Raid by K.S. Merbeth

Author:K.S. Merbeth
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction / Science Fiction / Apocalyptic & Post-Apocalyptic, Fiction / Dystopian, Fiction / Science Fiction / Action & Adventure, Fiction / Action & Adventure
Publisher: Orbit
Published: 2017-07-25T04:00:00+00:00

XV

Preparations

I wake to the sound of shouting. I jolt upright, untangling myself from my blanket and standing up. The commotion is coming from outside, not within our room, so the danger isn’t immediate … and it’s lucky that’s the case, because Jed hasn’t moved an inch. I stare down at him, still fast asleep despite my movement and all the noise outside, and wonder how the hell he’s managed to survive for this long.

He finally wakes up when I kick him, and blinks at me from the floor.

“What is … What? Is something happening?” he asks, rubbing at his eyes with one hand. I ignore him and go to grab my gun from its holster, only to realize that it’s empty. No guns, not even a knife; the townies stripped us bare and helpless when we walked into town.

“Damn it,” I say, looking down at a still-groggy Jed. For a moment I feel a flicker of discomfort, remembering our way-too-personal conversation last night, but I stifle it. There’s no time to dwell on that. I grab him by the arm and haul him to his feet, pulling him toward the door without giving him a chance to protest. “C’mon, Jed. Time to be useful again.”

By the time we’ve left our room, the chaos has died down somewhat. A handful of townies are still running around, moving supplies and checking defenses, but the majority of them have already taken their places on the wall. From the way they’re talking and moving, it’s easy to guess what caused the ruckus: The raiders are coming.

Despite the still-obvious fear, the townies seem to know what they’re doing. They have a strong front line, some good vantage points, even a couple snipers set up on the rooftops. The elderly and children hover just behind the fighting folk, carrying ammo, water, and first aid supplies. They’re preparing themselves for a long siege.

It’s far more organized than I would’ve expected from a shitty little western town. Jed and I exchange a glance as we head to the wall, and I imagine he’s thinking the same thing I am: Is it possible these townies actually stand a chance?

As much as I want to charge in and demand my guns, I hang back as Jed goes to talk to one of the town’s council members. After a few minutes of conversation, Jed shoots me an overly enthusiastic thumbs-up before disappearing with the man. A few minutes later, he returns with our weapons.

The moment I see the bag, I’m itching to have my hands on it and fill the hole its absence left. I suppress the urge to run over and rip it out of Jed’s grasp. The townies already eye me like they think I might be a mass murderer on the verge of snapping. It won’t help my case if I act like a psycho who’s in love with her guns, whether or not that may be true. Still, when Jed hands over the bag, and I find my pistol sitting right on top, I hold it to my chest like a long-lost child.

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