Chapter 66: The trapped city

The silence in the motorhome was heavy. As they stared at the situation in front of them, they wondered about City D. They expected Mount Pleasure to be the same as City D. It was supposed to be desolate with wild plants. But what they saw was nothing of the sort.

The sun was setting. The sight of small fires dotting the landscape sent a complex rush of feeling through the group. After not seeing people for so long, they were able to see so many now. They weren’t sure whether to rejoice or be afraid.

“It’s…there are people here.” Adrienne breathed, her voice full of apprehension.

“How?” Alex asked, wrapping his arm around Adrienne’s shoulder. “City D is a ghost town. Besides the few people we’ve seen these weeks, there was no one else.”

Ember’s mind raced. She recalled the creatures they had just seen. They hadn’t been aggressive. When the motorhome was idling, they hadn’t moved. They didn’t attack them. They stayed on the bridge. The moment they touched the bridge, that’s when they started attacking.

“The bridge,” she said. “They didn’t leave the bridge.” Spinning on her heel to face the others. “They didn’t leave the bridge. We were close enough that they could attack us. They didn’t attack until we touched the bridge. That weird spider thing, it didn’t attack until we tried to leave.”

“They were trying to keep us in the city.” Aiden’s voice was low. But the vehicle was quiet, so everyone heard what was said.

“That doesn’t make sense.” Ivan’s face was unsure when he said it. “There isn’t anything special about City D.”

“Maybe there is,” Ember’s eyes were thoughtful. “Or maybe there is something that needs to be kept inside.”

She thought about what the CE had told her before. There is someone behind all this. But who? And what’s special about City D?

She wasn’t sure, and there wasn’t any clues about it. All she could do was wait and see.

They pulled the motorhome off the main road, parking in a concealed grove of trees.

“Let’s not think about it anymore. What we need now is information.” Aiden said.

Aiden, Ember, and Ivan went to find information, leaving the rest in the vehicle. They decided it might be easier for them to move around if there were fewer people asking questions.

As they approached, they realized they might be a little too conspicuous. The air was thick with the smell of woodsmoke and unwashed bodies. Fear was a permanent fixture on these people’s faces. There were people huddled around fires, their faces looking haunted.

Armed men patrolled the perimeter of more organized groups. Their eyes were wary and suspicious.

It was apparent that these people were survivors clinging to the little reality they had remaining.

They found what looked like a more permanent settlement. A man was bartering packets of seeds for a few precious bullets. Aiden approached him, offering a can of peaches in exchange for information.

The man’s eyes lit up, and he greedily accepted.

“We’re new here. What’s the situation? Why is everyone resting at the foot of the mountain?” Aiden asked.

The man snorted. “Situation? We’re stuck. This place might seem safe, but it isn’t; it’s a powder keg waiting to explode. You’ve got soldiers on the ridge. They run the only road up the mountain. They won’t let anyone pass without a full search. And they want all your weapons. They call themselves Fortitude. On the other side, there’s the raiders. They take people from small camps in the middle of the night. The Spire. We’re sandwiched between them without a place to live.”

“So there’s no other way up?” Ember asked, her heart sinking.

“Not that I know of,” the man shrugged. “Of course, they can’t keep the entire mountain to themselves. But people who have tried to go up other ways end up dying. There are apparently creatures in the mountain that make lions look like puppies. The safest way is with the soldiers.”

They thanked the man briefly. Returning to the motorhome, their faces didn’t look good. They relayed the information they got to the rest of the team.

“We have to try,” Alex said. “We can try the way the man said first. Go through the soldiers. If that doesn’t work, we find a way around them.”

“Why don’t we stay with the army?” Fernando asked.

“Do you want to stay with them?” Ember asked. Her gaze was steady, not revealing any emotion. “If you want to go, I won’t stop you. Just know that you can’t speak about anything that happened related to this team. I don’t care if you talk about your experiences, but if anything about the other people passes your lips, you won’t like what happens.”

Ember’s voice was devoid of emotion. It wasn’t a threat, it was a promise. She had no intention of restricting them. However, the contract was still in effect. If they left, she would see it as an act of betrayal.

Fernando shook his head, his lips pursed. He didn’t actually want to stay. He just felt that being close to the army was safer.

“Remember, the world is not the one you know. Have you ever thought that staying with the army might not be in your best interest?” Adrienne asked. “Are you sure they’ll treat you the same way we treat you?”

The question echoed in their minds. Yes, they weren’t sure what staying with the army would be like. They expected it to be the same, but they weren’t sure.

“Don’t think about that now. We’ll head to the checkpoint tomorrow,” Aiden decided.

The next morning, they headed to the checkpoint. It was as the man said. The army had a tight rein on the road. A formidable military site blocked the main road up the mountain. Sandbags were piled high, reinforced with razor wire. Machine guns were positioned to cover the area.

Aiden stopped the motorhome a few hundred yards from the barrier. The soldiers here weren’t survivors pretending to be soldiers, they were the real deal.

“Em, come with me,” Aiden said, stepping out of the driver’s seat.

They approached the site, and a soldier stepped forward. He held his rifle, ready for anything that might happen. He was in his late thirties with a weathered face.

“State your purpose,” he said.

“We’re looking for safe passage,” Aiden stated, “we want to go up the mountain.”

The soldier looked at them. His eyes lingered on their clean clothes and confident stance. “This is a secure area under the authority of the Fortitude. All passage is subject to screening and quarantine. Turn over all heavy weapons and ammunition. If you pass, you’ll be granted temporary refugee status and assigned to work.”

Aiden’s jaw tightened, “We aren’t refugees. And we aren’t turning over our weapons.”

“Then you aren’t passing.” His voice held the finality of someone who knew they had authority.

“We have medical supplies, a nurse, and an engineer.” Ember tired. “We could be valuable.”

“Everyone’s valuable until they aren’t,” the soldier countered. “Rules are rules. Go back, you can’t pass.” His tone was final.

Understanding it was pointless, they turned back to the motorhome.

As they walked, Ember was thinking. She watched the soldiers. They were disciplined, but they were also bored. And bored people would always find something for them to do. A little thrill in their otherwise uneventful lives.

She smiled, thinking she might be able to get something.

“I have an idea,” Ember said, her voice low. “I need you to make a distraction for me. Nothing threatening, just draw their attention for a while.”

Aiden’s eyes scanned her face. She smiled, reassuring him. He nodded and left.

When they were distracted, Ember made her move. She found a lone soldier, early twenties. She approached, making sure to make a noise to draw his attention to her. She activated her skill, making him feel safe, charging the air with simmering seduction.

Startled, he looked over to see Ember. She raised her hands in surrender.

“Sorry,” she said, her voice melodic. “I…just wanted a place to clear my head. I didn’t realize I came here.”

She met his gaze and used Entralling Gaze to captivate him.

“It’s fine, just don’t stay too long,” said the young soldier.

“You look bored,” Ember said, a smile playing on her lips.

“A little,” he replied, not noticing how easily he let his guard down. “Guard duty is always boring.”

“How about I keep you company for a while?” Ember asked, stepping towards the guardhouse.

The young soldier stepped aside, allowing her to step in. Inside wasn’t fancy. There was a small cot, a chair, and a desk.

She pointed to the cot, “Mind if I sit down?”

“Go ahead,” he replied.

Ember sat, feeling the uncomfortable sheet on the cot.

“Not the best place to sleep, is it?” she peered outside. “You don’t even have any privacy.”

The young soldier’s eyes roamedover Ember’s body. “You don’t really need privacy with guard duty. You just need to be alert.”

Ember leaned forward. She raised an eyebrow, “How alert do you need to be?”

He didn’t respond. Ember continued, “Come here, show me how alert you are.”

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