Upheaval: A post-apocalyptic prequel novella (Divided) by CC Robinson

Author:CC Robinson [Robinson, CC]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Manifold Publishing, LLC
Published: 2024-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8: Moses

Moses jogged along a darkening McMillan Street, turning north as he neared the university. His bones ached, and he longed for his bed, exhaustion saturating every fiber of his being.

He’d found Rubin just as his group was leaving their last known location, patrols from the mega-gangs blocks away. They were heading into the mountains of southeastern Kentucky. Rubin knew of an old cave system used for bluegrass music broadcasts and had decided the deep-cut valleys were more defensible than anything they’d find in the northern Kentucky suburbs. Moses had given Rubin the cipher, encouraging him to keep in touch, stopping himself from counting the few heads that streamed past him into the daylight.

He prayed they would survive. Or that some would. Loss had become inevitable in their world. Moses forced away thoughts of his thug little brother, Corey, his only remaining family. Maybe he’d died in the fighting. He couldn’t change Corey’s choices now. He’d made his bed years ago, despite Moses’s entreaties to join the military.

Twilight had descended on Cincinnati, softening the signs of battle into a haze of blurred edges that became shadows. He wondered who would scrub the city clean of the stains of war and how long it would take them to do it.

He sounded the nightingale call and waited for the echoing whistle. He emerged into the wan moonlight and navigated the elaborate roadblock his team had designed for each of the entry points onto the university. Useless cars, appliances and fencing formed an intricate gate, exposing anyone who approached to concealed snipers in roosts high above and armed sentries at the street level.

“Welcome back, my friend,” Rev said, wrapping Moses in a tight hug and slapping his back hard. “Your wife missed you.” Moses had missed his friend, too. Reverend Thompson, who used to be a well-known pastor in the city and whom he’d nicknamed “Rev,” had become far more than a collaborator in the last few weeks. Rev was family.

An Asian sentry posted up behind a dysfunctional refrigerator huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes. “She drove us all nuts, in the best way, asking if you’d shown up yet.”

His Juli was often a little too free with her emotions. Moses chuckled at the image.

“I missed her too,” Moses said. “But she didn’t need to worry. Slipping in and out of the city wasn’t easy, but it was possible. Where is she?”

“Oh-ho, you’ll have to hold your horses on that,” Rev said with a sly twist of his mouth. “As soon as you set foot on this campus, the leaders want to meet. There’ve been developments.”

“Alright,” Moses said, following Rev away from the Calhoun gate and into the massive dormitory lobby. “Let’s get this over with.”

“The others may regret their haste after they smell you.”

Moses scrubbed a hand down his face. He stunk like the Ohio River. Apt because he’d fallen in not once, but twice. He swore the sewage treatment plants upstream had released everything straight into the river.

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