Shifting Currents (8 page)

From the outside, it looked as if the cabin was barely standing. The front and all the computers had taken the brunt of the blast. Bethany buried her face in the ground and took a cautionary breath and held it as she tasted the ammonia and bleach still. Keeping low, like she had been taught, she scurried on her elbows until she saw a picnic table. Tipping it over, Bethany got behind it and then let herself breathe again. Spots came in front of her eyes as she gulped down air with greedy gasps. Dizziness caused by the exertion, the fumes, and disengaging from the electronics made her vision dim. She fought against passing out and curled into a ball using the table to hide.

The gunfire had stopped, and there were people shouting and gathering around. No one wanted to go near the cabin until the vapors dissipated, but she could hear a few brave souls trying to get through the debris.

“Are you all right?” a woman with soft green eyes asked her. She was dressed in a leather jacket and pants. Her long blonde hair fell into messy waves down her shoulder, and she smelled like a wet dog.

“Lisa?” Recognition came slowly. Bethany must have inhaled some of the poison. She tried to focus her eyes.

“Yeah, come with me. Lucas is tracking the saboteurs.”

“How bad is it?”

“It’s bad. I think they were trying to take out all the Techs.”

“Why would anyone do that?” Bethany said, letting Lisa help her to her feet. She coughed out some of the poison that still lingered in her chest, and they staggered into the forest.

“Lucas thinks it’s the Purebloods.”

“Are they some kind of ultrareligious group?”

“No, I think it’s just some people who like the way the world is, and they’re afraid of going back to the way things were.”

“We’re a long way off from that,” Bethany said.

“Not if we get the computer technology that we lost back. And it’s rumored that the Cal Poly University is nearly intact.”

“After being under water?” Bethany snorted.

“That’s the thing, it never was under water. A chunk of San Luis Obispo and the surrounding area had just broken off and floated away into the Pacific.”

“And now it’s back?”

“Now boats have seen it as an island in the distance. Alcatraz still stands—why not one of the colleges?” Lisa said, pulling her along the edge of the conclave, keeping low to the ground so they wouldn’t be singled out.

“I’m sure there are looters there even as we speak.” Bethany’s throat was raw and she swallowed hard to soothe the burn.

“There is plenty for everyone.” Lisa held up her hand, and they rested against a large boulder.

Three long blasts of an air horn was the conclave’s summoning signal. It appeared that the big event was going to take place after all. Lisa started to get undressed.

“What are you doing?” Bethany asked.

“These are the only clothes I have with me. You can stop giving me that prissy look. I enjoyed the hell out of earning them.”

Bethany flinched back at her tone. “I’m not judging you or your brother.”

Lisa sighed. “I know. I hate being poor. Can you put them in your pack for me?”

At her nod, Lisa’s form shifted, and the white Great Pyrenees dog was back beside her, wagging her tail happily. As they walked to the conclave’s gathering place, Bethany’s neck tingled as if there was someone sighting down a gun barrel at her.

“Bethany!” Maya said and rushed from where the other elders were huddled together on a raised dais.

Bethany cringed as over two hundred people turned to look at her. Maya caught her in a fierce hug. “We thought the worst.”

“How are the other Techs?”

“Two injured, two who weren’t in the cabin are fine. But the rest…Bethany, the rest are all dead.” Maya gripped her tighter. “How did you escape?”

“The bed landed on top of me, and I crawled out the windows before the gas took me.” Bethany hugged back. Twenty people dead. “Why? Why did this happen?”

“We don’t know. But for now you need to stick close. I don’t want you to go anywhere alone.”

“I’ll be fine,” Bethany said. Then shivered. Five Techs remained in the entire Northeast.

“I don’t care,” Maya said. “I’m putting our Shifters on guard duty.” She waved her hand, and two big men came over.

Bethany recognized them as George and Steven. They were lovers and they did anything Maya asked. She suspected that they would even kill for her. She grew a bit uneasy.

Maya snapped her fingers at them. “You shift right now and protect Bethany. You are not to leave her alone, and you have my authorization to kill anyone who tries to take her from our tribe.”

“Maya!” Bethany said, even as the men dropped their human forms. There was a lot of sniffing and growling going on between them and Lisa, but it evened out into a dull roar.

“You are a very valuable commodity,” Maya said. “Especially now. Our tribe can’t afford to lose you.” And with that, she made her way back up to the podium. Bethany could see the other chiefs congratulating her good fortune that her pet Tech was still alive. Stepping over the wolves, Bethany grabbed a seat on a log. With her entourage, no one was able to sit close enough to talk to her.

“It’s nice to be wanted,” Bethany said sarcastically and dug into her pack for some dried meat. She nibbled on it and offered some to the Shifters while the conclave was called to order and the opening statements began. She scouted the sky for a glimpse of an eagle or anything that might be Lucas. Closing her eyes, she started to drift. It was like last night was just a dream. All she could feel was pain, and it hurt to breathe. Bethany tried not to cry.

This was only her third conclave, but it started out no different from the last two. Thank you all for coming. We’re the inheritors of the Earth. Our survival is crucial on our working together. Keep the lines of trades open. Yada, yada, yada. And no fighting among the tribes.

The last bit caused some stir with the crowd. Chief Alexander of the Mid Region got up to speak.

“We believe that a group of assassins calling themselves the Purebloods are behind the cowardly attack on our Tech cabin. They have banded together to murder anyone that they consider not to be human.”

Bethany’s eyes popped open, and the pain burned away as she seethed with anger. Somewhere a radio began to play music. When Chief Alexander looked pointedly at her, Bethany realized her emotions had triggered it. She lowered her eyes and actively disengaged the link between her and the radio. The chief cleared his throat. “Of course any rational person realizes the bigotry and nonsense behind the assassins’ ideology. They had started out exterminating Shifters, telling us that they were feral and that they were becoming bogeymen from the old stories. Werewolves, dragons, that type of nonsense.”

The three Shifters surrounding Bethany made disgruntled noises.

“Sadly there were some who believed their lies. All of us have a story to tell about what has hunted us in the great night. Those of us old enough to remember the days after the meteor can tell you that if these super creatures really existed, they would have taken over in the chaos years that followed. Might making right and all that. The tribes of the Northern Conclave have made a decision to excommunicate the Purebloods. No tribe will offer them sanctuary or respite. Those who are found to have aided them will be given the same fate. The Purebloods are to be killed on sight. For the good of the tribes and all of our futures.”

There were even more distressed murmurings going on with that. On the one hand, it was good to kill an enemy. On the other hand, how many people were going to offer as an excuse “I thought he was a Pureblood” for murdering their neighbor? But then again, it was good that the tribes were taking a stand against the genocide on what a few crazies thought were “nonhumans.”

The next up to speak were two men dressed in fine wool jackets and heavy canvas pants. They might have even been wearing pre-Meteor boots, but Bethany couldn’t get a good look at them from the angle she was sitting at. Lisa nudged her knee with her nose, and Bethany made sure she paid attention.

“My name is Lewis, and this is my partner, Clark. We’re looking to hire a team of professionals to take a journey across the country to the Pacific Ocean.”

He waited until the mutterings died down.

“We will need Techs and Shifters, hunters and looters. We’re going to investigate rumors of a college library, still intact and above the waterline.”

This time it took a good ten minutes for the chattering to die down.

“I am offering ten items of salvage from the library, full meals, and transportation to and from the site. Also anything you loot for yourself along the journey is yours to keep as well. We’ll start from our base camp a few hours’ away in New York, travel through to our territory in Colorado, and then onward to Nevada where we’ll pick up our boat.”

“How are you planning to get across the country?” a farmer shouted up.

“We have taken great pains to rebuild steam engines and tracks.”

“All the way to Nevada?” A disbelieving voice popped up from the back.

“Please speak with your chiefs and then come to us once you have obtained their permission for this journey.”

“Permission?” Bethany straightened up. Since when did
she
require permission to do anything? She tried to catch Maya’s eye, but Maya was frowning and writing something down into the bound book she always carried. This didn’t bode well. She couldn’t even speak to Lisa about it without George and Steven overhearing.

Next up were all the merchants who spent about five minutes each explaining what they were selling and willing to trade. Despite her growing agitation, Bethany noted that there were a few booths she was going to have to visit before she left.

When the conclave’s meeting broke up, Bethany made a beeline for Lewis and Clark. She had read history books when the looters found them, and she had been lucky that the Orange Grove tribe had a few retired teachers who took it upon themselves to come out of retirement to teach the children. They were no more Lewis and Clark than she was Pocahontas.

Lem blocked her path.

“Not interested,” Bethany said and tried to scoot around him, but the wolves kept getting in her way.

“Maya said she wanted you to share her cabin since the Techs’ cabins are now inhospitable.”

“That’s not necessary,” Bethany said. “I can pitch a tent with the rest of the tribe.”

“You, uh, can also share mine.” He looked at her left eyebrow or maybe it was the interesting branch above her head.

“Maya said.”

“What?”

“You forgot to add Maya said after your last sentence. Now, if you would please get out of my way. I have some business to discuss with those gentlemen over there.”

“I’m sorry, Bethany. We’re not supposed to let you do that.”

Lisa bared her teeth at the wolves.

“I don’t believe this.”

“I’m sure it’s just a misunderstanding,” Lem said. “Once you and Maya talk things out, I know everything will be all right. Please? It’s just that you’re too valuable to our tribe to have you leave us. Especially since everyone is going to be after the remaining Techs to go to their tribes.”

“Maya doesn’t own me. I’m not a slave,” Bethany said, kicking out at George as he tried to herd her by nipping at her ankle. Lisa almost got his ear the next time he tried it.

Lem looked flustered. “I know. And we don’t want to hurt you.”

“Why would you hurt me?”

Lem turned red. “I’m just following Maya’s orders. She said to get you into the cabin and keep you there until it’s time to go home.”

“Are you going to force me to stay there against my will?”

“She didn’t say.” Lem shifted uncomfortably. “But, yeah, I think so. It’s for your own protection, though.” He brightened up.

“No. It’s for the good of the tribe,” Bethany said bitterly.

“See, I told her you would be reasonable.” He offered her his hand.

Bethany shifted her backpack so she could reach inside. She came up with the .45 and pointed it at Lem. “I am reasonable. Reasonably sure I can kill you in cold blood, and because I’m a Tech and you’re a farmer, I’d get off with a slap on the wrist. How do you like them apples?”

Lem looked at the wolves.

“They might throw my aim off. But I’m aiming for your torso. It’s a big target. Bottom line, at this range I’m going to hit you. It’s going to hurt, and you’re going to be recovering for a long time. That is, unless you get an infection from where they cut you open to take out the bullet. Ask yourself, is it worth it?”

Lem put up his hands and backed away. “I’m not your enemy here. We just want to keep you safe.”

“You just want to keep me,” Bethany said. She backed away from Lem, and he let her go, but the wolves kept at her heels. She wasn’t dumb enough to think she could stop the both of them, but as they currently didn’t have thumbs, she could resist their herding techniques. And she was pretty sure George and Steven knew she hadn’t taken the safety off the pistol.

“Okay, okay, don’t shoot,” Lem said.

“The three of you need to get out of my sight,” Bethany said.

“Maya’s orders say…”

“Stuff her orders. You leave me alone, or I’m out of here. I will leave the tribe, and there is nothing you can do short of force to stop me.”

Lem looked away. “Okay, guys, heel.”

“They aren’t dogs,” Bethany snarled. “They’re people just like you.”

“Not like me,” Lem said. “I’m just a farmer, remember?”

He turned his back on her and strode away. George and Steven didn’t move.

“I mean it, you two. I will shoot you.”

George growled.

Lisa growled back.

“It doesn’t have to get ugly, guys. Just give me some breathing room.”

Steven barked, and they backed off to the far end of the camp.

“I think that’s as good as we’re going to get,” Bethany said to Lisa. “Can you find Lucas?”

Lisa looked to the sky and howled.

“Oh, shush.” Bethany laid her hand on Lisa’s muzzle. “It’s not that bad.”

But when she looked back for George and Steven, they were gone.

“Lady Tech!” The farmer she had bought Lisa from waved her down. Lisa began to growl, and the farmer dropped his hand. “I was wondering if we could cash in the video game hour now for my son. If it’s not a bad time.”