B. E. V. (7 page)

"You're part of Morgan's army?" I asked.

"Correct, received orders to pick up stragglers, this is you buddy."

I felt sick. It meant the labor gangs. I'd heard stories about what happen once you were caught.

"Morgan doesn't want me," I pleaded, trying to act as scared as I felt. "I'm a kid. Why don't you let me go?"

We hit a bump and his laser dug deeper into my side. "It's nothing personal, kid," he said. "We have our orders, and we get a bounty for each one of you we bring in. Relax," he advised, "there's nothing ya can do about it."

We veered off the main road onto a dirt path where a burnt out campfire and small tent stood. Both soldiers jumped out of the Humvee and hauled me after them. "Face the other way," one ordered, "and put yer hands behind you."

I felt ropes tied around my wrists. "I'm heading out," announced the laserman, "see if I can scare up anyone else."

The second soldier nodded. "I'll watch the pup," he gestured to me, "and start the fire going. Have some rations hot when you come back."

As the Humvee drove off my guard said, "Get into the tent and stay there. Make any noise or poke your nose out and you lose it, understand?"

This was harder than it sounded. I had to deal with tied hands and my bum leg. "I don't think –"

"Here, I'll give you a start." My guard grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and shoved me forward, adding a kick in my pants for good measure. I flew into the tent, landing on my face. "And stay there." The tent flap closed.

I took a deep breath, alone, tied, and captured.

 

 

I lay on my stomach and caught my breath, and then started kicking with my good leg until I flipped myself over. I did the hardest sit-up I'd ever done and peered around.

The tent was dark, empty, and hot. Between my struggles and the heat, sweat trickled down my spine, dripping into my eyes and making my body itch. I tried listening, didn't hear anything, and wiggled closer to the tent flap.

"– to heck with Morgan, stay up all night and all we catch is one kid," I heard my guard mumble to himself. "Waste of time." He released a groan, and I wiggled back just in time as the tent flap lifted and he peeked inside. He saw my scared face and grunted, "Good," and dropped the flap again.

I sat in the dark, wondering what I should do. Kat would never find me here, and no one else would be searching for me. It was either the labor camp or figure out a way to escape.

My eyes adjusted to the light, and I searched for something to help me escape, but the tent was empty. With a sigh, I began tugging and twisting my arms and felt a slight play in the ropes. I kept working until my shoulders ached, and I wasn't sure if sweat or blood lubricated my hands.

After an eternity of pain, the ropes on my left wrist slipped over my hand. Seconds later, I was able to shake them off and unwrap the rest from my right. I sat and gulped air, and then crept to the flap and peeked out.

My guard was nodding by the fire. As I watched, his chin fell on his chest and he snored gently. Without making any noise, I started a slow crawl around the side of the tent.

My dumb leg tangled up in a branch. As gently as I could I tried brushing it off with my good foot.

"Hey, kid! Where do you think you're going?"

My guard was awake and stalking toward me. I snatched at the branch and brought it racking across his shins. He howled and went down.

Before he could recover, I swung at his head. The branch connected with a meaty "THUD". I slammed him again and again, as if killing a snake, all the while screaming my head off. When my arm was so tired I couldn't hit him anymore, I stopped.

I don't know if he were alive or dead, and didn't hang around to learn. I dragged my good leg under me and staggered into the woods.

It was light now, the sun high in the sky and birds flying through the trees. When I was far enough, I stopped my blind rush, slowed, and tried making my way back to the main road.

I saw no sign of the second soldier or the Humvee, and kept praying he hadn't discovered Kat returning for me and captured her too. When the main road loomed into view, I hung on a tree to catch my breath and thought.

If I stayed on the road, Morgan's men might drive along and capture me again, but if Kat
did
come searching, she would never locate me in the woods.

I wasn't familiar with this section of the road, everything appeared different from when I drove it with Pop or on my scooter. I couldn't be too far from the lab, though, I was sure. I decided to stay in the cover of the trees, parallel to the road, and hope I'd spot Kat or the lab before the soldiers caught up to me.

I set off.

The ropes rubbed my wrists raw, my shoulders still throbbed, and the pain in my back and side stabbed at me. It was take four steps, stop, and walk four more. I was afraid to sit and rest because if I did, I would never stand back up.

The road made a sharp bend to the right. Runoff from the surface cut a deep gully through the woods. Easing myself to the bottom, I slipped across rocks, mud, and floundered to the other side, grabbed a protruding root and tried pulling myself up the slope.

Dirt collapsed and I lurched backward. Taking a deep breath, I braced my good leg, and tried again.

This time the root broke off in my hand.

I was stuck. I couldn't climb out of the gully.

One end of the ditch ran down the slope, the exact wrong direction I wished to go. The other wavered uphill, undercutting the road surface.

I gritted my teeth, took a deep breath, and picked my way to a slap of asphalt overhanging the cut. I knew where I was now, about a mile from the lab. If I could fight up to the road, I'd take my chances and follow the pavement.

All I had to do was grasp the asphalt, do a pull-up, and swing myself over.

I latched onto the lip, tugged, and struggled until my face was over the top. With a grunt, I locked my elbows on the surface, pushed, and swung my good leg up. For a moment, I tottered and felt the asphalt crack underneath my hands. The chunk of road, a pile of dirt, and I crashed backward.

When the dirt settled and I stopped sliding, I had a mouthful of sand and a half a ton of road surface pinning down my bum leg.

My leg wasn't crushed, but my foot was trapped in a small pocket, and no matter how hard I pulled it wouldn't come free. I kept tugging and cursing until the sun disappeared, and I couldn't pull anymore. I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

****

"Hunter – Hunter.
Please wake up!
"

It was dark. I opened my eyes and a salty tear dropped on my cheek. "Hey, cut it out," I shoved Kat away, "you sting." I tried standing and remembered my leg was still stuck. "Oh, man." I pushed into a sitting position.

"Where have you been?" Kat surveyed my half-buried body. "And how did you get into this mess?"

"I've been hanging around, waiting on you, what do you think?" I tried tugging on my leg again. "Can you pull me out of here please?"

Kat glanced up at the road and back at me. "I don't know. I'll try."

She ran down the gully and staggered back dragging a heavy branch, pushed a rock over by the asphalt block, and jammed the lever in between. "Ready?" she asked.

I tensed my arms and leg. "Ready."

"Now."

Kat heaved on the branch, putting all her weight behind it. The block lifted a scant inch, and I scooted myself backward as hard as possible. I heard a snap, the branch broke, and Kat tumbled on top of me.

"Th – this do it?" she panted, sitting back on her haunches.

I glanced at my leg. It was free. "Yeah, what happened to you? Morgan's men captured me – I've been running all day."

"Captured? Oh, wow, no wonder I couldn't find you," Kat gasped. "What happened?"

"You left, I fell asleep," I explained. "Next thing I know I've got a rifle in my gut, hands tied, and they threw me in a tent." I took a deep breath. "I escaped, and been running ever since. I'm glad you weren't caught, though; but what happened to you?" I thought back, "You took off yesterday. Get lost?"

"Been hunting for you, dummy," she snapped back. "I've ridden up and down this road a dozen times, saw soldiers, hid, and kept searching. You had me worried sick."

"Did you ever make it to the lab?"

"Made it to the lab with no problem," she said in a rush, running her fingers through her hair and standing. "The soldiers rummaged through the main floor, alright, but they missed the doctor's place. He didn't even know Morgan's men had been there until I told him." She reached down and helped me up, "And see who I brought with me."

"Well, if it ain't my handsome young one," a cheery voice rang out through the dark. Bev rumbled to the edge of the asphalt. "What's the matter, too lazy to walk? I gotta spend my time searching every gin joint in town for you, and then drag your lazy carcass back home with me?"

"Nice to see you too, Bev," I said. "Kat, did you tell Doctor Krumboton what happened?"

"Yeah." She appeared puzzled. "He seemed more upset I hadn't brought more fresh vegetables."

I stumbled back to the road. "Kat, give me a hand climbing up there, will ya? I've had a rough day."

Kat hopped up to the pavement and extended her hand down to me.

She pulled; I pulled. I felt Kat slipping toward me and let go before she toppled over the edge. I landed on by backside with a muffled grunt.

"Well, this didn't work."

"Do I have to do everything?" I heard Bev's voice from above me. "Girlfriend – inside, second locker from the right – you'll find a rope. Let's haul old protein Pete outta there."

Kat dashed away, a moment later a heavy cord slapped me in the face.

"Wrap it around yourself," Bev advised. "Kat, there's an eyelet on my nose. Tie it off, and let's see what we caught."

I wrapped the line around my waist and for good measure threw in a half hitch. "Ready!"

"Fish on line!" Bev sang out.

The rope grew taut and I scrambled to the road with Kat's fingernails sinking into my shoulders, as she hauled me up the last foot.

"Nope, too small," Bev said in disappointment. "Gotta throw 'em back."

"What did Morgan's men do to the lab?" I asked as Kat helped me to my feet. We entered Bev and took our seats before she answered.

"Wrecked the place," Kat replied vehemently. "Stripped whatever they wanted and left. Doctor Krumboton had everything locked and deactivated so they couldn't reach his section."

"They tried to force their way into the service elevator," added Bev, "but I don't give it up easily. Doc and I were tight until my BFF put her hand on my pad." Her voice shifted next to Kat, and I heard her whisper, "He didn't thank me for saving him, but it's okay. You're a better BFF, anyway." She started rolling back toward the lab.

"At least we have a place to stay until we figure out where we're going," said Kat, shrugging her shoulders with a slight grimace.

"Sleep-over!"
exclaimed Bev.

"We're not staying long," Kat said grimly. "As soon as we've straightened ourselves out we're following the army."

"WHAT?" Bev and I shouted in unison. I had all the army I could stand for one day.

"Black Morgan takes captives, right? This is why he captured you. He either brainwashes them to become his soldiers, or uses prisoners in the labor gangs," she said, fixing me with a glare. "Chances are some of our people survived the attack and were caught; maybe even your pop and my dad. At least we must check to make sure they're not dead, right?"

"Yeah," I replied slowly, thinking over what she'd said, "but how are we going to do it? We can't walk up to Black Morgan and say, 'Excuse me, Colonel, we need to examine your people to see if our parents are here'."

Bev cut in with, "It would be the
proper
thing to do."

"Enough, Bev," Kat said with a frown. "I don't know yet. Once we get back to the lab, let's talk it over with Doc, maybe he has some ideas."

Kat had a point, but I doubt even Doctor Krumboton could discover a solution.

"Uh, do you think it's a good idea to go straight back?" A thought occurred to me. If any of Morgan's scouts were still around, especially those two guys who captured me, they might have seen Bev searching the area. The last thing I wanted was for soldiers to track us to the lab. "We'd better muddle our trail; maybe take a different way back. We don't want anyone tracking us."

Kat snapped her fingers. "I've got a better idea," she said. "Let's run up to Make Out Point. It'll only take a couple of minutes from here, and we can see for miles. Maybe even Morgan's army."

Kat was right, and I wished I suggested it first, but I had a bad feeling. Today was not one of my better days.

Make Out Point was a bald hill with a good view of the town and the surrounding countryside. Before the Greys attacked, kids used it to hang out, drink, and fool around. Nobody went there anymore, but an old dirt road still snaked its way to the top.

When we arrived, the first thing catching my attention was small fires still burning in Paradise Cove. Farther away, lights from vehicles traveled east, west, and north.

"Can you tell where the main army is?" I asked Kat. "They remind me of vultures scattering after a meal."

She studied the lights flickering in all directions. "No," she said at last. "They're breaking up into smaller groups, but I can't tell – there are so many of them and it's too dark."

"Are you two going to start kissing, or what?" Bev said. "We didn't drive all the way up here to talk."

"Bev."
Kat pounded on her hull. "We're not here to make out, we're searching for Morgan's men."

"How about those two coming up the hill?" Bev asked. "Are they going to make – OUCH!"

A blast shook her and she leaped halfway down the hill.

"What happened?"

"They shot me!"

Bev skidded to a stop and swung around. The view screen grew brighter and two men stood there, my captors from earlier. One held a smoking rocket launcher – the other was in the process of throwing something our way. Another blast rocked Bev, which she ignored, and her Gatling guns spoke in a short burst. Both men twisted and collapsed as if they were deflated balloons.

"I taught 'em not to shoot a lady in the fanny," snorted Bev.

"I guess we were followed," Kat said.

"Or they were here already, searching for me, or maybe keeping watch?" I hazarded. "Anyway, let's hightail it back to Doctor Krumboton and see what he has to say about tracking Morgan."

"Wait." Kat said to Bev in a rush, "Do you see anything else in your 'scope?"

"Now you mention it, yes." You could feel her scanning all four sides of the hill. "Trees, rocks, and – OH – there's a BUNNY! I love rabbits, can we get a –"

"No, Bev," Kat said in exasperation, "I mean other men, vehicles, manmade things."

"Oh. Wait." Again, she paused. "Yes, down the west slope at the bottom, a vehicle, 200 yards away."

"I knew it," Kat exclaimed standing and hurrying to the hatch. "Come on, Hunter, let's investigate."

"I don't think it's a smart idea," I said, struggling to my feet with a moan. "What if it's booby-trapped or something?"

"Nonsense, why would anyone booby-trap their own ride?" she replied. "They might have something we can use, weapons, food, who knows? Come on."

Kat hurried down the hill with me stumbling behind in the dark. "Hey, wait up," I yelled when I lost sight of her.

"Hey, Hunter," her voice echoed from somewhere ahead of me, "see what I found."

"What? Don't touch anything, you don't know –"

The darkness vanished in a flash of light and an explosion.

"Kat!"

I scrambled to the afterglow. An army Humvee lay on its side, smoke and flames leaping up. Kat sat fifty feet away against a tree, a darker shape in the moonlight, her clothes blackened and covered in dirt.

"Hunter?"

I hunkered down next to her. Close up, blood from a nosebleed ran down her face. "Are you all right, what happened?"

"I don't know, it just – exploded."

I handed her my handkerchief. "Here, take this, your nose is bleeding. Push it tight."

She pressed the cloth to her face and wiped her lip. "Yeck."

"Press, don't wipe," I ordered. "Maybe whatever the soldier threw flew the other way when Bev shot him?" I guessed. "A hand-grenade – rolled down-hill?"

"Maybe, I don't know," Kat replied faintly as she tried to stand. "I – oooh." She slumped down.

"Did you break something?" Pain etched her face.

"Sore all over from the concussion, I think," she moaned. "Let me sit here for a while, I'll be fine."

"We can't," I replied, worried. "If any of Morgan's men are in the area, they're sure to investigate those explosions. I was captured once today, I don't want us both to go through the same thing. We gotta return to Bev, now." I took a deep breath. "I'll carry you."

"Hunter –"

"Shut up." I scooped her up in my arms and struggled to my feet. Kat was a lot heavier than she appeared. "What do you have, rocks in your pockets?" I asked.

I took a few hesitant steps up the slope. My body, which had begun to feel better, protested again with sharp pains added.

Kat wrapped her arms around my neck. "Do you think you can keep this up?"

My side shot hot arrows into my lungs, and my good leg said it wasn't about to keep moving for long. "Better start yelling for Bev," I advised as my arms began to shake.

"Bev – BEV –
HELP.
"

She didn't answer.

I kept fighting with my legs – Kat continued to scream. Pain laced through my side, my arms and good leg trembled, but I made slow progress. When I reached a quarter of the way back up the slope, we heard a shout.

"Kat? Hunter? You guys calling me?" Bev rolled cautiously down the slope toward us.

I sank to my knee, tumbling Kat into the leaves. "Yeah, didn't you hear us? Where were you?" I replied, irritated.

"Waiting for you two love birds to finish lip-locking, or whatever you were up to. What else would I be doing?" she huffed. "Done?"

"Bev, we had an explosion, Kat's hurt. Open your hatch."

"Kat's hurt? Why didn't you say something?" Her door flew open. "Bring her in, quick."

I tried fighting to my feet. My leg refused to cooperate. "I'll make it from here," Kat said, climbing out of my arms and wavering upright against me. She stood swaying and I grabbed her before she fell. "I may need some help," she corrected with a small laugh.

I guided Kat into Bev and helped her sit. Four pans of water, two towels, and a bar of soap later, she almost seemed her old self.

Bev's only comment was, "Lover boy, you must be a good kisser, I wish someone would make me explode."