Apocalypse Eden

Chapter 3


The downpour began just as the caravan set off the morning after leaving New Chicago. ‘Just their look’, Vance thought to himself. With another ninety mile journey to the north, some of it along little more than trails, they were going to be hard pushed to cover the journey in the three or four days they had hoped for. It wasn’t long before the sky was alight with lightning, the thunder reverberating around them. It was just what Vance had feared, as if the weather wasn’t bad enough on it’s own, the journey was made all the more difficult by the likelihood of increased raids by Waste Land gangs.


Vance’s fears were realized several hours into their journey when the outriders spotted a large group of horsemen heading towards them. Immediately Vance had his men dismount and set up their weapons in concealed positions, facing the raiders, the wagons and horses were taken off road into a small woodland area.


The raiders hit them minutes later, their front rank being torn to pieces by the heavy machineguns of Clan McGregor. Dozens of rifles opened up to finish off any who made it through the hail of bullets.


Moments later they were engaged in hand to hand combat, the shear number of riders finally breaking through. Vance was at the head of his clansmen. He wielded a double bladed axe and sawn off shotgun, at either side of him were Titus and Marcus. Behind them a hundred clansmen determined that this would be the raider’s last attack on them or anyone else.


The entire roadway erupted into one mass melee, men and women armed with close quarters weapons, axes, spears, knives, and swords, anything they could use to kill their attackers. A massive bold headed beast of a man charged forward at Vance, perhaps their leader, the opportunity was too good to ignore.


Vance dived forward, ducking under the twin blades of his attacker. He turned almost immediately, swinging his axe into the back of the charging man’s neck, a spray of blood shot backwards, covering Vance’s torso. The man simply seemed enraged by the attack turning and slashing forward, Vance lifted his shotgun firing both barrels into the man’s face, there was little left as he fell forward, narrowly missing Vance.


The raiders looked on, the death of their leader halted them, but the clansmen were not known for leaving raiders alive. Titus charged forward, thrusting with his blade, gutting the man immediately in front of him, a second charging at him from the side was skewered on the end of Marcus’s spear.


All along the road, raiders were turning and running, perhaps a hundred or more remained, but they seemed to have little willingness to fight as they watched countless numbers of their comrades cut down. The pursuit was short and bloody vicious, men were cut down from behind, and those who surrendered were usually beheaded on the spot.


By the end of it perhaps twenty five female and eight male raiders were the only prisoners that were taken. While the clansmen were not known for brutalising their prisoners, the disgust they felt for the raiders was only too plain for them to see.


The survivors knelt beside the road, their hands on their heads, their weapons and ammunition removed and placed in a heap several hundred yards away. The roadway was awash with the spilt blood of hundreds of raiders and several dozen wounded and dead clansmen. Bodies littered the ground, those who moved were quickly put to death, the clansmen weren’t about to allow them to go and certainly weren’t going to offer the wounded their own precious supplies.


Outriders were sent out to make certain there were no more raiders waiting to ambush them. The wagons and horses were brought back to the road, the heavy rain already washing away the bloody mess of the battle. Scavengers would no doubt strip the bodies of anything that was left. Weapons and ammunition were loaded onto wagons; anything else that could be salvaged from the carnage was taken, including clothing and provisions.


Perhaps a hundred or so horses had survived the charge; they would be needed for the prisoners. Vance wasn’t certain what he intended to do with them. Sometimes prisoners were taken in by the clan, it all depended on their nature and if they could be trusted, most of those present wouldn’t survive long if Vance wasn’t prepared to take them. The surviving horses and much of what they had taken off the raiders would go to the bereaved families of the slain clansmen, eighteen of them had lost their lives, another thirty or so were wounded, some severely. But all knew the risk, and all were prepared to pay the price. Many simply wished the prisoners executed, but Vance had already killed more than he was comfortable with.


Out of the several hundred raiders only thirty three remained, mostly females, how many of them had been taken from their own people, he simply couldn’t bring himself to do it.


“Are we taking them with us father, we’ve lost a lot of people today, I don’t know how they’ll be received once we return home.”


“We have no choice Titus; I have no wish to see another death today.”

“They murdered our people father.”


“Over two hundred of them lay dead Titus, hasn’t your bloody bloodlust been satisfied.”


“I could kill every last one of them and sleep easy tonight.”


“And you think that’s the making of a good leader, son, you will have to make such decisions if you are ever made chieftain.”


“You think I’m wrong, father.”


“In this case, you are wrong, we have no need to kill them, look at them, most of them look battered, broken people, little more than animals, who knows what life they had suffered with these dogs.”


“Then let me kill the men, the rest you can do with as you please, give them weapons if it will ease your conscience father.”


“The decision is made, boy.”


Titus looked at his father with disgust, he knew in that moment that was why his father would never be chieftain, because he was forever having to answer to his own morality. For Titus such choices would come easy, but then he had not seen the devastation of war that his father had witnessed in forty years of fighting.


“Do not challenge my decision, Titus, you are not leader yet. You have too much of your uncle in you.”


Titus thought of that for a moment, and often wondered if Reno was his real father, he shared his temperament and nature, but to think his mother could have betrayed his father was not something he wished to dwell on, even though the doubt remained.


Once the wagons were loaded up and the horses gathered and tied to the wagons, the prisoners were each given a horse and a guard. The tension among the clansmen and the prisoners could have been cut with a knife. Vance would have to watch his men over the next week. He had no intension of seeing the prisoners mistreated. A strange thought considering how many they had already killed, but it was not something he was willing to compromise on.
An hour later they were moving back along the road, the bodies of the dead raiders left for the scavengers, the dead clansmen were loaded on the wagons with care. Vance was determined to see they all received a proper burial. Such loss before the wedding of his niece Lara was undoubtedly going to have an adverse effect on the proceedings, but the damage was already done and there was little they could do.


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It would be sundown within the next two hours and Leon could only think of his promise to Henrietta.


“What’s wrong, Leon, is it the girl, I know I promised her to you, but she wishes to stay.”


Thinking it was not the best of ideas to tell her the real reason; Leon had no choice but to make his excuses. “Let me take her, Maria. She doesn’t know what she wants at the moment, the poor girl is terrified.”


Maria handed him her papers of ownership, “I always intended to give her to you, just don’t be a fool and try and marry her; I don’t think she’d be a very willing mud hut wife, Leon.”


“It hadn’t crossed my mind; she can stay with my family.”


“Do as you wish, Leon. Just don’t forget me, and don’t let it be another three months before you return.”


“I’ll try and return after the wedding, but I can’t promise anything.”


“Wedding?” Maria asked curiously.


“You know better than to think it’s mine, my cousin Lara is getting married in a week’s time, after that I’ll come back for you.”


“You mean you’ll come back to see me, don’t think I’m returning with you.”


“That’s what I meant, and you know it.”

“I’ll give you a horse and provisions for the girl, and try and find something for her to wear, rather than the rags she came in.”


“You know, Maria. Just when I think I have you all figured out …”


“I’m not going soft, if that’s what you think.”


“I never thought you were.” Leon replied with a smile.


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Half an hour later Leon and Maria entered her suite, the girl was still there, sat on the bed. She looked up and could tell something wasn’t quite right by their expressions.


“You’re leaving with Leon, Kayla.” Maria said before the girl had chance to speak.


“But you said I could stay here.”


“Believe me; you’re better off leaving with Leon. Now put these on and don’t argue.”


Maria handed her a pair of travelling boots, a pair of trousers a blouse and jacket, as well as some underwear. And an extra bag of clothes for her to change into along the way. Kayla was dressed ten minutes later, that worried look had returned.


Maria stepped forward and kissed her on the cheek, “Goodbye, Kayla, I doubt you’ll ever return.”


“Goodbye, mistress.” Was all Kayla could think to say. She couldn’t actually say she was sorry to be going, but she still had her doubts about Leon.


“I’ll see you in two weeks, Leon, don’t let me down.” Maria said kissing him on the mouth, he lifted her off the floor and hugged her to him, he was almost tempted to put her down on the bed, but knew he was going to have to leave if he was to keep to his other promise.


“I’ll try, Maria. You know I hate being parted from you.”
“I bet you’ll be married soon enough, if your uncle Vance has his way, and then what?”


“It will never happen; I’m as much the marrying kind as you are, Maria.”


“We’ll see, Leon, just come back, that’s all I ask.”


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Their farewells said, Leon and Maria parted company again. There were no tears, they had been through this particular routine for the past eight years, but Maria still felt a hint of sadness every time he left. For Leon it was much more than sadness, but what choice did he have, she wouldn’t ever leave with him, so he had to make do with being an occasional lover, it was sad to think her slaves would spend more intimate time with her than Leon ever would.


Kayla rode quietly alongside Leon, she looked over at him, perhaps a little unsure of what to expect. She could try and escape, but where would she go, to make it alone without anything to protect herself would be suicide. Leon’s mind was soon on Henrietta, he prayed she would get out without being noticed, he was prepared to wait for her but for how long. She had said to go if she wasn’t there on time, but he would wait, at least for a day or so, more than he had planned but he couldn’t leave her to fend for herself.


“You seem distracted.” Kayla said, looking at the distant expression on his face.


“We’ve got to meet someone before we carry on much further; we’re to wait for them at the first checkpoint leading into town.”


“Can you tell me who it is?”


“It’s nothing for you to worry about; you’ll recognise her when we meet.”


“Is it the red haired woman, Henrietta?” Kayla queried, looking at him for any sign of deception.


“How did you know?” Leon questioned, seemingly surprised she had guessed so easily.

“It wasn’t difficult, I saw the way she was with you, the way she looked at you, I think she probably believes she loves you.”


“What?”


“How can you be around so many women and not know at least a little of what their thinking.” Kayla asked, she seemed surprised that he had not noticed himself.


“I just hope Maria isn’t as intuitive as you, or we won’t be seeing her at all.”


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“You’re going to him aren’t you, Henrietta?” Maria asked, the look was one that Henrietta had not expected, almost as if she was giving her approval.


“You don’t mind?” Henrietta asked, wondering if this was simply the prelude to being tortured or worse.


“Of course I mind, I’ll miss you Henrietta.”


“And what about Leon?”


“If I can’t control him, what chance do you think you’ll have? We’re drawn to each other because we’re two of a kind.”


“I … I don’t know Maria, perhaps …”


“Don’t fool yourself, Henrietta; go if you must, I just wish you had asked me first.”


“But you’ll allow me to leave?”


“I won’t try and stop you, you can return whenever you like Henrietta, a free woman if that will bring you back.”


“Thank you, Maria, I had not expected …”

“What, me to be so reasonable, to not be a crazed jealous bitch, if I was jealous of every woman he had ever been with, I’d spend all my time hating him and them.”


Maria stepped forward, wrapping her arms around the other woman, she genuinely was going to miss her, but she thought of her more as a close friend than a slave or hired help. She kissed her gently on the lips, enough to tell Henrietta she really was being sincere, and for a moment that planted a seed of doubt in Henrietta’s mind. Henrietta returned the kiss, closing her eyes as she did so, Maria’s hand wandered down her back, resting at her buttocks, her other hand found her breasts, it was almost as though Maria wanted to charm her into staying. But she was the one to pull away not Henrietta.


“You should go; we wouldn’t want to keep him waiting, Henrietta.”


Henrietta seemed almost reluctant to let go of her, they had shared so many moments together over the past ten years.


“I … I don’t know if I can.”


“You can return at any time Henrietta, at least try it, I don’t want you to remain unless it’s what you really want, you mean too much to me for that, go to Leon, just don’t expect too much.”


“I can’t believe …”


“Just go Henrietta, before I change my mind. I’ve already prepared a horse and your belongings, there are a few weapons, you know how to use them.”


“Yes, I can’t tell you how much this means to me, Maria.”


“You already have, now leave, and don’t keep him waiting any longer.”


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An hour later Henrietta approached the first checkpoint, the thought that this was finally it, she was leaving New Chicago. Leon watched her approach and dismounted, Kayla simply watched as they hugged.


“She let me go, Leon.”


“She knows? What did she say?”


“That I should go to you, that …”


The tears streamed down her face before she could finish the sentence, she had been a slave her entire life and now finally after thirty five years she was free. Leon simply held her tight, he hadn’t exactly planned on this, but it somehow felt right, perhaps a little too right. He had always liked Henrietta, but they had rarely had chance to say much before the other night. He certainly hadn’t expected to be returning home with two women, the questions he would get when he returned home were almost enough to make him want to go back to the city.


They mounted their horses again and made their way along the highway until the city was a dot on the horizon. Leon wanted to at least make it out of the suburbs before they set up camp for the night.


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It took the caravan another four days in a constant and seemingly never ending storm, but they finally reached the town of McGregor’s Point. The greetings were to say the least a tearful experience, for those who had lost their fathers and husbands, it was a little more traumatic. The sight of prisoners brought looks of hatred, jeering and threats of violence. Only the intervention of Vance and the chieftain Balthus was enough to stop them from lynching the prisoners on the spot.


McGregor’s Point was an old military town of some five thousand or more people, established in 2089 by Jacob McGregor. Soon after a military base was built close by and for many of the young men and women of the town it was their only chance of employment beyond tending the fields and herding the cattle. In 2198 the base was abandoned completely by any outside authorities, leaving only the local soldiers to command the base after the collapse of the American government. The base quickly became a part of the town, only the underground facility remained off limits, mostly because no one knew how to gain entry.


A day behind the caravan, Leon, Henrietta and Kayla had made good time, even despite the severe weather.


All three of them were immediately drawn to the sight in the sky, the plane fell, it’s engines on fire, ‘perhaps it had been struck by lightning,’ Leon thought. Whatever the cause the passengers weren’t likely to last long if they remained out in the Waste Lands in this weather. It would undoubtedly interfere with any rescue attempt, and that would only come if they were prominent citizens, most would be left to rot in the Waste Lands, it was simply too dangerous to risk resources on anything but people of the highest priority, which usually meant members of the mega corps.


The plane was a private jet chartered by the CEO of Cybertech Industries, Maximillian Kreiger for his family to travel from New York to San Francisco. On board were Keira Kreiger, his wife and mother of his three adult children Mishka, Tatiana, Stephan, who were also accompanying her.


“What shall we do, Leon? Should we help them?” Henrietta asked, looking concerned, Leon seemed a little less willing.


“If we ride out there it’s going to take time we might not be able to spare, the weathers getting worse, and we don’t really owe the citizens a damn thing. When was the last time they did anything for us?”


They looked on as the plane came down, it stayed in one piece and skidded for at least half a mile along the rain soaked earth. Leon really didn’t want to get involved, but saw the look in the eyes of the two women, they wouldn’t let him forget it if they simply left those people out there to die.

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