mia stopped Robbie with a hand.

  “Pretty soon we’ll go back to our apartment to bring the rest of the things that we need back here,” she said. “When we do, I want you to stay here and keep an eye on the museum for us. When we leave you can bar the door, and you’ll be perfectly safe, but also the museum will be safe with you here to protect it. Can you do that for me?”

  Robbie frowned. “I think it would be better for me to come with you. That way I can lead you to the safe places when the bad people come after you. Alice could watch the museum. She knows how to fire a gun.”

  Now Mia frowned. “It’s not safe for you to come with us, Robbie. People don’t like what we’re doing, and they keep sending thugs after us. I don’t want you to be caught in that. What if we couldn’t get to a safe place in time? You could be killed. I don’t want that for you.”

  “But if I’m with you, you are less likely to be caught,” Robbie countered. “The people in the safe places know me. If I’m not with you, they may not let you through. You need the supplies to help people, so you need me to help get them here.” His face showed a stubborn determination.

  It was not going to be easy to convince him to stay behind, Mia thought. But it seemed necessary to keep him safe. Her own Artful Dodger. Not a thief, but their guide and the leader of the neighborhood children.

  She’d have to find out more about those children once they were set up. Did they have homes, families? Or were they living on the street with only Robbie to keep them safe and fed, out of the cold and away from the people who would steal them away? She had no doubt there were plenty of people who gladly would sell the children into slavery if they were able.

  If they were homeless, she’d have to see they were housed in the museum. There was plenty of room. They could go to school here, keep the knowledge from dying. In fact, even if they had homes and families, there should be a school here. Medicine and learning together in one place. She and Christian could be in charge of the school. She smiled. Now she knew what her job would be, and it was satisfying. She had a purpose.

  But for now, she needed to convince Robbie to stay. “Listen, Robbie, you’ve got to think about your responsibilities. Your posse relies on you. What if you weren’t able to make it back to them? What would they do? They’d be lost without you.”

  “Alice would take over,” he said stubbornly. “You can’t leave me behind, or you can, but I won’t stay. I’ll follow you anyway. So you might as well let me help.”

  “I don’t think Glen will let you come,” she said. �
��He wants you to be safe too. And you’d be helping, keeping the things we have here safe. You’d be our sentry.”

  His demeanor changed abruptly. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll make sure your stuff here stays safe. Can we go in now?”

  “Yeah, I guess so.” But somehow she felt she’d lost that argument, even though he’d given in.

  They went in, dropping their loot in the entryway, and walked through to the museum kitchen. Sally, Glen, Melvin, and Christian were sitting at the big wood plank farm kitchen table playing cards.

  “Who is winning?” Mia asked.

  “Melvin, of course.” Christian sounded disgusted. “He’s got the best poker face of anyone I’ve ever met.”

  “We’ve decided we’re tired of hanging around,” Melvin said. “We want to do a final run on the apartment tomorrow, get everything necessary out and lock it up tight.”

  “Are you well enough to do a walk like that?” she asked Glen. “Or is that going to set you back? We have lines of people here every day hoping to get treated. Sally and I are doing our best, but the sickest people really need you guys.”

  “Everyone is recovered sufficiently to make the walk across town, although Christian will have to wear the boot.” Glen gestured toward the plastic cast sitting off to one side of the table. “We can see people in the morning and do the walk in the early evening. We need to be back before dusk falls.”

  “Whatever you say, mine Capitan,” Mia shot Glen a mock salute.

  “Oh quit,” he said. “We all came up with the plan. It wasn’t just me.”

  “Mine spokesman, then,” she said and ducked out of the way when he crumpled a piece of paper and threw it at her.

  They were worn out the next day when they left for the apartment. Mia not much more than usual, but the men had worked a full day for the first time since moving to the museum, and their weariness showed. Still, they insisted on making the trip, not wanting to put it off yet another day.

  “I’ll be even more tired tomorrow evening,” Christian said. “Might as well take care of it now.”

  Mia felt some trepidation as they started across the park. It was broad daylight, she reminded herself, there was no need to worry. But she remembered the figures who had trapped Robbie and herself during the day in the alleyway the day before and was not reassured.

  The trip to the apartment was uneventful. They stopped twice to rest, letting Christian ease his leg a few minutes, and Melvin adjust the support he wore around his torso. The apartment building seemed the same as the day before, although Mia was alarmed when an older man on the first floor saw them, slid back into his home and slammed and locked the door.

  She looked around to gauge the others’ reactions to this, but no one else seemed to have noticed. She shrugged it off. And when they walked into the apartment, it appeared her fears where pointless. Everything looked the same as always, certainly the same as yesterday. They surged into the living room and plopped down on the couches and chairs with sighs of relief.

  “I’ll miss this furniture,” Sally was saying, but she was cut off when a large man entered the room from the kitchen.

  He was tall and broad, well-muscled and in good health. There was no shortage of protein and carbs in this man’s life as he radiated well-being. The corners of Mia’s mouth turned down. Only the bad guys looked as healthy as this. On top of that, he was sporting a wolfish grin.

  “Where is Melvin Foles?” he asked.

  “I’ve never heard of Melvin Foles,” Melvin said. “You must have the wrong apartment.”

  “You’re lying,” the man said. “This is Melvin Foles’ apartment. Where is he?”

  “I don’t know what you are talking about,” Sally said and nodded toward Mia. “This is Mia’s mother’s apartment. They’ve owned this apartment for as long as Mia has been alive.”

  Mia nodded in agreement, even though Sally wasn’t a hundred percent correct. What did details matter in this situation?

  “Here,” she said, rising and pulling open a drawer in a side table. “This is a picture of us.”

  The thug waved the picture away. “That doesn’t mean one of you isn’t Melvin Foles,” he said.

  “What do you want with Melvin Foles?” Christian asked. “Did he diss your sister?”

  “Don’t be silly, nobody would dare mess with a girl with a brother like that,” Sally said.

  “Maybe he didn’t know,” Glen said. They were all playing for time, trying to see a way out of this mess.

  “Or maybe Melvin’s a she,” Mia said. “Short for Melvina. Maybe Melvina dumped his sister, and he’s out to get her now.”

  “I’m not out to get Melvina, I mean Melvin,” the man said. “And you don’t want to mess with the people who are looking for him. If you won’t tell me who Melvin Foles is, then I will take you all with me.” He reached behind him and pulled a machine gun holstered on his back. Mia didn’t know anyone actually really kept their guns there.

  “Wait,” Mia cried. “I’m Melvin, I’ll go with you.” She didn’t know why she would sacrifice herself for the real Melvin Foles, and she was scared shitless, but she did know it was the right thing to do.

  “Sorry, Melvin,” he said, stressing the name, “but you waited too long. I’m taking you all. Get up.” He waved his gun at the others who still were sitting on the couches. “Get a move on.”

  They got up slowly, all feigning more significant injuries than they had, and pushed the limits of his patience until he raised the machine gun and threatened to shoot Sally if they didn’t get a move on. They moved.

  Out on the street, Mia saw Robbie standing across the street looking worried. She put her hand behind her back and shooed him away. He started shaking his head no. She glowered at him and mouthed ‘go away’ while the thug who had them at gunpoint was looking the other way. Robbie looked stricken and slunk away, looking dejected. Mia felt a sigh of relief. The last thing her conscience needed was a child being hauled away with them.

  They were herded down the street, people keeping well out of their way. No one offered to help, but neither did they jeer at them. They just held a creepy silent vigil as the group passed. Once or twice, Mia tried reaching a woman with her eyes, but everyone looked away, pretending not to see her, or apologizing with their eyes, while giving her a barely perceptible shake of the head.

  Sally reached out her hands in supplication when they passed close to a family, but the woman gathered her children close as her partner stepped in front of them, a look of stern disapproval on his face. ‘I understand your need, but I cannot help you, and you have no right to ask,” was written on his expression, a clear reprimand.

  A child who Mia recognized as one they had treated started crying and went to Sally only to be thrust away by the thug. She fell, tearing her pants on the curb, now crying harder. A woman dashed across the street and gathered her in her arms, carrying her away while quietly admonishing her. Mia’s heart went out to the child. She only had wanted to help Sally because Sally had been kind and now she had been punished for it.

  Finally, they turned down a deserted side street and then an empty alley until they came to a set of stairs leading down to a door with torches burning on both sides and a sinister grinning jackal above it. The Koupe Tribinal, Mia thought. It’s what she expected, but she’d been hoping she was wrong. Any other bad guy in this city would be preferable to the Cut Court, from what she’d heard.

  They were practically pushed down the stairs to the jackal-adorned door at the bottom. Mia watched as Glen felt for the gun he’d slid into his waistband at his back and wondered if he could take this guy before he opened the door. But it was a moot point because the door opened of its own accord.

  Chapter Seventeen

  They were pushed into a passageway and then into a cavernous room where they were shoved to their knees. Sally cried out in pain and Glen gritted his teeth. He hated the brutality of these people. Whatever it was that Melvin had done to piss off these people, th
ey had to know Sally was innocent of it. And yet they felt the need to manhandle them all.

  He wondered which of the men they thought Melvin was. Perhaps not Christian as he was likely too young, but, yes, they must know it was one of the other two of them. Glen began making a plan for when all hell broke loose. First, he must get the women out of here. Mia would say that was chivalrous bullshit, but it was the way he was raised. Protect the innocent. Save the injured from further harm. Heal if you could.

  The room was cold, but still, the odor in the place was overwhelming. Coppery and nausea-inducing. He hated to think what it would be like if the room were warm. He began breathing through his mouth, but it was there on his tongue, sharp and unpleasant. It was reminiscent of an odor he knew well. Blood. It was an odor all surgeons knew well. But this wasn’t fresh blood. He put the thought from his mind. He must focus.

  His eyes roamed the cavernous room for possible escape routes. It had been made to look like a cave, with a raised dais spanning the far end. The stone wall behind the dais was oddly shaped, curved faintly, rounding the room, but the edges appeared not to be connected to the side walls, which made Glen think there was a passage into the chamber. There was the door they’d entered through, but without turning around, he could not tell what was behind him. The door had been on the side of the room. He didn’t have a sense of how deep the room was.

  Could there be another exit back there? When he saw his chance, he’d attempt to look around, but at the moment the assumption had to be that the gun still was pointed at Sally. He had no doubt the man holding it would shoot her for an infraction by one of her companions. It was the only thing that was keeping any of them in check. He could feel the tension running through all of them as they waited for a chance to turn the tables on their captors.