Heinz almost expected Phil and Louise to start a fight about sitting together in the boot but they didn’t. Maybe they understood the seriousness of the situation. Maybe he was too used to working with children. Whatever the reason, Sean was deemed the most injured and so joined him in the front. Alisha sat beside him to help flag down any Courtmacsherry teams they passed on their way back.
Alisha spent the first part of the trip back filling Heinz and Sean in on the zone division. He’d expected something along the lines of a line drawn between the towns dividing the zones equally but it wasn’t so clear cut. Courtmacsherry had already searched the zones to the south of them in their search for a killer. What was left was to the zones north of the Timoleague and the zones to the north and west of Kinmore. 9 zones in total.
Control in zone I38-4O has reached manageable threshold.
Dropping zone barrier.
A curse went around the cabin and the mumbling from the boot picked up.
10 zones then. A few quick suggestions were thrown out and the three of them decided that Courtmacsherry would take on the I38-4Q zone. I38-4Q was one of the more travelled zones which kept the Swarm growth low. No one felt good about reducing the number of people searching the zone but they had little choice. Courtmacsherry wouldn’t be happy searching a zone directly beside Kinmore but clearing I38-4O had to take priority.
The main focus of this hunt was to be focused on I38-FB, which contained Clogagh and the zones that connected to it, I38-9G and I38-9H. Both Kinmore and Courtmacsherry would be sending teams to these, preferably made from those past the third threshold. These new Swarm weren't as individually dangerous in a fight as some larger kinds of Swarm but they didn't need to be. Even with all of the augments, thresholds and makeshift armour, people were fragile.
Heinz pulled into the ditch before the tax free market and Alisha hopped out to let Mike and Tara out of the boot. Mike's ribs were still giving him trouble but he volunteered as the least bloody of them. It made more sense for Tara, the only non injured Kinmore reclaimer to do it alone but no one believed that the crowd would leave easily. Heinz winced as his van’s suspension complained at all the movement.
The duo came forward for a quick chat before making a beeline for the group of reclaimer guards that were hanging about. Heinz indicated out and set off without waiting. He wouldn't be coming back either. Mike and Tara would attempt to get a lift back or walk the 2 kilometres into town.
“So what’s with the shrine?” Alisha asked as they drove past the last stall.
“Shrine?” Heinz asked but didn’t turn his head. The road ahead might have been empty and the chances of meeting one of the few cars still moving was slim but some habits were ingrained.
“Statue of Mary, mother of christ? Mound of food with people kneeling before it?” Alisha’s voice was bitter. “You really have enough food that you can throw it away like that?”
“What?” Heinz checked his mirror. He hadn’t seen anything like that.
“They were put out two days ago.” Sean said with a sigh. “A lot of people have been fairly upset recently. There was a fuss outside the church, ‘God has abandoned us’ and the like and this is a reaction to that.”
“Fairly upset.” Alisha echoed mockingly.
“Yes.” Sean echoed stiffly. “Some people have given up their faith. Most just want to show everyone they aren’t alone but others.. They’ve gone for the extremes. They think that this is rapture or a test or punishment with all the hellfire involved.”
Alisha scoffed but Heinz’s brow furrowed as he tapped the wheel.
“I visited the town hall after the fire. Someone had drawn a pitchfork over the Kinmore map.”
Alisha raised an eyebrow at Sean. “Bit dramatic?”
Sean scowled and made to reply but Heinz cut across him.
“What if that pitchfork was drawn before the fire?”
Sean blanched. “Come on now. This started days after the fire. It’s faithful people trying to make sense of everything.”
”Maybe.” Heinz said and clicked his tongue. “But you said hellfire. That might be the kind of talk an arsonist would like. Is all of this the usual church crowd or are there new joiners?”
Sean paused to think and the sounds from a conversation in the boot drifted forward to fill the silence. When he spoke again he was subdued. “I don’t know. I’m sure there are new people. Some of those teleported are religious and others want to reconnect. My wife might know.”
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“Look I’m not accusing anyone or saying the fires were because of religion but-”
“I know.” Sean interrupted him. “It’s worth checking. I’ll see if my wife has names.”
“Some of the Gardai are looking into it from the outdoor centre. They might already know or have even found-”
“I’ll sort it.” Sean interrupted again, voice tight. He paused and took a breath. “Leave it to me. I’ll head over between the doctors and setting out again.”
Heinz gave him a nod and turned his attention back to the road.
“I don’t know what you want me to say Heinz.” Nico placed a notepad down on the table. “I’ve cleaned and dressed your back and shoulder. That’s it. Normally I wouldn’t recommend anyone with these injuries do any physical labour, never mind with the ‘aches’ from passing the fourth threshold and whatever that augments done to your shoulder..”
Heinz shifted around and stood up from the ground. They’d decided not to risk using the examination table.
“I get that. I just want to know that nothing is.. fragile.”
He didn’t like thinking too much about his back. All he could imagine was muscle splitting apart like rope under strain when cut until it snapped.
“Even with the cut, you seem to be the least fragile thing in the room.” Nico said with a pointed look at the bent door handle. Nico passed over Heinz's jacket as he started reapplying layers. “Take it easy and eat a lot until it heals up. And no, I can’t tell you how long that will take.”
Nico escorted Heinz out in silence. When they reached the waiting room he gave Heinz a quick nod and turned to head back in.
“Thanks for the checkup Nico.” Heinz called to his retreating back. The doctor had seemed frazzled.
Nico turned and gave him a tight smile and a wave before disappearing around the corner.
Heinz hurried over to the outdoor education centre. He’d popped by earlier to drop Alisha off and explain the situation quickly before heading to the hospital. The centre had been a hive of activity when they passed with people arriving in bunches for the I38-4O clearing. Killian had greeted them warmly, happy to have more help. His smile had fallen when he took in their state and realised that they were there to add to the work instead.
His checkup hadn't taken long but the road to the centre was even busier than earlier and that was without several of the vehicles and teams that already left for the clearing work. Heinz even spotted people running back and forth with the Kinmore sports clubs bibs on. Not too odd a sight in Kinmore these days but rare around the outdoor centre.
Heinz was about to brave the masses gathered in the parking lot when he spotted Alisha talking to a small huddle of people across the street. He diverted over there instead.
“-on mats but the food’s alright.”
They didn’t notice him approaching amongst all the fuss but Heinz was able to recognise two of them as the parents he had dropped off.
“And what do they have you doing?” Alisha asked.
“We get some of the worst jobs that the teleported were doing. Garbage duty and transportation which includes toilet waste.”
Another voice continued. “It isn’t a punishment detail, it’s more work that no one else wants to do. Some of us help with minding the children or join a town watch instead.”
At this point Heinz was close enough that if he didn’t say anything he would be purposely eavesdropping on the conversation. “Hey Alisha. Did you decide on any changes to the plan?”
The huddle broke apart quickly with several people jumping at his voice.
“Heinz! They didn’t need to cut off your arm then?” Alisha answered with a smile as she laid a reassuring hand on the shoulder of the person beside her.
Heinz nodded a greeting at the two parents he recognised. Both nodded back but only Max met his eyes.
“Not yet but I’m sure they were tempted. The others should be following after me. Some won’t be much help and we’ve all got low timers anyway.”
“Right.” Alisha said with a nod. She turned back to the group. “It was good to see you. I’ll let everyone know you’re doing well.”
There was a hesitant round of goodbyes with several looks shot towards Heinz. When they left Alisha began striding across the road. Heinz followed after only to leave her behind as she stopped dead in front of the centre.
“Everything alright?” He asked as he turned back.
Alisha had a frown on her face as she stared at two people arguing off to the side. One wore a bib. She closed her eyes and took a breath before catching up to Heinz.
“How is it, that everything here is so..” Alisha chewed on the word for a second before continuing. “Dysfunctional and yet you’re better off than we are?”
Heinz watched the chaos fold around him. People running back and forth. Supplies moved into one vehicle only to be taken out and put moved to another. The two people still arguing off to the side.
“I don’t know.” He answered truthfully.
Courtmacsherry had been so ordered, both within the village and without. All the Reclaimers used the same equipment and dressed in similar fashion. Everyone last one of them had waited on Christopher’s orders at the clearing of I38-FB. They had a functional wall around the village and it was actively patrolled. In comparison, Kinmore was a mess with two large groups of people working together, apart and against each other and the rest did as they wished. No walls surrounded them and there were plenty of scandals.
Yet people were moving from Courtmacsherry to Kinmore as soon as they could. Kinmore had cleared zones faster and advanced through the System first.
“So far it’s just worked. I guess we’ve been lucky.”
Alisha hummed back and they walked into the mess.
Forty minutes later, Heinz was back in the driver’s seat. Anxiously tapping the wheel. He still had hours left on the timer but that wasn’t much time considering the job ahead.
They had been assigned to I38-9G. Close enough to a wall they could get there soon after the clearing work but cleared days ago so it shouldn't strain their injuries more. Louise and Alisha sat in the passenger seats beside him. The others were in the boot. Mike and Sean had left them to try and reconnect with Dick but others had taken their place. His van was part of the largest line of vehicles he’d seen since the first day of this mess.
The convoy set off from Kinmore.