Nigel gazed at the familiar scenery as Sally approached Haven, a town that Nigel knew well. Its only attractions were the asylum and the slums that were the hallmark of Section 8 housing in the area. A tap on Nigel’s shoulder and a squeeze on his right arm reminded him that Jerry, his new charge, was with him.

Soon I will be at the forefront of the ultimate battle, Nigel thought.

“We will land over there, in the clearing,” Sally said, pointing to a gap in the trees.

Nigel thought he saw a small town just beyond. His heart raced at the thought of finding Jerry a home. The sooner he was taken care of, the sooner Nigel would be able to focus on the battle to come. He racked his mind on how he would approach Doc Chop and Professor Paladin. There were so many unanswered questions. The evidence that he had uncovered suggested a much bigger plot than he had suspected. Also, how is Treeka involved? This is another question he needed answered.

“Milford isn’t far from here,” Jet said.

“Is that where you’re from?” Sally asked.

“Yes, Nige and I went to school about twenty miles north of here.”

Nigel wondered where his brother Ralphie was. He had lost track of him during the chaos that ensued after the Cabal and Freeman launched the largest hacking attack in history. Nigel was ashamed for his part in it. He wondered what would have happened if he’d refused to help them. Jet—She was what he had been fighting for, and he’d lost her anyway.

“We’re here!” Sally said.

The helicopter landed in a clearing. Nigel’s vision was obscured by the dimming rays of sunlight. It wouldn’t be long before sunset. He had no memory of landing.

“Where have you been Nigel?” Sally asked.

“What?”

“We’ve been sitting here for a while now. Is your condition resurfacing?”

“I’ll be okay,” he said, opening a bottle of Newport’s Finest and downing it in three large gulps.

“Let’s go see your folks,” Nigel said to Jerry.

The boy frowned. “I don’t want to go in there.”

“Why not?” Nigel asked.

“I want to stay with you guys. This place is creepy, too.”

“It will be fine Jerry, you’ll see.”

Nigel unbuckled and opened the helicopter doors. A wave of exhilaration washed over him as he helped Jet out of the cargo hold. He wondered if he still loved her; his body seemed to think so.

“Put me down there,” she said, pointing to the grassy spot nearby.

“Are you sure? It might be a while before I come back.”

She shrugged. “I have Sally to help me.”

Nigel put on a hoodie and strapped his backpack on.

“Ready to meet your parents?” Nigel asked Jerry.

The boy kicked something into the woods. Nigel wondered why the kid was so reluctant to meet his parents.

Maybe he developed a bond with the old man?

Nigel put the thought out of his mind and led Jerry into the woods, toward the town they had seen while in the air.

“How long has it been since you saw your mom?” Nigel asked.

There was no response. After several moments, Nigel looked over his shoulder to make sure the kid was still there.

“I don’t know. I think it was last year, but I really couldn’t say.”

He doesn’t seem that broken up about not seeing his family.

A nondescript wall made out of various boards, tree branches, chicken coop wire, and other scrap materials, stood before him. A single narrow door was in the center of the makeshift structure. Nigel thought it would fall over if the wind was any stronger. He knocked on the door.

“Anyone in there?”

“Hit it harder,” Jerry said.

Nigel pounded. The boards that kept the structure together creaked and swayed.

“Stop,” an older voice said.

Nigel looked around, but couldn’t see anyone.

“Up here!”

Nigel craned his neck toward the voice. A man in his seventies aimed a shotgun right at him.

“Wait, I’m not looking for trouble.”

“Then what are you looking for?”

“I’m returning this boy to his parents.”

“What boy?”

Nigel gestured to Jerry, who was hiding behind him, looking frightened as ever. The old man lowered his gun.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

“Wait there.”

Moments later, the door opened, and the man emerged from the shadows. The light was fading, and he found it increasingly difficult to see.

“Who are you?” the old man said in a gruff tone.

“I’m Nigel, and this is Jerry. I’m a friend of Jack’s. He asked me to bring him here.”

The old man’s eyes narrowed. “Jack, huh? I haven’t heard that name in a long time. What makes you think Jerry has family here?”

Nigel hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal.

“Crazy—Jack, mentioned that Jerry’s parents lived in a commune just north of Haven. This is the only place we have found that meets his description.”

“Commune,” the old man laughed. “That sounds right. You’re welcome to come in, but I’m not sure if you will find anyone to claim the boy.”

He led Nigel and the boy through the rickety door and into a dirty-looking camp. A single campfire provided some light, and the air was thick with the scent of smoke and unwashed bodies. A group of people huddled around the campfire, staring suspiciously at the newcomers..

“What do you want with us,” a woman asked, dusting off her clothes. She examined Jerry and frowned. “I don’t know who this kid belongs to, but we don’t much appreciate you barging in here and disturbing our camp.”

“I’m sorry to bother you all, but we’re just looking for the boy’s parents. We were told they lived in a commune north of Haven,” Nigel said.

Hushed murmurs emanated from the crowd. The woman turned to the others and whispered something.

A man farther back from the group stepped forward. “I think I know who you’re talking about, but she left months ago.”

“Shush, Benson,” the woman said.

“Where did they go?” Nigel asked.

“Well… I don’t know,” Benson said, twitching.

Nigel took a step back. He got an uneasy feeling from the man. He couldn’t place it, but something wasn’t right with him.

“K-Kill the abomination,” he said, pointing to Jerry, who clung to Nigel.

“What? Abomination? You people are crazy,” Nigel said.

The man drew a Bowie knife and waved it wildly. Nigel pushed Jerry behind him. He didn’t have any weapons, but he was prepared to wrestle the knife from Benson’s hands if necessary.

“I’m taking his Omnitech for myself. I’m incomplete without it,” Benson said as he danced around the campfire.

“What are you talking about? Why are you threatening the boy?” Nigel demanded.

“Stop it, Benson,” the old man said.

“No, Doc Choppers promised. And I’m taking what’s mine.”

Benson lunged toward Jerry, knife at the ready.

Nigel deflected the man’s clumsy thrusts. He seemed to be moving in slow motion. Nigel grabbed some loose dirt and slung it in Benson’s eyes. The man screamed and dropped the knife. Nigel scooped it up and backed toward the entrance. The rest of the group closed in on Jerry, looking like they were about to pounce.

“Nigel, let’s go!” Jerry said.

“Look, we don’t want any trouble,” Nigel said.

“You are already in a heap of it for hurting Benson like that,” the old man said.

“Run!” Nigel shouted.

They ran like the wind. Nigel followed Jerry into the blackened forest. Nigel didn’t know how the boy could see anything; he sure couldn’t. He sneaked a peek behind; he didn’t see any lights, nor any movement.

“Jerry, slow down.”

“They’re coming!”

“They probably went back to their camp. I think we’re safe.”

Moments later, the boy stopped. Nigel thought he could make out the helicopter. He reached out and felt the cold metal. He fumbled for the door, and as he opened it, a light illuminated the cabin. His jaw dropped as he saw Sally and Jet in the cargo hold. A blanket was draped over their pale, naked bodies. A wave of excitement filled Nigel. An image of him in the middle of the two exchanging kisses was appealing, but he pushed away the fantasy.

“Whoa, what the hell is going on here?”

“What are they doing?” Jerry said in fascination.

“I thought you were taking the kid to his parents or something,” Sally said in an annoyed tone.

“I was, until this crazy man attacked Jerry, and then the entire camp turned on us.”

“You have a way with people, Nige,” Jet said.

Sally scrambled to the pilot’s seat. Nigel caught a glimpse of her bare form before looking away. A spotlight shone from the helicopter and into the night. Nigel couldn’t see anyone coming for them. He was right about the people giving up. Other than a deer running into the woods, he saw nothing.

“Whatever was out there is gone now,” Sally said.

“What's out there?” April asked as she came into view.

“It’s a long story and I’m tired. I’ll tell you later,” Nigel said.

“It’s getting late; why don’t you boys camp out tonight,” Jet said.

“You can tell me all about it once I wake you Nigel. For now I’m going to resume my guard duties,” April said, heading into the darkness.

“Take this, and I’ll meet you outside with some supplies,” Sally said, handing Nigel a flashlight.

He checked the immediate area and when he was certain that no one was coming for them, he sat on the ground with his back to a massive tree and waited for Sally. Jerry sat nearby.

“How could you see where we were going?” Nigel asked.

The boy shrugged. “I have good night vision. Papa always said I was special.”

Nigel realized that he knew next to nothing about the boy or his family. “When was the last time you saw your parents?”

“I don’t remember much of my mother, but me and my father were traveling in the city. I woke one morning to find him gone. I was scared for a long time. It was just my friends, the bunnies, then Jack found me.”

“Here is a tent and a couple of sleeping bags. It will keep you warm until morning,” Sally said.

“We need to head straight to Boston,” Nigel said.

Sally frowned. “Let’s get some rest. We’ll discuss in the morning.”

Nigel watched Sally go as an uneasy feeling overcame him. He pitched the small tent, just large enough for one, but he and Jerry could fit. The boy curled up next to Nigel and was asleep in moments.

#

Early the next morning, Nigel awoke to the familiar glow of the eastern sunrise. He smelled something cooking nearby. He woke Jerry, and they crawled out of the tent and made their way to the helicopter. Sally was frantically writing something in a log book. Jet was typing something on a computer, then wrote something down and gave a slip of paper to the other woman.

“What’s going on?” Nigel asked.

“We’re heavy,” Sally said as she continued scribbling.

“So we will leave the camping supplies behind?”

Sally pointed at Jerry. “What do you weigh, Jerry?”

“I don’t know, eighty pounds maybe.”

A rumbling sound rolled across the valley. Clouds were moving in. Sally looked at the sky, then refocused her attention.

“This is not going to work. At our current weight, we will use twenty gallons of fuel an hour. We have thirty. Either we lose a person, or our trip is going to be cut short.”

“I will stay,” Jet said.

“We’re not leaving anyone behind,” Nigel said.

“Stop being so boneheaded, Nigel; there isn’t much I can do in Boston, and you need to stop that madman,” Jet said.

“I agree with Nigel; we can’t just leave you in the middle of nowhere. Plus, that commune doesn’t sound like it’s safe to be around,” Sally said.

Jet nodded. “There are plenty of places in Milford you can land; It’s along the way. I can hole up somewhere and try to help you remotely if I can find working internet.”

“I think we should stick together, but we should land somewhere where no one will see us,” Nigel said.

“The library is on the edge of town. There is a big grassy area behind it,” Jet said.

“That’s better, but what about Mr. Tage’s mansion? He has a helicopter pad in the back,” Nigel asked.

“I don’t think he would like it if we showed up unannounced,” Sally said.

“It’s not like you can call him,” Jet said.

“Right, cell phone communications are down, but the ham bands are up. Let me use your radio, and I will call the governor.”

“Who?” Sally asked.

“Mr. Tage—well, that’s the name he goes by now,” Nigel said.

“Do it in the air. It’s time to go.”

Moments later, Nigel was tossing all the unnecessary supplies onto the ground. He guessed they’d lost at least the body weight of another person. Once again, Jet, April, and Jerry crammed in the back of the cargo hold. After a quick lesson from Sally, Milford Rogue, Nigel’s radio handle, was scanning the airwaves, looking for the governor.