Forming Plans

That night, Jude got little to no rest. He was plagued with nightmares from his childhood. Sometimes, memories he had locked away, ones having to do with his parents death, crept back into his psyche and chased away any hope of resting - A reverse “out with the old, in with the new”. When he awoke in a cold sweat for the fourth time, the sun was high enough in the sky that he decided to get moving. Stella remained snoozing in the tent, cuddle up in an old blanket like a bug. Jude had been with her since he was 12, and she somewhat filled the void the absence of his parents produced.

Outside, the wind was blowing and he could definitely tell that Yule was on the way. This was jacket weather, but unfortunately for him, Jude’s coat had been destroyed in the fire back home. His wondering frozen thoughts soon were pushed aside by Mac, who called to him from across the yard. Jude jogged towards the large shed he was standing by.

“Good morning, Switch” Mac exclaimed happily.

“Switch?” Said Jude confused.

Mac slapped him on the back and chuckled deeply.

“Hell yeah! You’re my new mechanic, remember? I give everyone nicknames, so yours is Switch” He stated matter-of-factly.

“Well alright” Laughed Jude. “How can I be of service?” He said saluting sarcastically.

Mac motioned for him to follow and stepped inside the shed, which housed a large generator and a work bench. Mac took a seat at a makeshift table, built from a large wooden cable spool. He pointed to the other milk crate and waited until Jude was seated before taking a small piece of paper out of his pocket and clearing his throat.

“Alright, so here’s the deal… I think its obvious The Compound isn’t living up to its name. We’ve been hit four times in the last month by a local gang. Now, gangs aren’t something new to us. Hell, we’ve been keeping them at bay since before you were born… But the gang that’s been attacking recently… Well, they ain’t what you’d call normal” Mac explain grimly. “I told you I had lost some men, right?” He asked Jude, who nodded quietly. “These bastards didn’t just come in and kill them for supplies... Fuckers took the corpses with em. Found a few of my boys about a mile away, cut up like fucking cattle… They’re eating us, Switch” He whispered.

Jude sat forward, a look of great concern on his face.

“Wait… Cannibals? I ran across an attack a few days back. That’s how I got that jeep” He informed.

Mac brushed his mustache down and sighed.

“Then you can see what we’re dealing with. We started calling them The Crazies because of how they act. One of the men lucky enough to get away told us they’re a pack of feral dogs. Grunts instead of words, no evidence of remorse… Fucking killing machines. That’s why I need more guards, Jude. We’re about 14 strong now, and from what our recon team gathered, there’s at least 25 living in an abandoned hospital up the road. Worse part is… They looked like they were prepping for an assault. That was yesterday morning, so I’m guessing they’ll attack tomorrow or the day after… And we will not be ready” Mac continued, staring down at the floor.

Jude knew what The Crazies were capable of, and The Compound didn’t stand a chance at the moment. Mac unfolded his paper and placed it on the table.

“Now, I’ve been thinking about how I can fortify our defenses, but The Guerillas aren’t too good with wires. The guy we had in charge of maintenance was killed in the first attack” He said and pointed to the list. “Weapons ain’t the issue here, it’s barriers. Those freaks can climb almost anything. First line of defense will be some IEDs I had the boy make, but if the get around those, the next obstacle is the fence bordering the area. They won’t think twice about it and climb right over, and that’s what I’m hoping for. I wanna hook our gene up to the chain link so we can fry those hard-ons” Mac explained.

The large Titan was very rusted and wasn’t running. Jude wondered if it had ever worked.

“That leviathan would definitely cook em up good, but the grid is shot to shit. That’s where you come in, Switch. You think you can get her workin again? I can jury rig the electric fence but I couldn’t tell you a damn thing about how that beast works” He said sadly.

“I don’t think it should be too hard, provided I can find replacement parts for it” Jude said standing and checking out the wiring. “Might have to make a run into the city. Police stations and Fire departments usually run off the same kind, so maybe we could try those… That’s if someone else hasn’t beat us to it” He added.

Mac thought for a moment, stroking his chin then snapped his fingers.

“I got it!” He exclaimed, springing up. “About 30 miles up the road is Patrick Air Force Base. Now I know ain’t nobody been rummaging around there” Mac said, showing Jude on the map.

Jude looked down and watched Mac’s finger trace the route.

“Why hasn’t it been occupied?” Questioned Jude wearily.

Mac’s excited smile turned serious as he remembered why folks didn’t venture up that way anymore.

“Used to be a missile testing area before The Fall. Bout 17 years back, some no-goods finally managed to get past the walls, but they all wanted the find for themselves. Story goes one of them figured if she couldn’t have it, no one would. Detonated a warhead she found in storage. Killed them all and wiped out The Space Coast, which is the living quarters the raiding group was staying in” He said, sitting back down.

“Well, what’s the problem? We need parts for the generator, not shelter” Jude inquired.

Mac drew a smoke from his pack and lit it up. His exhale filled the room with smoke.

“You’re right. The generator is probably in the clinic. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had multiple Titans in case the power went out. They’ll be untouched too cause those Raiders that blasted the Space Coast wanted weapons, not power… But that’s not our problem, Switch. Word passed around in the caravan said the crazy bitch didn’t understand what she had gotten hold of. She assumed it was the run of the mill conventional weapon… Like a Fragmentation Warhead, and it’d just wipe everyone out in the blast” He explained, pausing for a moment. “It was a fucking RRW” He said finally.

Jude thought hard but couldn’t place the abbreviation. Explosives had never been his forte.

“And what exactly does that mean, Mac?” He asked quietly.

Mac grinned at him, the disappointment in his eyes shining brightly.

“Reliable Replacement Warhead. Nuke warhead… It was a small one though. Normally, the yield about 200 Kilotons and that would have destroy the entire base. Probably would have got The Compound too. The one she set off was an experimental Pocket RRW. It was meant to wipe out enemy dens during The Korean Empire Conflict. We would shoot it into the hole, and kill every last fucker inside. The long term effect was the icing on the cake though. With most bombs, it peters out a few weeks to a year later. With the Pocket RRW though, radiation would stay in the area for years, an idea spawned from one of those fucknut bigwigs. Keep those little Asian bastards out of those foxholes for a long time… That place is still teeming with rads, so the scavengers stay away” He finished, taking another drag.

Jude sat down and began to think, scribbling on Mac’s piece of paper. Mac sat in silence, watching the boy work. After a few minutes, Jude looked up at him and smiled. Mac knew whatever he was planning was going to be risky, but they didn’t have a choice. The Crazies would tear them apart if they made if over the fence, so he had to place his faith in the young man, whom he had only met the night before. Looking down at the paper, his doubts slowly melted away.

“This could work, kiddo. We have everything here at the camp” Mac said, scanning over the instructions.

“Then we should get to work. We’re gonna need lead, lots of it” Judah stated. “And the suits gotta be done by the evening if we’re gonna make the deadline” He added.

Mac finished his cigarette and crushed it with his boot.

“Alright… We leave tonight. As soon as you get them ready, Switch” He said with a smile.

The New Arrival

It was a little after three in the morning when Judah started noticing signs for The Compound. Residents had simply drawn arrows on old Palm Bay City signs with neon yellow paint, and these would point him in the right direction. As he turned down an unmarked street, a large group of tents in the distance came into view. Black smoke from a large campfire rose high into the air, causing Stella to sit up and take notice. Her small black nose took quick snorts and she barked once, letting Judah know she smelled humans approaching them.

“I see them…” Judah whispered to her, place his rifle across his lap.

Several ATVs were already in route, barreling towards the jeep with weapons at the ready. Judah brought the jeep to a halt and turned off the ignition just as the party of merchants reached him. A man in a gasmask, who was also the closet to the vehicle, raised his shotgun.

“Who the fuck are you? Ain’t expecting nobody out this way at this time of night” The man called, stepping closer to the Jude’s side of the jeep. “Get out here!” He added, motioning with the muzzle of the Spaz.

Jude placed his hands on the door and opened it smoothly. Stella began to growl, but was silenced with a whistle from her master. When he was a good five feet from the jeep, one of the other merchants retrieved his rifle.

“Whatcha planning on doing with this, boy?” He questioned, turning to Jude.

He smiled and ran his hand through his hair. The fact that these people saw a 23-year-old Scavenger and his mutt as a serious threat made him chuckle silently.

“My name is Judah… That there’s Stella. Don’t worry, she’s harmless” Jude said pointing at his companion. “We’re from down south. You heard of The Shore before, ain’t ya?” He asked the man in the gas mask that looked to be in charge.

“Course we heard of The Shore! You trying to get smart with me? Why you coming round here for?” Snapped the man, thrusting his gun at the boys chest.

Jude shoved it away quickly, causing Stella to leap out of the jeep and join him at his side. She began to snarl at the man, but again Jude silenced her. He didn’t come here to fight, he came to find Del.

“Stella! Hush!” He commanded, holding his hand in front of her face.

The dog gave one final warning growl and took a seat on the grass. Jude chuckled nervously.

“Look, I’m sorry. I’m looking for Del Osborn. Told me that if I ever needed help, just come here and I’d find it” He explained, extending his hand to the merchant. “I’m sorry… I meant no harm” He continued, looking down at his hand.

The merchant thought for a moment, then sighed and returned the handshake.

“Jesus Christ, son. You need to get that fucking dog under control. If I was having a bad day, I might have fired as soon as she jumped” The man advised.

Stella’s behavior was always like this around strangers. Besides Del, every person Judah came in contact with was a Raider or Scavenger, and just usually ended up shooting at them. The man removed his mask, revealing a hard face hidden behind a bushy orange mustache.

“Names Arlen McIntosh, but everybody calls me Mac. Judah, right?” He inquired.

“Jude is fine” He said with a smile.

Arlen laughed and patted him on the shoulder.

“Well, Del ain’t here right now. Headed back to Avalon a few days ago” Mac said. “You’re more than welcome to stay here at The Compound, though. If Del sent ya, you can’t be too dangerous” Mac joked, walking back to his ATV. “Climb back into that old jeep of yours and I’ll show you were you can park it” He called over the rumble of his motor.

Jude signaled for Stella to join him again in the jeep and soon he was following behind the group. The Compound had been around forever, almost 100 years. It had been built in the 1980’s by a developer, but when he went bankrupt, the 200 miles of paved roads that stretch in any directions for 12 miles was abandoned but never destroyed. From what he’d heard from Del, the merchant caravans started setting up shop there about 35 years ago, establishing a secure area for travelers. It was a place you could find work, food, ammo, shelter, gossip and just about anything else you could think of. The surrounding area was great hunting ground too. To the north was the Palm Bay Regional Park and if you drove out west, you hit The Saint Johns River. The merchants had done a great job, considering how many gangs were now living in Palm Bay.

Jude pulled into a small metal garage and put the old clunker in park. Stella, who had realized the merchants were friendly, trotted outside and towards a group of workers eating nearby, hoping to pick up some scraps. Jude couldn’t understand how she could be angry one minute and then ready to give wet kisses for some potted meat the next. Mac stood next to Jude watching Stella work her magic.

“So The Shore, huh? Rough place” He said, still watching the dog.

“Yeah, it’s pretty terrible but I had a safe haven” He mumbled, somewhat disappointed as he remembered his home. “Raiders torched it, so I knew they’d be back. Wasn’t safe anymore and I hoped Avalon would be just the place to start fresh” He explained.

Mac took a pack of stale cigarettes from his shirt pocket and placed one between his lips.

“What do ya do?” He grumbled through clutched lips as he lit a match.

Jude chuckled and scratched his chin.

“I do a bit of everything. Prospecting, mechanics, hunting, security… You name it, I’ve done it” The boy said, point to the smokes “Can I get one? I could use it”.

Mac smiled and handed him a crumpled one. Jude frowned but lit it anyway.

“Well listen… I’m heading to Avalon in a few days. If you want, you can tag along. I’ve lost a lot of men recently. God damn Raiders keep hitting the camp around noon. Found some weak spots in security” Mac stated, directing Jude’s attention to a guard tower in the distance. “Motherfuckers hit there yesterday. I’m gonna see if Paragon will send me some more help but I gotta go to Avalon to do it” He groaned.

“Paragon?” Asked Jude taking a drag.

“Douglas Paragon. He runs the caravan company we work for – Paragon Convoys. He’s kind of an asshole, but the pay is good” Mac laughed.

He walked towards the tents and turned back to Jude.

“You’re probably tired, so why don’t you go lay down. You can sleep in any of the bed, The Guerillas won’t mind. In the morning, we’ll figure out all this Avalon business. We wont be leaving for a few days anyway cause I got too much shit going on around here. Actually, you mind maybe help us fix up some equipment before our trip? You said you were handy with mechanics” Mac asked.

“You got it” Jude said with a wave.

The older man disappeared into a tent and Stella rushed to join Judah again. She jumped excitedly, her snout covered in what looked like creamed corn.

“Did you save me any?” Jude questioned.

Stella barked and rubbed her face on his leg, smearing the remnants of the food on his jeans. He took that as a no.

The Passage

Judah moved stealthily through the darkened street towards a blue light, that was flashing in the eighth story window of a remote office building. Stella, who cautiously sniffed the air and occasionally growled at passing vermin, followed suit. It had only been a few days since the two had abandoned their scorched home, a small shack located in The Mechanized District of The Shore. Things had been running efficiently for almost a year, but it was only a matter of time before someone stumbled upon Judah. While out scavenging, raiders had ransacked and burned what little shelter they had to the ground, leaving the two high and dry. A trader named Del Osborn was the only person that Judah had ever seen venture into the factory region of town, probably because most folks though it was haunted. Del was a nice fellow and had often stopped to talk with the young man and his dog. He had warned of raiding parties in the area, but Judah ignored this saying the myths about The Mech District was better protection than any weapon imaginable. This confidence turned out to be his folly, but that was in the past. Judah would learn from his mistakes and continue searching for adequate housing.

Del had spoken of a sizeable colony to the north called The Compound, and beyond that the enormous city of Avalon, which was were Del had lived for most of his life. With little to no resources left in The Shore, Judah decided heading up Florida’s East Coast was the only possible option. He and Stella would walk first to The Compound, then on to Avalon which was closer to Georgia and would take a lot longer to reach. Since The Compound was more of a trading district, he doubted housing would be available, but it would definitely make the trip easier if he could find a caravan to ride along with. This wouldn’t be a problem though because raiders often attacked convoys and were always looking for extra guards.

As the duo neared the signaling construct, Jude removed his rifle from his shoulder and took cover behind a nearby planter. Raising a finger to his lips, he motioned for his Basenji to lay down. Stella stalked closer to him, her belly passing just above the grimy cement below. Through his scope, he could see that the surrounding area was vacant, which worried him. If there had been scavengers waiting to ambush travelers foolish enough to follow their beacon, he wouldn’t have thought anything about it. It had the makings of a trap, and at some point could have been one, but now the raiders had moved on, leaving their camp and belongings behind. A pistol surrounded by ammo, an recently extinguished campfire, cans of food halfway opened – Frozen in time, like the group had suddenly ceased to exist. Jude and Stella searched the camp quickly, making sure the owners were really gone. When he was sure they were safe, Jude whistled to Stella and the two made their way inside the building, hoping there’d be something waiting for them on the eighth level.

The security monitors behind the front desk had probably been out of service since before Jude was born, but the lobby elevators were still in working condition. The goons that had been holding up in the office building clearly knew a thing or two about mechanics, which most people Judah came in contact with would have called witchcraft. As the lift crawled upward towards the beacon room, Jude looked down at Stella, who was sniffing at his hand. It had been two days since they had eaten, so he knew how she felt. He massaged the top of her head, scratching behind her ear and smiled.

“As soon as we check this light out, we’ll go back down to that camp and get us some eats. Sound good, girl?” He asked, squatting next to her.

The dog licked his cheek and pressed her snout into his chest. The sudden ding of the elevator reaching their floor jarred them both, and Jude sprang to his feet. As the rusty old doors creaked open, Stella’s warning growl turned to a worried whimper. Judah stepped out into the dimly lit room, shocked at what they had discovered. The entire hallway was covered in gore. Bloody streaks running along the wall to the end of the corridor rounded the corner and disappeared into the darkness. The only illumination in the area was produced by the elevator and slowly disappeared as the doors slid closed behind them.

After a few moments of blind fumbling, Jude finally produced his torch and turned it on, causing the void around them to vanish. Following the trail of organs, the two soon found themselves in The Beacon Room. The bright blue police light rested upon a rolling desk chair, spinning around and beaming into Jude’s eyes. He moved quickly to the device and unplugged it from a small generator. Nearby lanterns provided enough luminosity to brighten the office, allowing Judah to solve the case of the missing campers. The floor was littered with bodies, most of which were in several large pieces. Disemboweled and torn apart, Jude couldn’t tell if they had been men or women, but honestly didn’t want to know. The idea of unidentifiable mounds of flesh seemed easier to swallow than knowing these piles once had feelings and a voice. He did what he could to cover the remains up, feeling that no one deserved this, even if they had done wrong.

After collecting ammo and some food, Judah and Stella resumed their trek towards The Compound. Even though the camp was clear and they both desperately needed sleep, it could wait until they were further down the road. Jude thought about whoever or whatever caused that massacre coming back in the night, only to find the two snoozing near a fire. It sent shivers down his spine, cementing their mission to reach safety. Stella barked suddenly and bolted off ahead, leaving a confused Jude in her dust.

“Stella! Where are you going!?” He cried as he chased after her.

When he reached her side, he was out of breath. The sprinting dog stared straight ahead, her tail wagging excitedly. Before them was a green military jeep, still sputtering black smoke out of its tailpipe. The driver, who Judah assumed was part of what he had started calling The Office Massacre, was slumped over the steering wheel. The cause of death looked to be blunt trauma to the back of the head, and bloody handprints on the back on the seats led Jude to believe one of the attackers stowed away as this camper had tried to flee. He gently removed the corpse from the vehicle and placed him on the side of the road. It was too late to bury the man, so again Judah covered him with a blue tarp he found in the bed of the jeep. This was how things were and always had been. People continue to live by scavenging the dead for resources. He found peace of mind by only taking from people that were already dead. Most killed innocents for supplies, which is why Judah hated being called a Scavenger. It was just a fancy word for Savage they used to justify cutting a man down over a can of beans.

The jeep still had a quarter of a tank and Jude had siphoned a little extra to bring along from the small generator back in The Beacon Room. Stella loved going for drives and hadn’t been in a moving vehicle for almost two years. She would often sit in the passenger seat of an old station wagon that had been abandoned near their shack in The Shore. Happy as a lark, she’d sit everyday for about an hour and pretend she was riding along a breezy highway. Now that it was really happening, she could barely contain her excited whines. Jude changed gears and pulled away from the mailbox the jeep had hit. With minimal damage to the front-end and enough gas, they headed north on the highway towards The Compound.

“We should get there around dawn tomorrow, Stell” Jude cried over the purr of the engine.

Stella let out a happy yelp and shuffled her bottom down into the seat. It was Post-Haust now, which meant Yule was right around the corner. Hopefully, they’d find a suitable home before the cold fronts moved in. Even in Florida, the weather could be deadly this time of year. It was hard enough fortifying the shack, so Judah did not want to be homeless when the snow fell.