After the Crash

Chapter Thirteen

Alex stood up, encouraging Luca to stand with him. “I’m Alex, this is my son Luca,” he started, “before the crash I wasn’t doin' anything remarkable, I was working in a bail bonds office. I grew up hunting and had an abbreviated tenure with the army. I was discharged while still in basic training because of an accident, but I'm glad it happened. Because of that discharge, I got to be a real father to my son.” He put his arm around Luca, “I wouldn’t give that up for the world.” Ky nodded, and he went on, “I’m pretty decent with a rifle, and I’d be more than willing to help out in any way, so long as my son is safe.”

“Alright,” Ky said, “you may take a seat.” She then moved forward, addressing her people. “This is an easy case,” she shrugged, “Alex and his son are indebted to me, our party has a track record of keeping children safe, and he’s got useful skills. I see no reason to deny a father and his child entry into our party and could not see any reason that this group would not come to the same conclusion. Many of you have been in PCD custody,” she looked at the girls, sitting in a group. She shook her head, “some have seen worse, and some have been luckier. Still,” she shrugged, “we are a sympathetic bunch, and this case, I’d hope, would strike especially for those of you with children.” She took a long pause, then exhaled a long breath, “that being said, Ren would like to sway you the other way.” She looked at me, “he’d like to persuade you into leaving a father and his son for dead.” She turned back to the group, “I know his argument, and before he makes his case there are a few things that you’d best hear from me.” She looked over at Dale. I followed her eyes, and he was shaking his head. “The PCD has a warrant out for my arrest, and there is a large reward attached for anyone who turns me in,” she exhaled a heavy breath, “Dale and I have been discrete about these details because we didn’t want to worry anyone here. The PCD may have my name, but they’ve only a slight understanding of how I look. Dale and I have found no reason for concern.” She looked back at me, with her hard expression, “knowledge of the reward is no reason to deny Alex and Luca entry into our party.” I just returned her hard expression. Her eyes went back to the crowd, “Ren will try to convince you that this knowledge is troubling when actually, it is common knowledge for anyone with access to a radio. He will also call Alex’s curiosity menacing, call upon all of you to think about what or who Alex has asked you about. But as you think about all the questions Alex has asked, I beg you think about the inquiries made by Ren and Mac since they’ve been with us.” She looked at me with an eyebrow raised, “what makes his questions about me anymore threatening than yours?” She looked at me for a long moment, her eyes bearing into me. All I could do was shake my head. She turned back, “I rest my case.”

She stepped back, crossing her arms, but looking down. I took a breath, stepping forward, “Ky’s right, I was gonna ask everyone here to think about their conversations with Alex over the past day. My first conversation jumped to the reward money within seconds,” I looked hard at the guy, “it was nearly the first thing he said.” I turned toward the group, “this is the context by which his questioning began, and yes,” I nodded, “there is something sinister about that.” I shook my head, “Ky’s trying to use my curiosity against me,” I shrugged as I looked at her, “I admit it, I’ve asked about you.” She looked at me, arms still crossed, indecipherable expression. “It’s because you’re closed off,” I was still looking at her, “and I’d like to know you.” She looked down. I sighed, looking back at the group, “but not once have I brought up a warrant or reward money, neither has Mac. Any questioning from us has not been colored by the same foreboding context that has been apparent in Alex’s interrogations. He has intent,” I looked at him, “and I’ve little faith that intent is any good.” I turned back, “whether his nefarious intentions are towards our party, as a whole, or toward Ky individually,” I looked toward her, met her eyes, “and I believe they are the latter.” She rolled her eyes. I let out a breath, “it’s still something that should concern all of you. I haven’t known Ky long, but what I’ve learned is she plays fast and loose with her life. And she doesn’t care what harm comes to her,” I shook my head, “but the rest of us should.” I looked at Whit, “what’d you do without Ky?” She gave me a long look, and I turned to everyone, “what would anyone here do without Ky? If you really owe her your lives, like you say, you gotta be willing to protect her when she’s too goddamn stubborn to believe she’s in trouble. I don’t have proof, except the feeling I had when I spoke with Alex,” I shook my head, “but lack of proof is no reason to invite a stranger into our group, especially one who wants to rob us of our leader.” I looked at him, just sitting calmly in his place, then back at the party, “that’s all I’ve got.”

I turned to her; she was supposed to start the vote. She just stood there with her arms crossed, looking at me hard, not saying anything. “Okay,” I looked over to find Dale standing up, “I think maybe we should put this up to a vote. Everyone opposed to Alex and Luca staying, please raise your hands.” I rose my hand, along with Mac, E, Whitney, Sam, Jen, and Lola. Dale nodded, “now those in favor.” Ky’s hand went up, with the rest of the party, putting them ahead by one vote. He turned to the newcomers, “Alex, Luca, welcome to the party.”

“Everyone get to bed,” Ky finally stepped back up, “Mac and Dale, first watch, Whit and Ren second, I’ll take Alex for third, and …”

“I’ll take Alex,” I stopped her, “you take the second shift with Whit.”

She raised her eyebrow, “I don’t know who you think you are, or when you think you suddenly gained authority.” She shook her head, “but that didn’t happen.”

I held her gaze, not backing down, “if he’s gotta be here, then I don’t want the two of you alone.”

She let out a strained laugh, crossed her arms, and shook her head. “If it’s any consolation,” Alex chimed in. We both turned to him, I raised my eyebrow, and he shrugged, “I’d feel more comfortable with the cute one,” he nodded toward Ky, “than the one who just made heavy accusations against me.”

“Cute one,” she looked at him unsure.

“Yeah,” he smiled, “you’re a hell of a lot cuter than Ren.”

“I change my mind,” she shook her head, “Dale and Alex first shift, Whit and Mac second,” she looked at me, sternly, “me and your third, and E and Sam fourth.” She looked back at Alex, “don’t ever belittle me by calling me cute again, do you understand?” He nodded. “Good,” she said, “now go.” He began following Dale to the post, and I opened my mouth. “Not now,” she shook her head. She moved toward her tent, with Whitney hot on her tail.

“If she wants to do watch with you,” Mac looked at me with a humored expression, “it can’t be anything good.”

I shrugged, “she’s not gonna be on watch with him, as far as I’m concerned, that’s a success.”

He shook his head, “what are you doing?” I looked at him unsure, and he kept his expression, “I told you, not her, I told you several times, not her, and at this point, you can’t deny that you’ve completely ignored me and developed feelings for her.” I opened my mouth, shaking my head, but he stopped me. “Ren,” he gave me a stern look, “you cannot protect her.”

“I can try,” I looked at him.

“No,” he shook his head, “you can’t, she’s too much for you to handle. You can try to keep Alex away from her, you can throw yourself into rivers, or in front of bullets as much as you want,” he shook his head, “but she’s gonna run toward trouble head-on until it kills her, and then you’re gonna be devastated.”

I let out a deep breath, “I can’t help it,” I shook my head, “I know she’s not the kind of person I should fall for, but the more I get to know her ... What am I supposed to do? I mean …” He just looked at me, expecting something more. I shook my head again, “I just can’t help it.” He let out a deep breath, putting a supportive hand on my shoulder, and we laid down in our tent. Eric was already snoring, and in no time, I was closing my eyes trying to get as much rest as I could before my shift. I heard Mac get up, but kept my eyes closed, and remained in my half sleep. After a few hours, I managed to get myself up to relieve him. I shook my head, as Eric was still out like a log. As I made my way to my post, Whitney passed by with a look that read ‘my condolences,’ which meant that nothing good could come from this conversation. As I got there, it was quiet. Ky was forward facing, gun tight in hand, and wearing her signature hard expression. She didn’t look at me. Mac shook his head, forebodingly as he traded places with me. He walked away, and I looked at her, but she wasn’t moving. She didn’t budge at all.

We just sat there. It was a long, uncomfortable stretch of time. I tried my best not to even glance at her. Of course, I failed. I was waiting for her to say something, and her silence was making me more and more anxious. Finally, she let out a long breath, “don’t worry,” she glanced at me, briefly through the corner of her eye, “I let my frustration out with Whitney.” She paused. I looked at her unsure, and she shook her head, “I want to be calm, try to communicate effectively.” I nodded. She took another deep breath, then exhaled, “you’ve been testing my patience.” I didn’t say anything. “I’d like for us to work together,” she started, then shook her head, “but you’re fighting me every step of the way, and I’ve been racking my brain, trying to understand why you consistently oppose me and undermine my authority.” She took a long pause, “is it because I’m a woman?” She turned to me, her eyebrow raised. The question caught me off guard. “It’s okay,” she nodded, “you can be honest.”

“That’s not it,” I shook my head, “I promise you.”

“Then what is it,” she looked at me, eyebrow raised. I shook my head, not quite knowing how to respond or what to say to her. “If we’re going to work together,” she shook her head, “there has to be an understanding, and right now, there’s something …” she let out a deep breath, shaking her head, “I’m trying to understand.”

I let out a deep breath, “Ky, you’ve been hostile toward me since the moment I arrived. You’ve set the tone for our relationship.”

She raised her eyebrow, “if I’ve been hostile, it's because you’ve been treating me like a helpless dolly since you’ve got here.” I opened my mouth, and she shook her head, “don’t try, your entire case tonight was a plea to save my life, because you don’t think I can handle myself. As if I haven’t survived three years, post-crash, without being killed or captured by the PCD.” She let out a deep breath, “and refusing to let me do watch with Alex was not just insubordinate, but inappropriate.” She raised an eyebrow, “you don’t even trust me to be alone with the guy, what the hell do you think he’s gonna do to me?”

“I’m worried that you’ll let your guard down around him,” I said without even thinking.

“Let my guard down,” she scoffed, looking away. She tightened her grip on the gun, “have I ever let my guard down, while on watch with you?”

“No,” I said through the tension, “but he’s not me.”

“Don’t worry, Ren,” she shook her head, “I don’t let my guard down around anyone.” She was quiet for a while. She looked down, still kept a tight hold on her rifle. She shook her head. I raised an eyebrow. She glanced at me, letting out a deep breath, “can you promise me something?” I kept my eyebrow raised. “From here on in,” she shrugged, “you gotta promise to stop trying to save me.” I opened my mouth, and she shook her head, “you keep trying to protect me, you’re gonna get yourself killed,” she let out a deep breath, “and I don’t want that.” I looked at her, but she wasn’t looking back at me. I smiled, I couldn’t help it. She looked at me, shook her head, “just promise me.”

“I can’t,” I shook my head, “I don’t make promises I can’t keep.” I smiled at her, “I don’t want to see you dead either.”

“Too late,” she let out another breath. She just looked forward, not saying anything else. That was all I got from her.

When Sam came over to relieve us, she got up quickly and walked away. Sam sat down next to me with his eyebrow raised, “what’d the two of you talk about?” I just shook my head, not saying anything. “You care about her,” he looked at me, taking a bite of the jerky that he always inexplicably seemed to have. I raised my eyebrow, and he shrugged, “she cares about you too.” I let out a slight laugh, and he went on, “I mean, she ain’t gonna say it, but she hasn’t taken to someone this fast since we first met Whit.” He could tell I didn’t buy it, “trust me,” he looked at me, “Ky’s like my sister, I can tell when she takes to a person.” He laughed, “and it’s more than obvious that you’ve taken to her.”

I nodded, “you’re not the first one to say it.”

He nodded, “cuz it’s obvious.” At that point, E came over, looking like he’d been sleeping hard for the past six hours or so. I got up, let him replace me, and went back to my tent, where Mac looked only half asleep. I couldn’t help but smile to myself as I laid down and looked up at the top of the tent.