Chapter 13

The optimism didn’t end when Samantha awoke from her fever-induced sleep. The rain had stopped, which made it easier for Vince, Chris, and Karl to make their way to the Barrens.

It took them an hour to reach the enormous compound and they weren’t surprised to see that the metal gates had been open; the area had been ambushed by Dreamkillers after all.

As they walked into the Northern Barrens, Vince felt as if no one would be alive; fires were still blazing in nearby buildings – they could smell the smoke.

Everything was silent, save for their footsteps crunching over the dead earth. They dared not to speak for fear of awakening any spirits that may still be roaming the area that had at one time been a cemetery.

After all that they had been through and seen, none of them was superstitious, but the thought of waking the dead and angering them, wasn’t the reason they had come here. They were searching for anyone who had survived the ambush.

“What’re you doing here?”

They quickly turned around and barely saw a man sitting on what appeared to be a porch step with a rifle resting on his knee, pointed at them.

Vince took one step toward the man, but Karl put his arm out in his way, stopping him. “We don’t know who, or what he is,” he said.

Vince knew he was right to be cautious. He studied the man, paying closer attention to the rifle and his eyes. “We come as friends,” he finally called out. He judged the man to be human; Dreamkillers never used weapons.

“Yeah?” The man grinned and stood up. He lifted the rifle at them. “Tell that to the hundred or so that had been taken.”

“Taken?” Chris stepped forward with a puzzled look. “What do you mean? I thought everyone was killed.”

“Then why are you here – if you thought we were all dead?”

“We were hoping to find survivors,” Vince replied and made his way to the man, hands out, showing that he had no weapons. “Tell me what happened.”

The man paused as he, too, studied Vince, and then lowered the rifle with a sigh. “Like I said; they were taken away almost as soon as they ambushed us.”

“Where?”

“Hell if I know.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?” Karl stepped forward and stood next to Vince. “A hundred humans taken by Dreamkillers and you don’t know where they went?”

“What’s your name?”

Karl hesitated and then answered with suspicion.

“Well, Karl, I didn’t get the chance to see what was happening.” He propped his rifle up against a post. “Follow me.”

He turned, opened the door to a house that used to be a crematorium, and led the way down a dark hallway. “I was hiding with the rest,” he called back and stopped at a door.

He turned, one hand on the doorknob. “Not everyone was taken.” He opened the door and walked down a flight of stairs.

Before they reached the bottom, Vince could already make out the faces of perhaps a hundred young humans. And as he scanned the basement full of faces, not one looked happy to see him.

There was a look of loss in their faces; loss of direction or loss of hope, Vince didn’t know.

“We had a law here in the Barrens,” said their host as he led them to the ground floor, “that if anything should happen, I would take the young and hide them here. It was their parents that were taken – mothers and fathers; taken by those damned creatures.”

“Is this what’s left?” Vince made his way through the children which varied in ages. He didn’t want these children to have to fight.

No one took notice of them.

Face after face, Vince read the same story and the anger was simmering as he made his way back to the stairs. He climbed until he was just above their heads and he turned to look at them. “People of the next generation, hear me!” He wasn’t sure what to say to them.

“A new awakening is upon us. Our savior walks this earth, today, and she will save us all from oppression.” He knew it sounded too sappy, but he also knew that he was talking to children.

He looked over at Karl and Chris. “We need to talk to the older ones,” he said to them. “If they’re able to fight, then we need to recruit them.”

Their host glanced up at him behind concern. “You can’t be serious?” He walked up to Vince. “They’re children; they’ve never fought for anything. They’d get killed.” He reached out and grabbed Vince’s arm. “Don’t do this, please.”

Vince looked into the man’s eyes and saw the fear in them. “What is your name?”

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“Karlson – John Karlson.”

“Mr. Karlson, the time has come for them to fight for their lives. We are what’s left of humankind.” Vince turned and looked around the room.

“Children of the Barrens, listen to me.” Vince walked down into the crowd. “There is a prophecy unfolding right now that tells of Orion and the one girl who will fight him and save mankind from extinction. Her name is Mykella and she is preparing for that final battle.” He waded through the listeners, surprised that he had their attention. “But we need to help her. Without us she is defenseless. Without us, the Dreamkillers will end her life first.”

John shook his head as he listened to Vince, the prophet, speak his words. He turned and looked at Chris. “It’ll be suicide for them all – there is no savior,” he said.

She realized that there would be those who would not believe in Mykella and her prophecy. “I’ve known Vince for a very long time and I know he doesn’t want to put them in danger.” She turned and watched Vince wade through the children. “If there was any other way, believe me, he wouldn’t be talking to them.”

“But to send these kids off to battle?”

“I think he only wants to create a diversion,” said Karl as he made his way over to them. “Besides, there are plenty of them that are over eighteen. We’re not going to recruit the young.” He studied the faces as they had changed from loss to interest – interest in what Vince had to say. “He’s going to give them a choice.”

As if he read Karl’s mind, “You have a choice to make today,” announced Vince as he looked his audience over. “I believe it’s our duty to make sure Mykella survives – for our own survival.”

There was talk amongst the crowd and Vince realized they were discussing what they had just heard.

“We need volunteers – seventeen years of age and up – to help Mykella. Let me see a show of hands that will help win this war.”

Hesitation filled the room; the word war had never been mentioned. Then, one after another, arms went into the air. As he watched them rise, Vince knew that the war was about to take place.

A quick fragment of an image entered his mind at the moment: Human soldiers dying at the hands of Dreamkillers and Orion walking onto the battlefield, killing one of the last survivors.

No; he remembered that there were no human survivors. His mother put the image into his head so long ago so he could see what was to come.

He looked around at the faces which belonged to the raised arms and a sick feeling overcame him. He has sentenced them to death and he wasn’t so sure his plan was even conceivable.

Mykella’s battle with Orion was inevitable; all he had to do was keep the army of Dreamkillers at bay long enough for her to get into the castle.

Thirty minutes had passed and John led the younger children to another room in the basement, all the while disapproving of what Vince was doing and who he claimed to be doing it for, and Vince looked upon his young army of unprepared soldiers.

Was this why they all died – because they were unprepared? If that be the case, then we better train them to be prepared. The Dreamkillers are ruthless killers; their master is without feeling and doesn't care for those he kills.

Karl and Chris made three rows of the young adults and then walked back to Vince who stood in front, scanning them for any strength they may possess.

Once Chris approached him, Vince turned to her and whispered, “They’re going to die.”

She took hold of his arm and ushered him to a corner, away from both the new army and John. “Get a hold of yourself, Vince,” she began. “Just because they’re barely adults doesn’t mean they can’t fight. During several of my scouts, I’ve seen even younger kids fight better than thirty-year-olds. Speaking of which,” She trailed off and motioned for Karl to join them.

He went over to them. “What’s going on?”

“I was just about to tell Vince that I’ve sent a transmission to the Californian Brigade and the Wisconsin Underground. They’ll be arriving in a day or two.”

“Why’d you do that? And when?”

“The other day. I had this feeling that we needed to get together for a face-to-face meeting. I didn’t think it would be this kind of meeting, though,” she grinned and glanced over Karl’s shoulder to look at the new army.

Vince nodded. “I’m glad you did it, Chris, but you could’ve told us about it first.”

“I was right around the corner from the NCC so I just went in and sent it out. And besides,” she looked back at Vince. “You’re not our boss.”

Karl shook his head. “The Network Control Center isn’t safe, Chris. You should have taken us with you.”

Vince fell silent. During their twenty years of partnership, he never thought he acted like a boss. But deep down he felt like it because it was Mykella’s bond with him that made him act as if he knew more about the war than anyone else.

Still, he didn’t want them to feel like he’s bossing them around. “I’m sorry, Chris. I didn’t mean to sound bossy.”

“You have,” replied Karl.

“Anyway,” interrupted Chris, trying to change the subject. “Everyone will be together and that – with them,” she looked at the new recruits, “should be around four hundred people.”

“Where the hell are we going to hide four hundred people? And where are we going to have this meeting?” Vince was pleased to hear the average total of people, but he didn’t think they could stay under Orion’s watchful eye.

“And we don’t know how many Dreamkillers there are,” explained Karl.

“Well, by the time they arrive, the battle will have begun,” said Chris.

“You mean Mykella?”

“I don’t think she’ll be at the apartment when we get back,” she said after a nod.

“The time’s come, I guess.” Now that it has come, Karl didn’t like the sound of it. It meant his time had come, too.

“What makes you think Mykella won’t be there?” Vince was pretty certain that Chris had no psychic abilities – none that he ever saw anyway.

She shrugged her shoulders. “I’ve just got a hunch – call it woman’s intuition.”

“Then I need to get to her fast.” Vince looked up at Karl. “Do you think you could stay here and teach them how to fight?”

With a grin, “A forty year old man teaching kids how to fight?” He laughed out loud and looked up at the ceiling. “This should be very interesting.”

Chris put her hand on Karl’s shoulder. “Don’t worry; I’ll stay with you to make sure they don’t hurt you.”

“Hey, Lady, you’re as old as I am, you know.”

“Excuse me? I’ll be thirty-nine in four months.”

If we make it that long, thought Vince.