New Title 3 (18 page)

“
I don’t blame you. It’s something we need to see. I’m surprised I hadn’t thought of it earlier.”

“
It’s brutal isn’t it? Here you can really take in the whole scope of what’s happened, whatever that is… the Apocalypse?” Connor fell silent.

“
I haven’t got an answer for that, Connor,” I admitted. “I do know this though: it’s not the end. It’s the end of what was but it’s not the end of
everything
.”

“
How do you know that?”

“
Because
we’re
still here. Why would we be here if there was nothing left to accomplish? Why us? Why any of these people? Why? Christ, I’d like to know the answer to that one. Jake died because he thought he was ‘supposed to’, for my good, for the good of us. He took the bullet for me. But how the hell does it benefit us that I survive? Who am I?”

Connor was stunned. I hadn’t told anyone that Jake had thrown himself in front of the bullet clearly meant for me.

We sat in silence for a long time. Then we heard the sound of distant cars approaching-
lots
of them. We hurried to the crest of the hill and looked down.

Lights seemed to explode on the road below us as a caravan of vehicles journeyed over the horizon. Each one flew a flag- the same one we saw en route from Mom’s store that day. This was the same group that had attempted to ambush us. This time there were a lot more of them.

“
Shit on that!” Connor tried in vain to count the cars. “Holy shit...”

“
Let’s get going. The house needs to know about this.”

We returned to the Caddy and drove home at breakneck speed, keeping our lights off so as not to alert the motorcade to our presence. Once at the house, we gathered the troops in the front yard and reported the grim news. No one panicked. We were worried, true, but we were resilient. Their greater numbers were a serious concern, but we had weapons, and if they ventured onto our land, they were setting themselves up for a slaughter as far as we were concerned.

“
They shouldn’t be here for a few hours.” I glanced back toward the road. “They were slowing down when we saw them, maybe even setting up camp. We may not see them today - we may not see them at all. Just stay sharp.”

Earl and Sonny positioned themselves two kilometres to the south of the house, acting as long range scouts. They took the four-wheeler in case it became necessary to make a quick exit and alert the rest of us to an imminent danger. The rest of the crew stayed in the house, stationed at the windows.

The day passed into night without further sightings. When Earl and Sonny returned, we all had a nightcap in memory of our lost companion. Jake would be remembered, whether he’d thought himself worthy of that honour or not.

*****

The following morning cast a shadow over our home and lives so far- reaching and so profound that things would never be the same for me.

What we’d anticipated the night before came to its ominous result. Dozens of cars and RVs, all sporting the flag, rolled through the grounds defiantly and came to a halt, forming a line of vehicles that extended beyond our driveway. The entire house witnessed the event from the addition windows, as Kevin and Sidney had woken everyone with the news.

“
Wow.” Seth whistled. “This can’t be good…. Can it?”

“
I’m not sure, Seth,” I replied, trying not to let everyone else see that I was on the verge of panicking. “But we don’t have the luxury of optimism. Everyone keep their guns at the ready. We still have the high ground.”

Watching the flag bearers pour out of their vehicles and onto our property was a discouraging sight. They outnumbered us by at least five to one.

“
Joel?” It was Sidney. “Joel, I think we should act now. It’ll be our only chance. There are so many of them.”

“
We don’t fire first and ask questions later, Sid. They may be harmless.”

“
They didn’t seem harmless during our last encounter with them.” Kevin’s nerves were getting the better of him.

“
Calm down, Kev.” Connor had my back. “Joel’s right. They’d waste us anyway you cut it. They’ve got the numbers.”

“
I’m going to start with my ‘first contact’ speech, like always. I don’t need another scene like last time. We can’t afford to snap on these guys.” After checking my weapon, I cupped a palm around my mouth and shouted out the window, all the while keeping my head low.

“
Identify yourselves! You’re trespassing. We have the high ground. Identify yourselves!”

“
Joel, they’re stopping,” Earl whispered.

A middle-aged man who was obviously the flag’s leader pushed to the front of the crowd and looked up at us. He wore a black robe that was belted at the waist and resembled a monk’s habit.

“
We appear before you in peace.” He raised his arms and turned a full circle, showing that he carried no weapons. That was hardly reassuring: the men and women behind him all clutched guns. “Our only purpose is to carry out the removal of our enemies, and I hope, yours.”

What the hell was this guy talking about? Which enemies?

“
We are on a crusade to uncover and eliminate those who support the Reaper.” His smile was jagged and unnaturally long; I later saw that most of it was a facial scar. “We are not here to harm you or pillage your home. All we want is proof that you and your group are not sympathizers who could carry on the devastation that the Reaper started.”

I played along. “And what must we do to convince you that we do not support the Reaper’s ideas?”

“
We must be allowed to interview each member of your party separately. All we want to do is question them. If they are not sympathizers, they will be free to go. However, should they be found guilty, we would be compelled to remove them.” He didn’t clarify what he meant by remove. He didn’t have to.

I loathed this guy on sight. I detected a sanctimonious prick who’d taken advantage of the universal chaos to seize power, dominate weaker minds, and hurt others. “Why would anyone of sound mind agree with what the Reaper has done? That’s ridiculous. What you’re doing is little more than a witch hunt!”

“
This is not a request. I am a tolerant man, so I’ll let you take your time to decide what you will do. But at six o’clock this evening I will expect your final answer.”

Some members of the flag army returned to their vehicles to wait out our decision while others took up positions around the house. They were carrying out nothing less than an inquisition, a throwback to the brutality of the McCarthy trials. We debated our next move.

“
Joel, do you think we’ll truly have a chance at defeating those numbers?” Sara questioned the odds. So did I.

“
I’m hoping to avoid it altogether,” I replied. “If we can appear to be stronger than they are – make them
think
that we have the numbers - perhaps they’ll leave us for weaker pastures.”

Freddy looked troubled. “Won’t they assume we are ‘sympathizers’ if we don’t go along? Then they’ll definitely come at us.”

“
Shit.” Sonny clenched his teeth. “He’s right.”

“
We don’t know that,” Julia countered. “We can’t be sure they’ll attack us. I say we wait and see.”

“
If we wait, we’ll lose any upper hand we may still have,” Earl argued. “They’ve already trespassed onto our property and are right now taking up positions in the trees. They’re serious about this. This is what gives them purpose. If we wait and let them entrench themselves further, we could – no, make that
will
-lose everything.”

“
How would you propose we attack them?” asked John. “They’re everywhere. We’ve already lost what little control we had over this situation.”

“
Maybe we should just let them ask us their questions,” Caroline suggested. “If they’re really serious about just wanting Reaper groupies, it won’t take them long to know that there aren’t any pickings among us.”

“
Then we’ll vote,” I decided.

“
One thing’s for sure- we’ll never beat those odds in a battle. No way. There are just too many of them.” Connor shook his head. Everyone except Earl nodded somberly. Therefore, the outcome of our vote wasn’t a surprise: we would surrender ourselves for questioning. We could only hope that the proceedings would be fair and just.

*****

At six on the dot, the leader called up to us from the front yard. “We require an answer! Will you agree to participate freely in our investigation or do you choose otherwise?”

I opened the front door. “I will talk to you inside!” I said, gesturing. He scanned my face, saw only weariness and sincerity, and stepped past me into the house.

Viewed up close, the flag leader looked more like a visiting missionary than a potential judge, jury, and executioner. He was forty-five at most, and sported a neatly trimmed beard that partially covered a heat burn across his lower face. Although he was now in our domain, and technically at our mercy, he showed no fear or even concern.

“
This is a wise decision on your part,” he told me as I led him into the kitchen. “You are the leader of this group?”

“
Yes, my name is Joel. We are always ready to welcome new friends. I only hope that our efforts are not in vain.”

“
You have done the right thing, Joel,” he assured me with a satisfied smile. Damned if that bastard wasn’t getting off on this somehow. He stood stick-straight, thrust his chest out, and wore his robe like it was some kind of royal cape instead of a survival garment. He clearly regarded himself as the Second Coming or better. “My name is Gareth. I am responsible for the formation of this crusade. We are on a mission to seek out Reaper sympathizers and eliminate them.”

“
So you said. I suppose my word is not enough for you?”

“
I’m afraid that won’t do, Joel, as it has been my experience that the Reaper’s adherents hide in groups such as yours. Like parasites, they seek shelter in the guise of a survivor, but meanwhile they plot to destroy any remaining vestiges of our former civilization.”

“
This isn’t just some paranoid quest that’s just as dangerous to the innocent as it is to the guilty?” This guy and his group technically had me by the balls, and we both knew it. I just wanted to make it clear that he was gripping some big ones.

My accusation seemed to amuse him. “Joel, someone always has to pay for the crimes of another. Accomplices and sympathizers are as guilty as the criminal himself, because they can and do carry on where he left off. Any sympathy for the Reaper’s ideology is enough to make those who harbour it a danger to me, to you. The impure thoughts have to end so that we can be assured a future.”

“
That doesn’t leave much room for free thought. Fear-mongering is just as deadly to a recovering society, don’t you think?”

“
You speak well, Joel.” Gareth studied me. “You, I can say with certainty, are not a sympathizer. Do you know how I can tell?”

I remained silent. Unperturbed, he continued. “I can tell because contempt for the Reaper flows from your very being. I see it in your eyes. I hear it in your speech. You’re pure.”

“
And I can assure you, the others here are as pure as I am.”

Gareth surveyed his surroundings. “I see that you power your home with gasoline, and I assume that the large barn facility growing fruits and vegetables is also your work. These are the marks of a thoughtful people, people getting back on their feet regardless of the Reaper’s devastation, people moving forward.”

They knew about the barn. That was troubling.

“
This puts you all in a very favourable light, and tells us a lot about the type of leader you are, Joel.” He offered his hand to me, and I took it. “We’ll be staying awhile. Feel free to allow your group to mingle with mine. We are good people, and I feel that you and I will be friends. I offer you support in the defence of your home for the duration of our stay. I’ll speak with you again tomorrow.”

I walked him out. When I closed the door, Connor came out of the family room, where he’d been silently listening in.

“
That went well, man. I heard the whole thing.”

“
That was tense, that’s what that was. I’m burned out. I need a drink.”

We went up to the addition, where the rest of the group waited. After Connor and I poured ourselves a stiff gin, I filled the rest of them in on how the meeting went.

“
It looks as though he’s going to want to put each of us under the ‘magnifying glass’, so to speak. The idea of it doesn’t sit well with me, but I seriously doubt he’ll find any of us guilty of the crime he’s punishing. None of you will come off as a member of the Four Horsemen if you demonstrate hatred for the Reaper when he tests you.”

“
So, when are we to turn ourselves over to this witch hunt?” Earl wasn’t happy. None of us were, but what could we do? This was just another form of surviving. That was how we had to see it.

“
Gareth says we can mingle with his company,” Connor said. “I heard him tell Joel that.”

“
Gareth?” Freddy made a face. “The fuck kind of a name is that?”

“
Gareth is the leader of the flags,” I answered. “Just walk lightly around him; I get the distinct feeling that he’s someone who could turn on you at the drop of a dime.”

We would have to become comfortable with the deal we had agreed to. I only hoped that it wasn’t a deal with the Devil, although somehow, I knew that it was.