Matt turned to the man he’d shot through the calf. He’d also been one of those who’d gone with hunting parties. Without much luck it seemed. “You were speaking for your group. You want to tell me why you attacked us?”
The man gave him a look seething with hatred. “No mystery there. You had food, we were starving. So kill me for trying to feed my wife, and while you’re at it you’ll probably kill her for coming along with us because we knew we’d have to leave afterwards. She’s never hurt a soul.”
Matt glanced at the handful of women among the attackers, who were all glaring at him resentfully, but directed his question at the spokesman. “Any accomplices?”
“Aside from the ones you gunned down?” The man glanced at his dead friends, then spat in Matt’s direction. “None of this would’ve happened if you’d just shared what you had.”
“That’s what Ferris claimed, but you’ll notice not many people around here seem to agree with that line of thinking after the winter we’ve just had.”
Catherine caught his arm and pulled him aside, over near the shipping container shed where they could speak privately. “You’re not looking so good, Matt.”
Matt absently rubbed at the graze on his arm. “Yeah well I just got shot at, smoked out, and I’ve got to deal with the fact that my family almost died because I let down my guard.”
“I don’t mean that.” She took his forearm, not having to squeeze hard to press against bone. “We thought you were doing the best out of anyone in town but you’re skin and bone. I could pick Sam up and tuck her under one arm, the poor dear. And Paul should be a pudgy little scamp.”
He did his best to control his temper. He was tired, hungry, and still practically shaking from the adrenaline of the attack. “What are you getting at, Madam Mayor?”
Catherine gave a soft, tired laugh. “Do I look any better? Does Tam? Ben? Even the Watsons with their goats are looking like they’ve been skipping meals. We’ve lost 531 people this winter out of a population of 1,282, and we’re not even to spring planting yet, let alone harvesting any crops. 9 out of 10 animals in town have been butchered for meat, even pets, and you’ve heard the same whispers I have about some of the most desperate among the townspeople resorting to something far, far more terrible than eating pets. Things are going to get worse before they get better.”
Instead of asking her what she was getting at for a second time Matt simply waited. He didn’t wait long before Catherine finally got to the point. “I want you to find Trev and Lewis and get any food they have.”
Matt wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting, but not that. “You want me to do what?”
The Mayor gave him an impatient look. “Come on, Matt, I’m sure you’ve worked this out. Trev and Lewis lost their shelter and everything in it when Ferris confiscated the structure. And then before he left your friend gifted you with hundreds of pounds of food. If the cousins had nothing and were desperate to survive the winter they would’ve gone after that cache themselves. Since they tossed it away without a second thought that means they have more. Probably lots more.”
“Which they’ll have taken with them to eat over the winter.”
“Two men, hiking up into the mountains? They couldn’t have carried all they had.”
He wasn’t so sure of that. “Even so, you want me to hike up there to find them and ask? Assuming they’re even still alive.”
She looked into his eyes calmly. “I’m sure you don’t think those two are dead.”
Matt hesitated. “Well no, I think if anyone could survive up there they could.” He rallied. “But they trusted me to keep their location secret, along with everything else about them. Besides, I thought you said Aspen Hill was done with confiscating food!”
The Mayor’s expression hardened. “Do you honestly think that’s what I intend to do?” she said, sounding almost hurt. “I’m sending you up there to buy the food, Matt! However you can manage it.”
“But what could we possibly offer them that’s more valuable than the food itself these days? You’ve run into this problem with every single negotiation for livestock you’ve done on behalf of the town.”
Catherine threw up her hands in exasperation. “And I’ve always managed to make the purchase! These are your friends, I trust you can talk them around. Offer them whatever they’re willing to accept. We’ve got ammo, which they’ll probably want. Or we can look at it like a loan and offer them future payments of food or other necessities.” She stepped forward and caught his arm. “But we need those supplies, Matt. Whatever they have. We’ve run out of canaries in the coal mine if even your family is starting to go hungry when you had Trev’s cache. Think of Sam.”
Matt did think of Sam, and constantly worried about taking care of her. But he didn’t appreciate the Mayor using that as a point of debate. Sure the plight of the town was some justification, but it still rankled. He sighed. “They’ve got no reason to love the town. I’m pretty sure they were up in the hills somewhere watching as Anderson directed the group that looted their shelter, and they definitely had to notice how everyone was celebrating their misfortune.”
“Well we’ll just have to make it up to them.” The hand on his arm tightened. “Can you convince them?”
“To give up all the rest of the food they desperately need for stuff they can do without, or at best a tentative IOU?” Matt shook his head. “I can try. I suppose we don’t have many other options.”
Chapter Thirteen
Reunion
In a way it was a relief for Matt to head back into the shelter and leave taking care of the attackers to Catherine while he packed up for his trip. If he was gone he wouldn’t have to deal with whatever punishment was decided for them.
The thought may have been a bit selfish, but at the same time they’d attacked his family and Matt felt too close to the issue to be fair and unbiased. Even though he’d taken part in the executions of Razor’s captured gang members their crimes had been something that affected the entire town, and in that situation finding unbiased hands to carry out justice would’ve been impossible so he’d done what was needed.
Sam wrapped her arms around him when he came back inside, burying her face in his chest in relief now that it was all over, and Matt took a moment to clutch her tight as his own relief swept over him. Arguably the situation had never gotten out of hand as long as they had the escape tunnel, but things could go wrong in any violent situation and he could’ve ended up losing what was most dear to him.
Looking down at her eyes, liquid pools of brown in the dim light in the shelter, he felt bad that he had to tell her he needed to leave, and even worse that this time he wasn’t about to let her come along. Spring may have been trying to claw its way through winter down here, but up where he was going this sort of weather was still months away. In her condition Sam didn’t have the strength to make that trip.
To be honest he wasn’t sure he did either.
She accepted the news stoically and offered to help him pack, although when he tried to cheer her up by mentioning that the town would be providing provisions for his trip so the family would be able to split his usual share among themselves that didn’t seem to help. But if it provided no comfort for her, the thought that she might be getting even a mouthful more each meal of food she desperately needed was a comfort to Matt. He hoped the warm weather came soon so they could start planting.
They’d nearly finished packing his cold weather gear, weapons and ammo, a hatchet and firestarting gear, and other necessities into a backpack he’d borrowed from the storehouse months ago for patrols when there was a light rap on the open door and Jane and Tom ducked into the shelter.