Maria shook her head with a look of disbelief. At least one of them was finally getting it. Ben, however, had remained impassive, listening, taking in as much as he could.
“I refused to be a part of that. Some of our group went with him while a few others stayed with me.”
“What happened to them?” Ethan said.
“Most of them died,” Charlie replied. “A few survived but left the group to seek shelter elsewhere. Many people headed for their hometowns, wanting to be someplace familiar. There’s pockets of people all over the place, but over the years, most have come to distrust each other. You saw an example of that back in Ridgway.”
“So they’re doing all this just for the root?” Ethan said.
“No, not just the root. They also benefit from human resources. We’re cattle to them, remember? We’re beasts of burden, a food source, even amusement. I don’t know what’s special about our planet, but they’ve always known, for thousands of years, that it would come to this. I suppose this is more their home than it is ours.”
“But we can’t just give it up to them,” Maria said.
Charlie smiled, liking this woman more and more. “Exactly. We won’t. Not without a fight. Co-existing is not an option. They know it; we know it. They just think they’ve already won.”
Pip gave a little bark as she dashed over and sat by Maria. The woman stroked the dog as it panted excitedly. Denver followed behind with an Army backpack. He placed it at Ben’s feet.
“Okay, Ben,” Denver said, “I’ve packed everything you need for a few days’ journey, though it’ll only take you a day to get to the farm, but I packed extra just in case there’s any problems and it takes a little longer. There’s also one of the alien pistols in case you need to defend yourself.”
Ben’s face lost its ruddy complexion and became pale as the reality seemed to set in. But he nodded his thanks. Standing up, he hauled the pack on this back.
“You sure you want to do this?” Ethan said.
“I’m sure,” Ben said. “Charlie’s tale is even more convincing. That they think they’ve already won means this is an opportunity I must take if I’m to play a role in our fight. I can’t stay out there, but from within, I can hopefully do my duty.”
“We’ll take you south around Ridgway,” Charlie said, “to avoid any confrontation there. From the edge of the forest, it’s about half a day’s walk. Den, did you pack him the map and compass?”
“Yeah, it’s in the pack side pocket. Do you know how to use a compass?” Denver asked Ben. The other nodded.
“We were trained in basic navigation, and we had them installed on the harvester. We thought we were… Well, it doesn’t matter now. I should go now before I run out of time.”
Ethan and Maria took their turns in saying their goodbyes. Charlie was expecting a more emotional affair, but both of them were quite stoic and practical and weren’t as upset as he imagined them to be. Adapting already. He liked that. Gave him hope that they would become good allies and assets. Ben still gave him doubts, but the information he gave him about the shelter was a good test.
If Gregor’s people or the croatoans went there instead of coming back here, he would know Ben had stuck to the plan. Regardless, Charlie was prepared for either eventuality.
It took an hour to cut south around Ridgway. They came to the edge of the forest, through which they could make out the rising smoke of a distant burner. The farm.
“This is it, Ben. Be confident; stick with the plan, and you’ll be fine,” Denver said.
Ben stepped into the forest before looking back. “I’ll miss all of you. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we’ll meet again. And thanks, Charlie, Denver, for everything. I may not have shown my gratitude, but I can see now that setting us free from that lie was the right thing to do.”
He waved as he turned and disappeared into the forest.
“I can’t believe he’s actually gone,” Ethan said.
Maria stared ahead, quiet.
Charlie gave them a few minutes of respect and reflection before putting his hands on their shoulders. “We should go; we’ve got a plan to enact.”
“Where exactly are we going?” Maria said. “I get that you didn’t want to say in front of Ben, but if we’re to come with you, I’d like to know where it is we are going and why.”
“We’re going to Manhattan,” Charlie said. “As for why… This is the start of the fight back. Today marks the day we bring a war to the croatoans.”
Chapter Nineteen
A low-level mist hung around the damp forest floor outside camp. Gregor flinched after dew dripped from the canopy above and splashed against the back of his neck. He peered down, searching the shrouded ground for one of his first rabbit traps placed along a prominent run two weeks ago. Nothing.
He hoped for a sunny day and a rabbit in a noose. Anything but to eat a silver tray of slop. Supplies were running out. A few cans of out-of-date Spam, some cake mix, and Layla’s revolting vegetables. It was time for a trip to an urban area, a town, or a city where survivors could be robbed.
Footsteps thudded across the wet ground in close proximity. Gregor darted behind a tree, crouched on one knee, and peered around the trunk toward camp. Layla stumbled through a clearing with her hands on her head, and went around the back of his house to her trailer, slamming the door shut after entering. She’d have some explaining to do later.
Too many people seemed to be acting unilaterally nowadays. Igor would be the first to answer questions today.
As he approached his office, a croatoan fighter shot through the distant sky, blazing a light pink vapor trail. From this distance, it looked like the outline of a cruising swallow. The hunter was searching the immediate area for a sighting of Jackson, his bastard, and the traitors from the harvester.
Marek groaned, turning on the couch as Gregor entered his office.
“What time is it?” Marek said.
“Early in the morning. Get washed; we’ve got work to do.”
Marek stood in his filthy white vest and jeans, pulled his fingers along his mousy beard, and stretched his back. “What’s the plan?”
“We’re going to hitch a ride with the croatoans. Two were killed in a booby trap yesterday in a former town nearby. Let’s see if we can find any evidence or survivors, information to crush the little wasp.”
“I thought they were sending a hunter to deal with Jackson?”
Gregor snorted. “We’ll get him first. This time, I’m serious.”
“You’ve said that a hundred—” Marked paused after Gregor raised his hand. “And Igor?”
“He’s coming with us,” Gregor said. He smiled, picked up one of Layla’s cucumbers off his desk, and snapped it in two. “After we rob any survivors, he’s going to talk.”
He threw both pieces at Marek, who took a bite, chewed, and spat vegetable sludge onto the floor. “Is this her latest crop? It’s worse than the last.”
“Which is why we’re going out. Just like the good old days, brother.”
Marek nodded, yawned, and headed for the bathroom.
Gregor thought back to them both as young men in Armenia, terrorizing local villages. The villagers, young and old, had no reason to pay protection money, but they wanted to stay on the right side of the gang. Fresh food and the best wine was the price for being left alone. Gregor prided himself on providing the best for his team as a reward for their work. It was becoming harder during the last few years. The croatoans were the main gang. He had to live off the dwindling scraps of humanity.
Marek called from the bathroom, “Who’s going to feed the livestock this morning?”