Fury Rising (31 page)

              “You weren’t in danger,” Daniel said. “You were safe as long as you stayed in the car.”

              “Are you taking the piss out on me?” Raj paused, trying to keep his voice down. “There’s no such thing as safe anymore. Especially not here. You might be able to get away with playing both sides, but the rest of us aren’t so lucky. You’re being careless and I’m not going to stick around and die for your stupid imaginary cause.”

              Mason wanted to argue, but he couldn’t. Raj was right. They shouldn’t have gone this far into the mall without going back to the car and telling them. But he didn’t want to be like Raj either, hiding away from a potential fight. The Baggers were winning because humans were too busy cowering away in their hiding spots. Daniel understood this. The war wasn’t going to end once this was over. They weren’t going to shake hands and go their merry ways. No, the battle would go on until every last Bagger was destroyed or all humans were enslaved. Maybe this was why Mason kept finding himself back on Daniel’s side.

             
Or maybe it’s because you enjoy killing them.

              No, he wasn’t going to go there. In this world, there was no right answer. Baggers deserved to die. Mason would kill them because of the things they did without remorse. He would fight for the friends he’d lost and no longer had a voice. Because his mother was dead. His friends. Chickadee. Paul. Eve. Nathan.

              Michael.

              And maybe deep down inside there was a part of him that enjoyed it. No one ever said that revenge would be anything except bittersweet. And for every one he managed to bring down, that meant one less alive on the street. Doing these things meant taking risks. No one won at war because they played it safe. No, they would only beat the odds if they were willing to stoop down to the Bagger’s level. They would have to kill too.

              But he couldn’t say any of those things to Raj, because the guy was right. They were being careless. Even worse, they were arguing in the middle of a mall that was supposed to be full of ferals. But Raj wasn’t about to let it go.

              “The two of you are toxic together.”

              “I’ve got news for you,” Daniel said. “I’m fine with that. Because being toxic with someone means I’m still human. I’m still here. And I’d rather be deadly with Mason than fighting against him. I guess you can’t possibly understand that. That’s cool. Because if you did, then you’d be just like me. And I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. You have no idea what it’s like being forced to exist in both worlds.”

              Daniel turned and began to walk away. He bent down and picked up another pair of jeans, checked the tag and then threw them back.

              “Wait.” Raj called out to him. “I’m sorry. I’m just angry. Just saying words. That’s all.”

              Mason didn’t think so. Raj had been right on the money. The two of them were toxic. Together, they brought out the very worst in each other. Or the very best. Because sometimes that sort of lethal combination worked.

              Mason jogged over to Daniel and blocked his path. He thought Daniel might brush him aside, but instead, Daniel was grinning. Mason looked into his eyes to make sure they hadn’t suddenly turned black.

              “Nothing like a little drama,” Daniel said. “Come on, seriously, do you really think I’d walk out on you guys when things are finally starting to get interesting?”

              Mason grinned. “Depends. Are you sure you don’t want to finish your shopping spree first? I hear the Bay has gone upscale recently. Brand name jeans.”

              “I like what I’ve got,” Daniel said.

              They waited until Raj and Jordan joined them.

              “We’re sorry,” Mason said, deciding it was best to keep the peace as long as they could. Apologies all around. “You’re right. We should have kept you in the loop.”

              “But as long as we’re here,” Daniel said. “I think a search party is in order.”

              “You think they’re still here?” Raj frowned and Jordan raised his rifle a bit higher.

              “No,” Daniel said. “I can’t feel them, but then again, I couldn’t really feel them before.”

              Raj gave him a look that was both disgust and surprise. “You can sense them? Like smell? Read their thoughts? I didn’t know Baggers can do that.”

              “It’s not quite as gross as that,” Daniel said. “We can kinda sense each other when we’re close. We know our own kind. But it’s not like we’re sniffing each other out. And mind reading is not in the cards.”

              “Tarot cards?” Jordan asked. “I have an aunt who used to read those.”

              “Did she predict an earthquake by any chance?” Mason asked with a straight face.

              “No, but she told my cousin she was being cheated on by her husband. But I think she just didn’t like the guy and wanted him gone. Either way, it worked.” Jordan’s face suddenly lit up. “Oh, she told my brother he was in for a big change. He thought it might be a promotion at work, but he actually became a Bagger. That’s something, right? Kinda creepy when you think about it.” He looked longingly at Daniel. “I wish he was like you. Then I could still talk to him some of the time. I’d like that.”

              “Thanks, I think.”

              “I mean it. When I first met you, I didn’t know. I never would have guessed. And now that I know, I guess I still trust you. Maybe I shouldn’t, but I do. Does any of that make sense?”

              “Must be God’s way.”

              “Yeah. He’s got his plans.” Jordan gave him a huge grin. “Running into you. Must have been in the cards. Fate.”

              Daniel looked at Jordan with a straight face. “I thought you believed in God. Aren’t you supposed to be against things like Tarot Cards?”

              Jordan paused and appeared to really think it over.

              Mason didn’t want to wait for Jordan to figure out his religious conflictions. “Come on,” he said. “Let’s check things out. I’d rather get this done before midnight.”

              “No splitting up either,” Raj said. “I’m not in the mood to hunt you both down again.”

              It didn’t take long to search the mall.

              Empty. Even the two ferals they’d seen at the front entrance were nowhere in sight.

              “This is strange,” Jordan said. “Why would they give this place up? There’s tons of stuff here. Food. Supplies. I’ve been following these guys for ages. When they come across a bonanza, they stick with it until it’s gone. They spent a week destroying a Walmart in Merritt. They’ve never been in any hurry before. So why now the rush?”

              “It doesn’t make sense,” Daniel agreed. “They’re not exactly on a mission like the others. The ferals I’ve seen only wander and kill.”

              “You don’t think there’s a possibility they’ve found out about what we’re planning?” Mason said. “Maybe found themselves a few more Baggers and tortured themselves up some information?”

              “It’s possible,” Raj said. “Leon wouldn’t have just taken our word on it. I wouldn’t have. I’d have rounded up a few of my latchkeys and sent them off to see for myself. And I’ll also wager that if I were a feral and found out a small group of idiots were planning an ambush; I’d want to make sure the odds were on my side. Catch everyone off guard by showing up early before everyone is prepared.”

              All four of them stood in silence for a few minutes.

              “I think we’d better get back,” Mason said.

Nothing

              Let’s be serious for a minute, shall we?

              Because the time is now. This hour. Minute. Second.

              We go through life with a variety of choices. Remember free will? The very thing that makes us human?

              A girl walks into a bar.

              Don’t shake your head at me. An analogy can also be the set up for a bad joke.

              A girl walks into a bar and finds two people sitting at a table. They wave her over. One is Fate. The other Choice.

              Come with me and I’ll give you everything you desire, says Fate. But there’s a catch. You’ll give up all control. From this moment on, I’ll be making all your decisions. Everything. When you eat, sleep, drink. Even when you pee. But before you answer, understand that I’ll give you everything your heart desires. All your dreams will come true. You will die a happy woman.

              The girl looks over at Choice, wondering what sort counter offer she’ll receive. Choice shrugs and waves down the bartender for another round.

              Come with me or don’t come with me. I don’t give a fuck.

              Wait. Were you actually expecting a punch line?

              Okay, I’ll try again.

              A Bagger walks into a bar and kills everyone.

              Hilarious.

              Give me love or give me death. Give me a dream of a pretty girl wearing a dress and dancing in the twilight.

              Give me choice and I’ll make the wrong decision all by myself.

              I have so many wants. They float around my head like little paper planes searching for a Lego runway. And I have regrets. Lots of them. They sit in my stomach like chewing gum that won’t decay.

              And I have hope for the first time in ages.

              Hope is a funny thing. It makes me want to live. It makes me think that maybe one day I can toss aside these chains like the loose skin I wear across my face. I can shed my past and finally allow myself the hope of a future.

              Alone.

              Always alone.

              Better for everyone.

              But not for me.

              Please don’t judge me. It will be my choice.

The War Begins

We are outnumbered.

Clementine

She sat silently at the lunch table with Janey and Aries, watching Casey and the other children run up and down the compound with Cleopuptra, aka Princess Fluffy. Aries was brooding, which was fine by Clementine; she didn’t really want to talk anyway. Instead she watched Casey and Andrew digging in the dirt, squealing in delight and disgust when they unearthed a worm.

I feel like I’m waiting for a sign, Heath. What’s going to happen? In all honesty, I’ve done nothing but wait for things to happen since the world ended. After the earthquakes, we waited to hear from you. When I hid in the barn, I anticipated being attacked. In Vancouver, I wait for the day I’ll hear something about your whereabouts. This is my new life. One big long delay. When will it end? How?

I don’t want to die like Michael. 

Her shoulder and leg ached horribly, but she’d refused more medication from both Aries and Larissa. It was better this way, the drugs only made her groggy and slow. Although she still wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep away the rest of her life, it wasn’t an option. No, she needed to be alert.

When the Baggers started pouring out of the casino, she knew she’d made the right decision.

They were all armed and they moved quickly throughout the compound, grabbing hold of people, giving orders, and shoving them towards the doors.

“Everyone inside.”

People were confused. They began backing away towards the gates, only to be met by more Baggers.

“What’s happening?” Janey asked. She grabbed Andrew’s arm as he ran past and forced him to sit down beside her. Casey came and joined them immediately. She plopped down and took Clementine’s hand. The dog trotted over towards her feet, but even she’d noticed the change in the air. Her tail went between her legs and when she sat, she gave a soft whimper that made Aries reach out and scratch her ears.

“I’m not sure,” Clementine said. She looked over towards Aries who shrugged back.

“Should we go somewhere else?”

“Where?” Aries said. “It’s not like they’re going to let us walk out. Where else can we go?”

They waited. It didn’t take long before a team of Baggers approached them. At least they still had their weapons pointed up at the sky.

“Everyone inside.”

“Why?” Clementine asked.

“Because I told you.”

Over by the stage, a group of people had refused the demands. A Bagger drew his weapon and shot a man in his knee. It was the signal that everyone didn’t know they were waiting for. People started screaming and pushing, even the ones who had, until a moment before, been walking passively towards the Casino. The Baggers didn’t hesitate. Guns were drawn instantly, but not fired. Leon must have given them direct orders not to kill. Instead, they started rounding everyone up one by one. Another Bagger used his rifle to club a teenager in the jaw as she ran by. The girl dropped to the ground and two Baggers picked her up and took her inside.

The Baggers beside Clementine and Aries turned and headed off towards the worst of the rebellion, leaving them temporarily alone. They obviously didn’t think that the kids were going to be much of a problem, but Clementine knew it wouldn’t take long before they came back. She’d heard all about the earlier meeting with Leon. Aries would be on the top of their list.

Aries seemed to be thinking the exact same thing. She quickly pulled her hood up to hide her noticeable auburn hair. “Come on. We gotta find somewhere to hide.”

The tents were the closest so they ushered the children over and forced them in. None of them wanted to go, but Janey managed to get them under control without much difficulty.

“What about Princess Fluffy?” Casey asked. “We can’t leave her. She’ll be so scared.”

“I’ll get her,” Clementine said. The dog was still over by the picnic table, cowered underneath, watching all the people rushing past. She slowly and painfully got down on her knees and tried coaxing her out, but the dog only whined. Over by the fence, people were trying to climb the chain-link and the Baggers were pulling them down one by one.