“How many calories?”
They all looked at him like that was an odd question. From Terry’s blank expression it was also one they couldn’t answer. “I don’t know, two meals.”
Matt shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. Pack up anything you need and get ready to leave in the morning. There’s food in Aspen Hill and it’ll be much safer there.”
To Trev’s surprise April and Terry shared doubtful looks. “Do you have enough food for all of us to make the trip down?” April asked.
Matt also looked surprised. “Well no. It was all confiscated at a roadblock down in Spanish Fork.”
“Spanish Fork!” Terry exclaimed. “So you’ve come the rest of the way hungry? You’re in as bad shape as we are it sounds like.”
Trev shrugged in annoyance. “We’ve gone hungry for a couple days and it’s been hard, and we’ll all have to go hungry for even longer to make it back to Aspen Hill. But it’s better than staying here.”
April gripped her husband’s hand tightly. “I don’t know. The FETF coordinators say things will settle down within a week or so, and then they’ll have buses to drive us home.”
Trev laughed in disbelief. “Are you kidding me? Provo and Orem are burning and the foothills above them are walls of flame. Every building in Salt Lake City has been wrecked and we know firsthand that the houses in Midvale have all been trashed by looters. Things aren’t going to get better in a week, and you just got done telling us how horrible it is in camp. There’s over a hundred thousand people here, all completely reliant on whatever supplies FETF can bring in while they still have fuel. How long do you think it’ll be before they run out and you all wind up starving to death in here?”
Aaron abruptly started crying at his tone, and everyone glared at him. “That’s enough, Trev!” Matt said sharply. “Give us a minute, will you? I want to talk to April and Terry.”
Trev wanted to explode at his friend for getting on his case after everything he’d done to help him, but he realized it was hunger and fatigue affecting his behavior. Matt knew the situation as well as he did, and his friend would be better suited to convincing his family about what needed to happen. At this point Trev would probably just end up antagonizing them and making them even less likely to go if he insisted.
“Sorry,” he said shortly. “Been a rough few days.” He turned and left the tent, finding a spot not far away where he could lean against the canvas and rest.
About a half hour later the others filed out of the tent and Trev made his way over to them. “We’ll go,” Matt announced. “Tomorrow morning, after we’ve had two good meals and rest.”
“Good news there,” Terry added with a smile. “At least for you guys. Camp policy is that new arrivals get double rations for their first meal. To make up for any deprivation they might’ve endured before reaching the camp.”
That was good news, and Trev found himself grinning. “Sorry about my earlier blowup.”
April came over and gave him a hug. “There’s nothing to be sorry about, you were just telling us what we needed to hear. Thanks for coming to help us. You didn’t need to do that.”
Trev shrugged, embarrassed. As a group they made their way to the large mess tents near the entrance where FETF workers were checking ID necklaces to make sure nobody was trying to sneak an extra meal. The line was long, and the sun sank lower and lower on the horizon as they waited.
“My favorite camp pastime,” Terry said dryly. He was tossing a little soft ball to Aaron to pass the time, while Paul chased after it trying to get it from his older brother. “It’s like the world’s biggest neighborhood potluck. Except people try to steal your ID to get more meals. From what I hear the FETF coordinators really run you through the ringer if your tag gets stolen, too, because people have tried to swindle them by claiming they lost their tag to get extras.”
“Good to see everyone’s pulling together in a time of crisis,” Trev said wryly.
Once they reached the end of the line they got bad news: apparently the double rations policy had ended yesterday. Not only that but after they’d gotten their bowls of canned soup and had moved away to eat April insisted the portions were smaller than they had been last time.
“Those are both bad signs,” Trev said between shoveling down his food. He intended to lick the plate clean. “Cutting rations will lead to unrest in the camp and FETF knows it. They’d only do it if they had to.”
Terry gave him a tight smile. “We’ve already agreed to go, man. You don’t need to keep selling us.”
“I’m just saying,” Trev answered with a shrug. “You think things were bad out in the urban sprawl? Think how they’d be if a riot started with everyone packed close together in tents. Flammable tents.”
An awkward silence fell. Matt cleared his throat and reached into one of his backpack’s pockets. “Everyone remember how to play Scum?” he asked. “How about we finish up here and play a few rounds before bedtime? It’d be nice to lighten the mood.”
Trev got the hint. “Sorry, I’ll stop being such a downer.”
After dinner Trev and Matt escorted April’s family back to their tent, then after an hour or so of relaxing and socializing headed towards the back of the camp to the tent the FETF coordinator had assigned them. When they found it Trev noticed that it had more of a bachelor feel to it, with no partitions and a bunch of other single men ranging from late teens to the elderly.
He and Matt were both ready to crash after their first meal in days and immediately headed to their assigned bunks near the back of the tent. Once there they flipped for top bunk and Trev won. It was a dubious honor, because for safety’s sake they decided to put their backpacks up there tucked around his head with each of his arms through a strap. Trev immediately realized it was going to be an uncomfortable night, but it beat having their stuff stolen. He also slept holding the bear spray, and encouraged Matt to do the same.
Even though they were both ready to sleep the others in the tent weren’t, and some stayed awake until late in the night talking or playing cards. Trev supposed if the refugees didn’t have anything else to do in camp than sleep then such late nights wouldn’t be too unusual, and better they were spent playing cards than causing trouble. Luckily they didn’t make too much noise and Trev was mostly able to sleep through it, only waking slightly at sudden outbursts of noise, usually laughter. That didn’t stop him from clutching his bear spray each time he started awake. Especially at one point late at night when he heard shouting from somewhere else in the camp, along with a few screams.
He couldn’t wait to be out of here in the morning.
Chapter Fourteen
Unexpected Bounty
Just after dawn Trev and Matt gathered their packs and went to find April’s family, leaving everyone else in the tent still asleep after their late night.
The Lynns were all packed and ready to go as well, the adults and Aaron wearing school backpacks while Terry also pulled a child’s toy wagon piled high with their few possessions. As a group they made their way to the mess tents for a morning meal of cereal with chalky reconstituted powdered milk, refilled their water bottles at the station near the gate, and when they were finally ready to leave walked over to where refugees continued to stream into the camp in a solid but orderly flow.
Once they got to the gate Matt went ahead of the group and introduced himself to the soldiers there, then explained their situation. To Trev’s surprise the FETF guards listened patiently to his friend’s story, only stopping to ask a few clarifying questions like how far away Aspen Hill was and what their situation would be like when they got there.