Besides, I can only fit so many on the fighting platform. If I put too many up there, they just get in each other’s way. I want you two fresh for tonight.”
“And the meeting?” asked Joshua.
Adam clicked his fingers. “That’s right. Almost forgot. Come to my office about an hour before sundown. We’ll see if I can swing the others around to my way of thinking.” He winked at Sam. “Don’t you worry, my boy. I can be pretty convincing when I want to be.”
Sam certainly hoped so. Gabriel had obviously sent him here to help the survivors as well as getting aid in return. Without these people, he knew he would struggle to get to Los Angeles. And there was still a long, long way to go.
Sam felt a little uneasy as he followed Joshua towards Adam’s ‘office.’ Convincing Adam of his good intentions, despite his demonic heritage, had been a surprisingly easy thing. Sam had a feeling that Adam’s lieutenants would not be so understanding.
Josh’s watch had died a few weeks back so he had no idea what the time was. Fortunately, Sam had an unfailing sense of time due to the necessity of knowing when it would get dark, so he roused the other boy from his sleep long before the appointed time.
Sam himself had not slept. He had meditated for a couple of hours, which was sufficient, but a few hours of real sleep would not have been unwelcome. For the last few years now, Sam had starting sleeping inside a pentacle to block the bad dreams that had become more and more frequent. The pentacle did, unfortunately, have a few serious setbacks associated with it, so he was not about to use it now. His dream avoidance technique was, as a consequence, very simple; since the Rapture, he had basically not slept.
Earlier, the two boys had also eaten. Within the cave complex, there was a large cavern which served as a communal mess hall and living area. Once again, Sam had been impressed by the level of organisation that was apparent. The mess hall was lit by a series of hanging hurricane lamps. Long trestle tables had been set up where a good thirty or forty survivors were eating. The serving counter consisted of more trestle tables lined with gas burners. Pots bubbled on top of each, containing a variety of simple yet filling fare.
He and Joshua had lined up with some others and when their turn came, they were served by an attractive teenage girl whom Joshua introduced as Georgia.
“You boys fight last night?” she had asked.
Joshua had polished up a grin while all Sam could manage was a crooked half-smile. “Sure did,” Joshua had replied.
“Who’s your friend?” She looked directly at Sam with an intensity that had made him uncomfortable.
“Where’s my manners?” said Josh, smiling broadly. “Georgia, this is Sam.”
“I’d offer to shake your hand,” said Georgia, “but it’s covered in mushrooms. Want some?”
Both Sam and Joshua held out their plates eagerly. Georgia ladled the dark mixture onto their plates and then looked around carefully. “I shouldn’t do this, but you did fight last night.” She gave each boy another ladle full and winked at Sam. “Don’t tell anyone, handsome.”
Sam had felt himself blushing.
“After our work detail tomorrow, me and some of my friends are going on a bit of a scavenge out in the woods. You two fancy coming with us?”
Joshua nudged Sam in the ribs. “Of course we do. Look forward to it.” Sam had absolutely no idea what to say so just nodded blankly.
She’d grinned brightly at them then, saving her brightest smile for Sam.
Now, heading towards a meeting with Adam and his lieutenants, Sam couldn’t help but remember the look Georgia had on her face. It was the look that Sam had seen some girls give the handsome members of Jacob’s Ladder football team. He liked it. It made his stomach feel a little queasy; a feeling not dissimilar to the one he got just before he fought. Almost immediately, the feeling was replaced by guilt when an image of Aimi suddenly came into his head. She was the only one who had ever looked at him like that before. He peered around nervously; Aimi could be watching him right now from the heavens, and Sam suspected she wouldn’t be terribly pleased to see him flirting with other girls.
They reached Adam’s alcove. The curtain was drawn so Joshua coughed loudly.
“Come in,” said the unmistakeable voice of Adam.
Joshua pulled the curtain back and led Sam into the tiny space. Besides Adam, three other figures were standing in the alcove. One Sam recognized: Tesara. Sam had never seen the other two before.
It was crowded in the cramped space but Adam had managed to find six wooden packing crates which he had set in a small semi-circle before his work table.
“Joshua, Sam, welcome. Take a seat, everyone,” said Adam. He took the centre crate, while the others seated themselves around him. Sam found himself sitting at the end next to Joshua.
Sighing wearily, Adam ran one of his large hands through his greying hair. “Right, we’ll keep this short. We’ve still got a few things to finalise before tonight’s attack. For your sake, Sam, introductions first. You know Tesara of course. She’s my foreman and deals with all the defence works.” When Sam nodded, he continued. “This,” he said as he indicated the small older man to his left, “is Doctor Tim Eade. He’s in charge of all medical related matters.” Doctor Eade spared Sam a tight smile. “And this is Evan.” He gestured towards a tall, spare figure sitting next to Joshua. “He deals with the administrative side of running a camp this large. He’s also the quartermaster.” Evan took off his steel rimmed glasses and nodded at Sam.
“I’ve already briefed them about you, Sam. Show them.”
Sam did as he was asked, taking off his hood. He suddenly felt naked under the gaze of so many strangers. He saw a myriad of expressions amongst Adam’s lieutenants. Tesara looked thoughtful while Doctor Eade just looked surprised. There was no emotion of any kind evident on Evan’s face.
Adam nodded. “We’ve all got a few questions to ask you first, Sam. Tesara, if you don’t mind.”
Tesara tore her eyes from the horns jutting out of Sam’s unruly hair. “First off, Sam, tell us about the Rapture and the Tribulation.”
Sam wasn’t expecting this but did what he was asked, regurgitating every lesson Hikari and Father Rainey had drummed into him about these events. When he finished, there was silence in the small alcove.
“So let me get this straight,” said Adam eventually, leaning forward on his crate. “Jesus came back and took all his righteous believers with him, right? Now the rest of us are stuck here for the next seven years while demons emerge every night to drag our sorry arses to Hell? Is that the gist of it?”
Not trusting himself to speak, Sam nodded.
“And the rest of us,” said Doctor Eade, “were not taken, presumably because we have no faith, no belief?
Is that correct?”
Sam nodded again.
“We guessed as much,” said Adam. “There’s no TV or internet obviously, but we have got ourselves a short wave radio. We’ve been keeping in touch with other groups of survivors throughout the States and we eventually put all the pieces together. Most of us noticed that the only ones who disappeared were the god-faring types. What are your thoughts, Evan?”
“It’s going to be challenging,” he said. “We have enough supplies in to last for a few months but we’re going to have to supplement our rations with other sources of fresh food.”
Evan was inexplicably well-groomed. Even his clothes looked clean, in serious contrast to the others at the meeting. Sam pegged him as a fussy, uptight type. Probably an accountant by trade. Sam didn’t exactly warm to him.
“That might be a little difficult,” said Sam. “On my way here, I didn’t see too many animals. The plants are dying; without plants, no animals.”
Even looked at Sam without blinking. It was a little unnerving. “I have been experimenting with some varieties of fish that thrive in the dark. There are some pools in the deeper parts of these caves that will make excellent breeding ponds.”
Adam smiled. “Good. Make sure you get onto that. What about water?”
“There are deep springs here. They show no signs of being polluted with ash. Water won’t be a problem,” replied Evan.
