Nathan Jones - Shortage

Trev glanced at his cousin. “What would biking while wearing backpacks look like?”

“Ugly for balance, and we wouldn’t be able to carry nearly as much.” Lewis sighed and turned to Chauncey. “Can we take a look at the bikes?”

The older man nodded and motioned them towards the back room. “I’ll get on the radio and see if anyone’s got a trailer.”

They left him to it and headed into the backroom, checking over the selection of bikes. It was a bit pitiful, just as he’d warned, with only a few cheaper 10-speeds to go along with children’s bikes. Lewis suggested asking around town for anyone holding onto a better bike, but Trev didn’t have the patience for that with a possible deadline for the Gold Bloc invasion a week away. “We can make these work,” he insisted, motioning towards the two best bikes they’d found. “We’ll just bring what we need to repair them if there’s a problem.”

“If there’s a problem we can’t fix we’re down to one and a half bikes and we’re back to walking speed,” his cousin replied. “That’s why you go with quality equipment.”

In the end they agreed to take the bikes out to the shelter and pack up what they’d need. In the meantime there was a chance Chauncey would find something over the radio, and if worse came to worst they could always stop in Helper or Price, depending on the route they took, and look for something better there using some of Lewis’s coins to barter with.

On the plus side the trip back to the shelter was much faster. “Why haven’t we been using these all along?” Trev called as they zoomed up the dirt path towards the two hills.

“Lack of imagination?” his cousin called back. “No bikes in the days of the Wild West, and we got caught thinking we were living back then.”

“Well Matt at least should start using one. Think about how much time he’d save on walking that he could be using for better purposes.”

Back at the shelter the Larsons had gathered to give them a good sendoff, with hugs and well-wishing all around. While Trev stayed with the group to discuss matters with the garden and shelter while they were gone, Lewis disappeared to his nook where most of the stuff in the shelter that Ferris hadn’t taken had been piled while he was gone. He emerged with maps, including larger more detailed ones of each state, and began marking a couple suitable routes that would keep them off large roads and away from population centers.

Trev couldn’t help but notice that his cousin frequently referenced a logbook he’d made of all the news of the outside world he’d gotten from Chauncey or incoming refugees or heard over his radio. That more up-to-date info might mean the difference between life and death, and he once again found himself praising Lewis’s meticulous nature.

They had almost finished packing and Trev and Matt were looking at the bikes to see if they could figure out a way to rig the short rack over the back wheels to hold more luggage when his friend got a call on his radio and excused himself.

He came back less than a minute later and motioned for Trev to follow. “We’ve got a problem,” he said grimly, leading the way into the shelter and calling for everyone to come out and bring their weapons.

Trev followed, fighting down his alarm at his friend’s grim expression. “What is it?”

Matt was slow to answer, getting everyone out of the underground structure and locking it from the outside with the thick steel bar across the door and jamb. To keep anyone from locking them inside the structure while the door was shut they usually kept the padlock closed in the hasp so it couldn’t be used against them, but now he made sure it was securely on.

Then he turned to look at them solemnly. “We need to get into town as fast as possible. Chauncey heard some news while looking for bike trailers for you guys, and it’s a good thing he did… with our town’s current defenses we wouldn’t have had warning before it was too late. It still might be.”

“For what?” Mr. Larson demanded. “What’s going on, Son?”

Matt took a deep breath, gripping his AR-15 over his shoulder as if to remind himself it was there. “Helper just got attacked, and by the sounds of it they’re headed our way next.”

Chauncey had more information for them by the time they reached town hall, where dozens of men and women had already gathered, most of them armed. He was talking it over with the Mayor, Ben, and a few others when they arrived, and the group looked almost relieved when Matt joined them, inviting Trev and Lewis to come with him.

“I’ve been talking to Donald up in Helper all winter,” the retired teacher finished saying to Tam as they approached. “If he says the entire town just got raided by 50 or so well armed men I’m inclined to believe him.”

“Maybe you should tell the newcomers what’s going on,” Catherine prompted.

Matt nodded, glancing at his friends. “If you would. I told them what you told me over the radio, but that’s all we know.”

“Then you know most of it,” Chauncey said, reaching back as if to reassure himself that his shotgun was still hanging from his shoulder. “A half a dozen trucks rolled into Helper looking like a FETF relief convoy. Only when the town welcomed them with open arms and let them drive right into the center of the place over 50 men poured out the backs. The townspeople were caught with their pants down and most of the people who could’ve defended against the attack were disarmed at gunpoint. After that the group of bandits stripped Helper of anything valuable, although thankfully they just kept their villainy to theft.”

Something in Chauncey’s expression hinted at more, something personal, and Matt felt a sinking in his gut. “I’ve got the feeling you’re going to tell me we know the person leading this group.”

“You’d be right.” Chauncey glared north towards the nearby town. “It was Ferris, and Turner’s with him. Looks like they’re not on the side of justice and order anymore.”

Even though he wasn’t exactly surprised the news still hit Matt like a punch in the gut. He had as much reason as anyone to hate the administrator who’d stripped Aspen Hill bare and then left them to rot, but he still wasn’t quite sure a man could take such a drastic turn over the course of a few months. Even through a winter like the one they’d just had.

Trev shook his head. “I suppose we should’ve seen those two headed down a dark road after what they did in Aspen Hill. From what I hear, not to mention my own personal experience, Ferris’s management was only a step above highway robbery at the best of times. And Turner went along with everything he did just about right from the start.”

Chauncey shrugged, patting his shotgun again. “Well however they ended up criminals that’s where they are, and soon they’ll be bringing what they’ve become back to our town. Donald said the convoy’s getting ready to roll out, and since they came from the north that means they’re heading our way. But at the very least Ferris won’t know about the radio so he’ll probably try the same trick of pretending to be a relief convoy to get past our defenses. That might give us a chance to catch him by surprise instead.”

“What about Carbonville and Price?” Lewis asked. “Have they been warned in case Ferris decides we don’t have anything to steal and just passes us by?”

The retired teacher nodded. “Price and Helper were talking when I butted into the conversation. They’re going to send warning up to Carbonville, along with whatever help they can spare.”

“But no help for us,” Catherine said with a sigh. “We outnumber Ferris’s men, but can we fight them off?”