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  “You’re in on it too. In fact, I think I must be the only one you haven’t told. You’re planning something. I know it.”

  “What are you talking about?” Maria said, shaking her head with annoyance.

  “The atmosphere’s changed. Hasn’t it, Ben?” Ethan said.

  After having sat there silently for the best part of an hour, his right fist shut around the bead, Ben looked up at Ethan and then Maria. His face tightened as though he was in pain.

  Internally, he probably is, Charlie thought. Ben had clearly made up his mind to leave for the farm, but the thought of leaving his friends behind weighed on him heavily. Even his shoulders were hunched as though his concern was real and solid.

  “I’m not staying,” Ben finally said.

  “What?” Ethan replied, his eyebrows twitching upward.

  “Staying here? None of us are, Ben. We’re moving on later today,” Maria said, not really getting what Ben was saying.

  He stood up, brushed the dirt from his now-tatty-looking uniform and took a breath. “I’m leaving you. I mean here with Charlie and Denver. I can’t do this; I’m just not cut out for it.”

  “I don’t understand,” Ethan said. “What is it you’re saying?”

  “Explain, Ben. You’re not making much sense,” Maria added.

  “Like I said, I’m not cut out for this. I can’t survive out here. Not like you two. I don’t belong here. I’m going to do a job for Charlie. I’m returning to the croatoans on a farm run by a human called Gregor. Charlie and Denver have explained everything, and it’s the right choice for everyone concerned. I’m doing this for me but also for you two. You’ll stand a better chance if I do this. We all will.”

  For the next ten minutes, Charlie and Denver briefly explained the plan to Ethan and Maria, leaving out certain important pieces that could get them into trouble if they were to be captured, such as the bead and the location of the decoy shelter.

  “And there’s no changing your mind?” Maria said.

  “None.”

  “Well, that’s that then,” Maria said. “I understand and respect your decision. But I hope we’ll get to see you again soon. I’ll miss you.”

  “And I’ll miss you too,” Ben said, moving to her, leaning down, and hugging her. He broke away and hugged Ethan. “And you too, Ethan. But you’re young enough that you’ll soon adapt out here and thrive. I’m not so adaptable.”

  “This might be what a funeral felt like,” Ethan said. “Like the ones on the video recording. I never knew it’d feel so bad. It’s worse than losing Jimmy.”

  A hush descended on the camp as people processed that thought in their own way.

  For Charlie, it was the picture of hundreds of graves he had personally dug in order that those who had perished would at least get some kind of sendoff.

  Even if almost all of them were strangers, given the state of the world, having to bury anyone, even someone with no personal connection, still felt like a loss. Every human counted for so much more when there were so few.

  “Denver, be a sport and get Ben’s pack ready.”

  “Sure thing.” Denver stood up and moved to the shelter, Pip following right behind him like she was his shadow.

  “Before I go,” Ben said, “Can you tell us what it was like before all this? How did it happen? The knowledge might help me on the farm.”

  Charlie looked at the three of them staring back at him with the rapt attention of children at story time. With the fire burning to embers and the morning’s chill burning off, he thought it as good a time as any. Once Ben was gone, it’d be one less thing to go through for the others, and Ben was right. The more he knew, the stronger position he would be in.

  “Okay, let’s start at the beginning.” He leaned back and crossed his legs and began his tale. He filled them in about how society was back then, how he’d worked for a production company, and that fateful day when he went down into the sinkhole.

  “How did you survive that?” Maria said, her mouth gaping with surprise.

  “Pippa was on the surface looking down. She saw the alien craft before I did. She got the firemen and the police to haul me and the boy up, but he perished as the great metal orb climbed out of the hole and crushed him into the sides. I managed to land on the front of it and use its momentum to ride up and out.

  “When I got to the surface, everyone ran. Once I was clear of the ropes and harnesses, Pippa and I managed to get into my truck before the croatoan orb dispensed the gas.

  “That’s what killed most people on their first surfacing. We don’t know what it was exactly, but later, talking with some guys from the Army who had tried to fight back initially, it seemed it was some kind of neurotoxin.”

  “What did it do?” Ethan said, not understanding the term.

  “It paralyzed people. But it didn’t stop them from feeling pain. Most of the afflicted died through starvation and thirst while others died from heart attacks and other blood-pressure-based illnesses.”

  “That’s terrible,” Maria said. “I can’t imagine how scary that must have been to be paralyzed and know you’re going to die but not being able to do anything about it.”

  Charlie shook his head at the memories. “If only you knew the half of it. It was a terrible time. Numbing. No one could truly comprehend what was happening. The croatoans’ orbs came up at the same time and continued to surface for a week all over the world. There must have been hundreds of thousands of them.

  “Pippa and I estimated they were in the ground for thousands of years. Before even humans fully evolved. We should have known it sooner. The signs were there. Over the ages, many societies and cultures had experienced them in some way or another.

  “We discovered cave paintings that in hindsight were obviously early croatoans. When you go back through human history and look at some of the strange reported events, it’s clear the aliens were involved. I can show you in more detail when we reach our destination. Pippa and I researched a lot of this once that initial phase was over.”

  “Initial phase?” Ethan asked. “What else happened?”

  Lighting a root cigar, Charlie took a long drag and exhaled the orange smoke. The root made his brain tingle, and a warm sensation crawled over his body, clearing away the tiredness, making him feel alert and a little high—an energetic high, one that he had come to rely on to keep him vital and healthy.

  “When the military initially resisted, they busted open one of the orbs. It had one of those smaller aliens inside. Shriveled up and aged but still alive. We carbon dated one. They’re essentially immortal as long as they maintain their chemical composition. Within the pod were a number of tanks filled with this root compound.

  “Additionally, there were other tanks filled with the toxin. That initial attack crippled humanity. They destroyed our satellites and jammed our radio signals. Our computers stopped working as each orb acted like an electromagnetic pulse station. Together, they networked, increasing their capability and reducing us to using flags to communicate.

  “The second phase was when the mother ship arrived. It altered our atmosphere and brought on the ice age. Along with the gas the orbs emitted, they did something to drastically shift the temperature of the planet.

  “Those that weren’t killed by the gas were killed by the extreme weather. It took six months for the ice to take hold. During that time, the mother ship sent down thousands of raiders—ships that bundled humans together and took them up there for whatever reason. Testing, experiments, food. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was hiding, staying alive.”

  “That’s when you met Gregor?” Ben asked.

  “A few years later, yeah. I stayed in North America, joining up with some military friends.We retreated to their Army base with Pippa and formed a group of survivors.

  “We were forced south where we found a cave system that we used as our new base of operations. We would go out and search for survivors, bringing them back and helping those that we could. On
e day, Gregor and half a dozen of his Armenian brethren turned up. Somehow, they’d travelled all the way from Europe.

  “They brought tales of the thawing and the harvesters. Within a few years, the thaw came to America, but Gregor was long gone before then. He and I didn’t mix well. He had certain ideas I didn’t agree with. He wanted to join with the croatoans, co-exist with them.”

  Maria shook her head with a look of disbelief. At least one of them was finally getting it. Ben, however, had remained impassive, listening, taking in as much as he could.

  “I refused to be a part of that. Some of our group went with him while a few others stayed with me.”

  “What happened to them?” Ethan said.

  “Most of them died,” Charlie replied. “A few survived but left the group to seek shelter elsewhere. Many people headed for their hometowns, wanting to be someplace familiar. There’s pockets of people all over the place, but over the years, most have come to distrust each other. You saw an example of that back in Ridgway.”

  “So they’re doing all this just for the root?” Ethan said.

  “No, not just the root. They also benefit from human resources. We’re cattle to them, remember? We’re beasts of burden, a food source, even amusement. I don’t know what’s special about our planet, but they’ve always known, for thousands of years, that it would come to this. I suppose this is more their home than it is ours.”

  “But we can’t just give it up to them,” Maria said.

  Charlie smiled, liking this woman more and more. “Exactly. We won’t. Not without a fight. Co-existing is not an option. They know it; we know it. They just think they’ve already won.”

  Pip gave a little bark as she dashed over and sat by Maria. The woman stroked the dog as it panted excitedly. Denver followed behind with an Army backpack. He placed it at Ben’s feet.

  “Okay, Ben,” Denver said, “I’ve packed everything you need for a few days’ journey, though it’ll only take you a day to get to the farm, but I packed extra just in case there’s any problems and it takes a little longer. There’s also one of the alien pistols in case you need to defend yourself.”

  Ben’s face lost its ruddy complexion and became pale as the reality seemed to set in. But he nodded his thanks. Standing up, he hauled the pack on this back.

  “You sure you want to do this?” Ethan said.

  “I’m sure,” Ben said. “Charlie’s tale is even more convincing. That they think they’ve already won means this is an opportunity I must take if I’m to play a role in our fight. I can’t stay out there, but from within, I can hopefully do my duty.”

  “We’ll take you south around Ridgway,” Charlie said, “to avoid any confrontation there. From the edge of the forest, it’s about half a day’s walk. Den, did you pack him the map and compass?”

  “Yeah, it’s in the pack side pocket. Do you know how to use a compass?” Denver asked Ben. The other nodded.

  “We were trained in basic navigation, and we had them installed on the harvester. We thought we were … Well, it doesn’t matter now. I should go now before I run out of time.”

  Ethan and Maria took their turns in saying their goodbyes. Charlie was expecting a more emotional affair, but both of them were quite stoic and practical and weren’t as upset as he imagined them to be. Adapting already. He liked that. Gave him hope that they would become good allies and assets. Ben still gave him doubts, but the information he gave him about the shelter was a good test.

  If Gregor’s people or the croatoans went there instead of coming back here, he would know Ben had stuck to the plan. Regardless, Charlie was prepared for either eventuality.

  It took an hour to cut south around Ridgway. They came to the edge of the forest, through which they could make out the rising smoke of a distant burner. The farm.

  “This is it, Ben. Be confident; stick with the plan, and you’ll be fine,” Denver said.

  Ben stepped into the forest before looking back. “I’ll miss all of you. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we’ll meet again. And thanks, Charlie, Denver, for everything. I may not have shown my gratitude, but I can see now that setting us free from that lie was the right thing to do.”

  He waved as he turned and disappeared into the forest.

  “I can’t believe he’s actually gone,” Ethan said.

  Maria stared ahead, quiet.

  Charlie gave them a few minutes of respect and reflection before putting his hands on their shoulders. “We should go; we’ve got a plan to enact.”

  “Where exactly are we going?” Maria said. “I get that you didn’t want to say in front of Ben, but if we’re to come with you, I’d like to know where it is we are going and why.”

  “We’re going to Manhattan,” Charlie said. “As for why … This is the start of the fight back. Today marks the day we bring a war to the croatoans.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  A low-level mist hung around the damp forest floor outside camp. Gregor flinched after dew dripped from the canopy above and splashed against the back of his neck. He peered down, searching the shrouded ground for one of his first rabbit traps placed along a prominent run two weeks ago. Nothing.

  He hoped for a sunny day and a rabbit in a noose. Anything but to eat a silver tray of slop. Supplies were running out. A few cans of out-of-date Spam, some cake mix, and Layla’s revolting vegetables. It was time for a trip to an urban area, a town, or a city where survivors could be robbed.

  Footsteps thudded across the wet ground in close proximity. Gregor darted behind a tree, crouched on one knee, and peered around the trunk toward camp. Layla stumbled through a clearing with her hands on her head, and went around the back of his house to her trailer, slamming the door shut after entering. She’d have some explaining to do later.

  Too many people seemed to be acting unilaterally nowadays. Igor would be the first to answer questions today.

  As he approached his office, a croatoan fighter shot through the distant sky, blazing a light pink vapor trail. From this distance, it looked like the outline of a cruising swallow. The hunter was searching the immediate area for a sighting of Jackson, his bastard, and the traitors from the harvester.

  Marek groaned, turning on the couch as Gregor entered his office.

  “What time is it?” Marek said.

  “Early in the morning. Get washed; we’ve got work to do.”

  Marek stood in his filthy white vest and jeans, pulled his fingers along his mousy beard, and stretched his back. “What’s the plan?”

  “We’re going to hitch a ride with the croatoans. Two were killed in a booby trap yesterday in a former town nearby. Let’s see if we can find any evidence or survivors, information to crush the little wasp.”

  “I thought they were sending a hunter to deal with Jackson?”

  Gregor snorted. “We’ll get him first. This time, I’m serious.”

  “You’ve said that a hundred—” Marked paused after Gregor raised his hand. “And Igor?”

  “He’s coming with us,” Gregor said. He smiled, picked up one of Layla’s cucumbers off his desk, and snapped it in two. “After we rob any survivors, he’s going to talk.”

  He threw both pieces at Marek, who took a bite, chewed, and spat vegetable sludge onto the floor. “Is this her latest crop? It’s worse than the last.”

  “Which is why we’re going out. Just like the good old days, brother.”

  Marek nodded, yawned, and headed for the bathroom.

  Gregor thought back to them both as young men in Armenia, terrorizing local villages. The villagers, young and old, had no reason to pay protection money, but they wanted to stay on the right side of the gang. Fresh food and the best wine was the price for being left alone. Gregor prided himself on providing the best for his team as a reward for their work. It was becoming harder during the last few years. The croatoans were the main gang. He had to live off the dwindling scraps of humanity.

  Marek called from the bathroom, “Who’s going to feed the
livestock this morning?”

  “Take Igor after we get back. If he comes back.”

  The big operation Gregor took control of was starting to feel smaller. Too many other things were starting to happen locally, things he didn’t know about. It was time to get a grip of the situation. He was doing the right thing. Jackson was the troublemaker and the one putting the remnants of the species at risk.

  Marek returned to the office. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  “I’m going to wake up Igor. You grab three of the croatoan attachments and make sure they prepare their hover-bikes.” Gregor handed Marek a small, folded map and pointed toward Ridgway. “We’re going here, but not so close that the sound of the bikes puts any inhabitants on alert.”

  “Okay, I’ll have them ready in five minutes.”

  “They might be a little pissed. Ten of them were killed yesterday.”

  ***

  Igor had taken a large wooden shed as his place of residence. The whole thing looked on the verge of collapse. Its moldy pine timbers rotted, and the roof wrap was torn and curled away from the structure on both sides.

  Gregor carefully trod across the wet grass to its filthy, cobwebbed window and glanced around the edge of it. Igor lay on a mattress, half under a duvet, snoring. Gregor pulled out his gun and moved to the front entrance.

  It creaked as he slowly opened it. Igor flinched in bed, rolled to one side, and carried on snoring. Gregor dropped to his knees and placed the barrel of his gun into the two-faced Russian’s mouth.

  Igor’s upper teeth clanked against it. He opened his eyes, blinked, jerked backwards, stared up at Gregor, and held his hands to one side.

  “What are you doing?” he said.

  Gregor smiled. “Come on. We’re going scavenging.”