The Rule of Three (30 page)

“Often groups divide themselves into two categories, prey and predators,” Herb said. “Are you seeing more weapons?”

“Almost everybody seems to have some sort of crude weapon, but there are also many more guns visible.”

“That’s to be expected,” Herb explained. “If somebody has a gun they want to display it to let people know they can defend themselves.”

“We’re also noticing more vehicles,” Howie said. “Old cars and trucks, motorcycles, minibikes—basically anything that can still move seems to be out there. Also, there are lots and lots of bicycles.”

“Anything else you’ve noticed?”

“We’re continually being asked for food or water,” Howie said. “I know it’s hard on the guards to say no, especially if it’s women and children.”

“That is hard,” Herb said.

“They just seem so desperate,” Howie said.

“They are desperate,” Herb said. “But you have to remember we’re just a lifeboat.”

Howie looked puzzled.

“This neighborhood is a lifeboat in a storm we can’t stop. Only so many people can be in our boat, no matter how many swimmers you see bobbing about in the ocean. If you try to pull in too many, you sink. You save nobody, including those who were in the boat. Our priority has to be those who are in the boat, because we can’t save all of those who need to be in the boat. Our only exception has been when those on the outside can make our lifeboat stronger and more self-sustaining.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Howie said.

It did. That just didn’t make it any better.

32

The movie ended and there was a smattering of applause
throughout the gym from the several hundred people gathered there. It was an old romantic comedy made long before I was born and it had been shown on a Super 8 projector donated from somebody’s basement. Still, it had been pretty good.

But the gym had gotten so hot it was almost steamy. This confined little space wasn’t meant to hold so many people for this long, stacked so close together. I knew I was sweating. I hoped I wasn’t smelly as well.

“Let’s go out this way,” Lori said.

She took my hand—my sweaty hand—and led me through the crowd and out the side door. It felt good, being hit by a wave of cool, fresh air. It was now near the end of May and we’d had a nice stretch of spring weather.

“What did you think of the movie?” I asked, hoping to start some small talk.

“It was all right. I guess it is the best one around right now.”

“I’m sure it’s the
only
one.”

Lori laughed.

I watched some kids riding around on their bikes, like it was an ordinary evening.

“So are you going to walk me home now?” she asked.

“Of course.”

She continued to hold my hand—which made it even sweatier—and led me away through the crowd, which had spilled outside.

Todd was off to the side talking to some other people. He smiled, gave me a thumbs-up, and blew me a kiss. He was a big goof, but he was almost as happy about me being with Lori as I was about it. That’s what made him such a good friend. I felt bad that we didn’t seem to be able to spend much time together. He and his father had completely enclosed the neighborhood with their fences but now were going back, making them higher and stronger.

Lori started leading us in the opposite direction from our houses. “Shouldn’t we be going the other way?” I questioned.

“It sounds like you don’t want to spend any more time with me than necessary.”

“I’m okay, you know, with a
little
more time.”

We left the crowd behind, circled around the school, and were almost alone.

“It’s good to get away,” she said.

“It was crowded in there.”

“Not just that. It was tense. Didn’t you feel it?”

“I guess. People are just anxious about everything. Danny was telling me there have been a lot of fights at school,” I said.

“I think it’s hard for everyone not to feel really hemmed in,” Lori said.

We kept walking. It was a cloudy night and pretty dark out. We were coming up to Burnham. I’d made a point out of not going this way since those people had been killed. I didn’t like to even think about it. I’d stayed up in the north part of the neighborhood, and the only times I’d left were by air. Even then I’d always flown in and out from the north. I’d gone up on a couple more short flights with my mother’s blessing. I hadn’t gone far or long but with each flight she had more faith—in me and in the machine—and I was able to see from up there what a dozen patrols would have trouble viewing from the ground.

“How about if we turn here?” I suggested.

“Let’s keep going along the fence.”

“We can walk around all night if you want.”

“I think my father would have something to say about that,” she said. “Although he does seem to trust you.”

“I’ve been told that I’m very trustworthy. Besides, you certainly are safe. We’re surrounded by armed guards.”

“Will they protect me from you?” she asked in a flirty way.

“I am not that much of a threat,” I said. For some reason, saying this made me aware of the weight of the pistol I was carrying in its holster. I didn’t feel comfortable being without it anymore.

We closed in on the wall and I started to deliberately make more noise with my feet. The last thing I wanted to do was surprise anybody who was on guard. I’d seen what could happen.

Of course the new protocols had been put into place. Nobody except the officer in charge had more than three bullets loaded in their weapons. The guards had more ammunition but it could be loaded only after they were given permission. Herb hoped that would stop what had happened from happening again.

“Those guard towers are really coming along,” Lori said.

“Better security.” The towers poked well above the dark outline of the wall. They were also one of the recommendations. Better sight lines of what was out there meant a better chance to react, or not react.

“Hello!” I called out as we continued toward the wall. A few shadowy figures turned to our direction. One of them was significantly bigger than the others—Howie.

“How are you doing, Adam?” he called out.

“I’m good.”

I’d always liked Howie and I thought he liked me, but now we had a shared bond, a shared secret, and that seemed to make it feel like we were closer.

“You two are just in time.”

“In time for what?” I asked.

“I’ll show you. Come on.”

He walked toward the gate and we trailed behind. The gate was open. “You need to come outside to fully appreciate it.”

I felt myself hesitate. Inside was safe. Outside was dangerous, and that danger could come from our own people.

“This will be the first time I’ve stepped out of the neighborhood since I got here!” Lori said. Holding my hand, she dragged me along and through the gate until we were standing by Howie.

I looked up and down the empty street, grateful that there was nothing I could see. That didn’t stop me from seeing things that weren’t there anymore or imagining other things that could be hidden in the darkness.

“What are we supposed to see?” Lori asked.

“Turn them on!” Howie yelled.

Suddenly we were bathed in light. All along the length of the fence there were strings of bright Christmas lights.

“It’s beautiful!” Lori exclaimed.

I wasn’t amazed as much as I was disturbed. We were outside the fence, standing in the bright lights, perfectly visible, surrounded by darkness that could contain anything, where anyone could see us without being seen.

“This is the first section that’s been hooked up,” Howie said.

“Merry Christmas!” Lori said.

“And Merry Christmas to you, too!” Howie laughed.

“They work well,” I said. “Can we turn them off now?”

“I guess we should,” Howie said. “Turn them off!” he yelled.

There was a slight pause and then we were in darkness. It took a few seconds for my eyes to adjust.

“Let’s get back inside the wall,” I said.

“Can’t we just stay out here for a while?” Lori asked.

“No, we have to get back inside.”

Lori looked at me, a little surprised. My words had come out more forcefully than I had intended.

Howie backed me up. “He’s right. It is safer inside. Nobody is supposed to go in or out without permission.”

We headed in. This time I was the one pulling her along. The gate closed behind us, sealing us inside. I felt myself relax.

“That worked well,” Howie said. “Nobody is going to be sneaking up on us again. If we sense anybody is out there, we just throw on the lights.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to leave them on all the time?” Lori asked.

“They run off car batteries,” Howie explained, “so running them all the time would drain the batteries and then we’d have to use the generators and fuel to repower them. We don’t want to draw that much power.”

“Or draw too much attention,” I added.

Even in the darkness I could see Lori’s questioning expression.

“In a dark world those lights can be seen from a long way away,” I explained.

“He’s right,” Howie said. “Somebody might figure if we have lights we have other things they might want, and, well, we could end up getting into fights instead of avoiding them.”

“Avoiding them would be best,” I said.

A sudden drop of water landed on my cheek. I looked up.

“It’s starting to rain,” Howie said. “That will keep things quiet as people look for shelter.”

“Thanks for the tour, Howie. We better get to shelter, too.”

“It’s just a sprinkle. We could keep walking,” Lori suggested.

“We can do that,” I said.

“Well, I hope you two enjoy your stroll,” Howie said. I heard him chuckling as we walked away. “My wife and I used to do a whole lot of strolling when we were your age.”

“Good night, Howie,” I said.

“That’s how it all started with me and my wife!” he called out.

“Good night, Howie!” I yelled out over my shoulder.

Lori giggled. “Funny, we haven’t even kissed and he already has us getting married.”

“I think he’s getting things a little out of order.”

“You’re right. Let’s put them in the
right
order.”

She stopped and turned, and we kissed. I was kissing Lori! How long had I thought, dreamed, and fantasized about this happening?

“There,” she said.

“I guess the first step is finished.”

“Are you asking me to marry you?” she questioned.

“No, of course not! I was just—”

She started laughing. “Don’t worry—I don’t expect you to have to marry me because we kissed.” She reached up and kissed me again.

We started walking home, hand in hand, paralleling the wall. I was grateful for the darkness. I felt awkward, needing to say something, and I had the perfect something to say.

“Would you be interested in going for a trip outside the neighborhood tomorrow?” I asked.

“Wow, first kiss and now a date. Where are we going?”

“Not far.” I paused for dramatic effect. “We’re just going for a little flight.”

“In the ultralight?”

I nodded. “Your father gave permission.”

She squealed in delight and threw her arms around me.

“I can’t wait to get up in the air!”

I didn’t have to wait. I was already three feet off the ground.

33

“There’s nothing to be scared or worried about,” I offered over the headset inside my helmet.

“I’m not worried, and I’m certainly not scared,” Lori replied.

“Good to know. Most people are at least a little nervous their first time up in an ultralight. There just isn’t enough plane around you for you to feel secure.”

“I like the wind in my face.”

“So do I. A lot. I’m going to bank to the left now.”

“You don’t have to tell me every time. I’m good. Really.”

I’d done a full circuit of the neighborhood just to make sure Lori was okay with flying. She seemed more than just okay.

It looked beautiful down there. The sun was out and, aside from the rooftops and paved streets, the neighborhood was filled with green vegetation, brown tilled soil, and bright blue swimming pools. It had rained a lot last night after I got back home, which was good for everything. It had watered the crops, filled the swimming pools, and swollen the little creeks. Never before in my life had rain been something to care about except if it canceled a baseball game. Now it was essential.

My eye was also caught by the glint of sun reflecting off glass from a couple of the little greenhouses that were going up throughout the neighborhood. The scavenging teams had been bringing in windows from abandoned houses and car windshields, and construction teams had already gotten busy. As soon as they had been put up, they’d been filled with plantings. Mr. Peterson said they’d quickly outpace the crops that had been planted outdoors.

I completed a pass along the north boundary of the neighborhood, and we made the turn—a little more gently than I normally would—and headed south. I wanted to keep Lori from feeling scared. I was hoping she could accompany me regularly. It wasn’t the usual burger and a dance, but a date was a date. Spending time with her was the best thing I did, and it made all of this craziness seem less bad—in fact, it almost felt impossible not to be happy when I was around her. She seemed to wipe away the awful reality everywhere else.

We slowly banked again—once more toward my side of the plane—and headed east into the still-rising sun.

We were up here for a mission that Herb and my mom had sent us on. I had been thrilled when Lori’s father had said it would be okay for Lori to join me. Any day, my ultralight beat the heck out of Chad’s BMW.

“Is the target far from here?” she asked.

“Not too far. It’s on the other side of the river. Are you comfortable?”

“I’d be more comfortable if I was wearing a parachute instead of body armor,” she said. “Do we really need to wear this stuff?”

“It’s just a precaution. Nobody is going to shoot at us. Besides, it helps keep you warm.”