Fury Rising (40 page)

He felt the ocean once again.

It felt good.

Three Weeks Later

Aries

              She knelt down on the ground, enjoying the way the warm earth felt pressed against her knees. Spotting a weed, she tugged it out and tossed it aside. The small row of carrots was coming along nicely. Bright green tips pushed out from the ground, a sign of new life spreading throughout the soil.

              The sun warmed her back. The morning light made her feel drowsy, almost to the point where she felt she could go lie down in the shade and take a nice nap. The thought made her smile, not because she wanted to, but because she could.

              Naps were allowed now.

              The garden was growing. They’d planted everything a few weeks ago. Corn. Peas. Carrots. Fresh food. They’d found all sorts of things since relocating to Bowen Island. People were harvesting berries from neglected back yards and the woods. The abandoned houses were Bagger free and there were plenty enough to go around. Karen and Larissa had taught the children how to dig for oysters on the beach. They set traps for crab and fished every day.

              They did it all without fear.

              Aries hadn’t been back to Vancouver since the night they escaped. She had a lot to do on the island, but mostly she couldn’t stand the idea of seeing it all again. Mason had returned, bringing back a few remaining survivors they’d managed to find. He reported that the Baggers were gone. They’d vanished without a trace. Aries wanted to believe they wouldn’t ever come back, but she knew that wasn’t likely. Once they learned that the majority of ferals had perished in the explosion, they’d trickle back.

              But Aries and the others weren’t going to fear them anymore. No, the Baggers could have Vancouver. And until any of it happened, Aries was more than happy to remain where they were, living off the land and in peace.

              Peace.

              It meant sleeping through the night without worrying that someone might die. Being able to take a walk through the woods without wondering if she was being watched. It meant watching Casey and the other children running around playing hide-and-seek in the twilight.

              It meant being able to create their own New World Order—a place in which no one had to hide anymore.

              A life without…

              Daniel. A day didn’t go by in which she didn’t think about him. Was he out there watching, somewhere off in the distance and just beyond her reach? Waiting for the moment to reveal himself, the way he always did, when she least expected it? She didn’t think so. She’d relived the explosion over and over in her mind, and not once could she think of a way in which he might have survived. The Plaza of Nation was gone. Not just the Casino, but almost the entire city block. And no one had seen Daniel get out.

              Daniel. Raj. Michael. Nathan. Eve. People she loved and cared about. All gone.

              They’d started a new tree on Bowen. Okay, not technically a tree, but an old abandoned building. A place to create the lives that still mattered. A museum where anyone could add things about the people they lost. Already the walls were covered over with poetry and scribbles. Larissa had painted a mural of Raj and Michael, complete with a picture of Cleo, the dog. They’d finally settled on a proper name. Aries couldn’t help but think Raj would approve.

              She’d snuck into the museum one night and added her own small contribution in privacy. A Monopoly board she’d found in one of the houses. It reminded her of the time Daniel and her were stuck in the store, playing the aforementioned game. A moment she still wished she could escape back to and live inside forever.

              Daniel.

              She would move on. One day she might look up and find herself staring into his eyes, but that would be another story. Another conclusion. And right now, she was kind of happy with the ending she currently had. 

              The boat roared to life down by the docks and she looked up and watched Mason and Clementine maneuver one of the smaller boats out into the water. Today was Clementine’s first trip back to Vancouver since they’d taken refuge on the small island. Her wounded shoulder had grown infected and Larissa had to spend quite a bit of time nursing her back to health. Mason went almost every day. Aries got the feeling he still wasn’t comfortable being on the island. He might never fully fit in. So he spent his days going back and forth, using it as an excuse to search for other survivors. But Aries knew the truth. Mason would never give up until he had his answer.

              That was fine. She had her closure. Aries had no desire to go back, at least not yet. She hadn’t stepped foot off the island since the night they arrived. Vancouver held nothing she wanted.

              Or at least nothing she already had.

              She watched them until they faded into the distance. Turning, she decided that maybe gardening wasn’t what she wanted to do. She knew Joy and Jack were taking care of the children over by the park and that sounded like a lot more fun. She gave a wave to Jordan as she walked past one of the cottages.

              A community. That’s what they were.

              This was her Game Over. Or perhaps more of a new beginning.

Mason

              He split up with Clementine, knowing she wanted to go by herself. He wasn’t thrilled at the idea, but he wouldn’t push it. Just because they hadn’t seen a Bagger or feral in weeks, didn’t mean they should go dropping their guard any time soon.

              But some journey’s had to be taken alone.

              Sitting on the park bench in False Creek, Mason fully understood that. Spread out before him were the remains of the Plaza of Nations. No matter how much he tried to forget, the place continued to draw him back. Somewhere beneath that mountain of rubble, were the remains of both people he cared about and those he hated more than anything.

              A mass graveyard.

             
Promise me you’ll stay in the light.

              Mason wanted to be more like Aries. He wished her could be at peace with a new life on Bowen Island. But something always drew him back. He couldn’t forget a single thing. He’d lie awake at night and feel the city calling him. The darkness was putting up a fight.

              There would always be Baggers. They would be back and he’d be ready for them. And there would be more survivors, people arriving to the city from smaller towns, looking for support. He’d find them too and lead them in the right direction. It was what he needed, a chance to feel useful in a way that made sense to him.

              Aries wanted him. She loved him and that was wonderful. But it wasn’t enough. It was easy. He could slip into her arms and stay forever. Casey made Mason feel like the most important man on the planet. A youthful father. He might not be quite ready for that, but he was going to try. And all the others. They improved him and made him a better man. They gave him belonging.

              But was it enough?

              Yes. For now.

              Mason got up and walked across the Plaza. Something caught his eye, a quick movement off to the right. But when he looked, he saw nothing. A rat perhaps or maybe another stray dog or cat. It would be nice to find a playmate for Cleo.

              He glanced down at his watch. In three hours, he’d meet back up with Clementine and they’d head back. That gave him plenty of time to do what he came to do. Climbing on top of his motorcycle, he revved the engine.

             
I trust in the possibilities of betterness. I believe there is more to life than this. I have to.

              He could still remember Chickadee when she spoke those words to him. Back in Banff when they’d been making the long trip west. She’d known she was dying then, although she kept it a secret as long as she could. He could hear the laughter in her voice and smell the coconut in her hair. Those perfect braids that bounced when she waltzed across the room.

              She’d given him hope in a world that offered none.

              And she’d believed that good things would happen, even when there was hardly any light left to be found.

              It took Mason a long time to understand that he didn’t necessarily believe the way she did. But he loved her message and would do anything he could to spread it. That was his lightness. His reason for living.

              His purpose.

              The sudden movement appeared again. Definitely someone was there, hiding just beyond the destruction. They were obviously nervous and unwilling to show themselves. But the day wasn’t over yet. Trust was something that had to be built and Mason had all the time in the world.

              He never wanted a new family, but he found one. He wanted to be alone and that wasn’t impossible either. A balance of both was the key.

              As he drove off down Beatty Street, he couldn’t help but notice that someone had sprayed a few words against the brick.

             
Nothing Lives.

              Pressing down on the gas, Mason smiled to himself.

Clementine

              She pulled the car to the side of the road and turned off the engine. Off in the distance, she could make out the buildings of the Simon Fraser Campus. Someone had put up a large barrier for safety. She didn’t blame them. There were people on the other side of the wooden blockade. They had guns and kept them on her. Putting her hands up on the wheel, she waited.

              To suggest she was nervous might be the understatement of the year.

             
Dear Michael. This is it. I’m not sure why it took me this long to come here. Okay, yeah, I was sick, but that was more of an excuse. I was fine over a week ago. I had to wait until I was ready. But am I? I think I’m going to have a heart attack on the spot. Right here. I should have picked a BMW or a Porsche. Dying in a Ford truck seems tacky.

              At least it wasn’t a white van.

              She slowly turned off the engine and put the car in park. A man and woman carefully approached her, motioning for her to get out. She did.

              “Hello,” she said.

              “Are you alone?”

              “Yes.”

              She turned around carefully to show she was unarmed. Looking up, she grinned stupidly at the sun. What if Daniel had lied to her? What if she was too late? A million questions burned through her, but she brushed them all away. She hadn’t come this far to not find out.

              Even if the news was bad, she would survive.

             
This could be the end of my journey, Michael. You have no idea how badly I wish you were here. You kept me going. Gave me the determination I needed to never give up. And I won’t. Even if I walk away disappointed, I won’t give up.

              “I’m hoping you can help me,” she said. “I’m looking for someone. I heard he might be here.”

              The woman lowered her rifle slightly. In the distance, a child’s laughter travelled from down the road. She couldn’t get over how beautiful the campus was. It seemed untouched, as if the earthquakes and the Baggers hadn’t managed to soil it. She felt the same way on Bowen Island. It was good to know there were still places left in the world where people could survive. No, they could do better than that. They could live again.

              “Who are you looking for?” the woman asked.

              “Heath White. I heard he was here?”

              The two of them whispered amongst themselves for a bit, glancing over at her as if trying to decide if she were legit or not. Clementine bit back the urge to ask them to hurry. She never was good at being patient.

              “Wait here,” the man finally said. She watched as he climbed into a golf cart and headed further up the mountain towards the campus.

              She waited, standing a good thirty feet away from the woman. She wondered if she should say something, but decided against it.

             
What am I going to say to him, Michael? What if we look at each other and see what we’ve become? We’re strangers now. I’ve changed so much. I’m not even sure if I’m the same person I was. A cheerleader. Farmer’s daughter. All American country girl, born and bred. The words I used to describe myself back then. I’m none of those things now.

              What if we look at each other and have nothing to say?

              When the golf cart finally returned, the man wasn’t alone. She saw it then. The shock of familiar blond hair.

              He jumped out of the vehicle before it had a chance to even slow down. And then they were running towards each other. Grabbing one another’s arms and holding each other tightly.

              Her brother.

              “I can’t believe it,” he said. “It’s really you.”

              “I have so much to tell you,” she said. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

              Heath grinned at her. “I can’t wait to hear it.”

Nothing

              You thought I was gone, didn’t you? Come on, admit it. You shed a tear or two.

              You should have known better.

              In a way, I am dead. It’s better that way. At least now I can leave. I was trapped before. Torn between two worlds. Two hearts.

              I never wanted to walk away. But sometimes you can’t look back.

              She thinks I’m dead. And yeah, maybe it makes me a bastard, but I want to keep it that way. I can’t live in her world any more than she can occupy mine. There are answers out there and I intend to find them. And when that day comes, maybe I can walk back into her heart.