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“How many you lose?”

“Five dead. That we’ve found so far. Good people. And the same number wounded.”

“What can I do? Is there-”

Halek walked up.

“Did you say ‘do’? What can you do? Look around this place, stranger. You’ve done enough.”

Raine turned to Halek. He didn’t like the brother’s words. But he forced himself to listen.

“What do you mean?”

“Halek, forget it. What’s done is-”

“They came here for you. They must have found the dead ones by your Ark. They came here for the Ark survivor.” Halek spat at the ground. “This is because of you.”

“Halek, ease the hell up. We don’t know that. Get back to work. You’ve got things to do. Salvage any weapons, any ammo. And I’ve got to go to the Outriggers.”

“You’re leaving?” Halek said. “With all this going on?”

One of those people nursing the wounded came up. “We’re good for medicine for maybe another twenty-four hours, Dan, tops. That’s it. Then we’re going to start losing them.”

“And whose gonna check the gates?” Halek continued, seemingly not even hearing about the medicine. “They listen to you, Dan.”

Raine had seen situations like this before: it was a lot of weight on Dan’s shoulders.

How much weight before he snapped?

“I know,” he sighed. “But we need the medical supplies. I have to go.”

Raine noticed that Halek had his eyes on him. They might have to have a private talk soon.

I may be a guest, but I’m not going to be treated like garbage by that bag of wind.

He turned to Dan, and it was clear to Raine that the leader of this settlement’s stress levels were off the chart.

“What happened to your leg?” Dan said, noticing the bloodied shirt bandaging his leg.

“Just a scratch. Found some bandits. Took them out.”

“Did you try to call us?”

“Yeah. No signal out there.”

Dan nodded. Apparently not an uncommon problem.

“They had a girl captured. I freed her-”

“And killed her, too?” Halek said.

“No. She got away, I mean.”

Another step closer to Raine’s face. “You let a goddamn bandit get away?”

“It was a girl. ”

“Doesn’t matter-they’re all the same, all scum, as bad as the Authority. Maybe worse.”

Dan held up a hand. “I have to go first thing tomorrow, get these medical supplies. Maybe you can-”

“No.”

Raine’s voice cut through the room. As if bouncing off the metal walls. Did any of the people nursing look up? He couldn’t tell-he just looked at the man who saved his life.

“I’ll go. I made this happen.”

“No, you didn’t. You don’t have to-”

“That’s how I feel. But forget that-it doesn’t matter what I feel. You’re needed here. These people need you. If it’s a goddamn supply run, I can do that.”

“To the Outriggers? Not always so simple with them.”

“Is anything simple here?”

For the first time Raine could remember, Halek was quiet.

“I can do it, Dan.”

“Let him go,” Halek finally said. “We need you here, brother.”

Dan hesitated-Raine knew how Halek felt about him, the newcomer. But the truth in his words had penetrated his stressed brain.

“Okay. All right, you can leave at first light. Could still be dangerous out there-no, it will be dangerous out there.” He shook his head, realizing it didn’t matter. Taking another deep breath, he stood a little straighter. “Halek will get together a list of what we need from them. We’ll have to offer something to barter. God… not sure what that will be. We’ll think of something. You should be back here before noon.”

“Sounds good.”

“Now get some sleep. You’re no good out there exhausted.”

“If they come back-”

For the first time that day Dan grinned. “Don’t worry. If they come back, you can be sure I’ll wake you up. But do me a favor-get that leg checked out, will you?” He walked away, his brother behind him.

Raine got his wound cleaned out and a fresh bandage put on, then went to his small space at the back of Halek’s. In minutes he fell dead asleep.

SIXTEEN

JOURNEY TO THE OUTRIGGERS

Someone kicked the wooden bench that Raine slept on. The dull vibration shook him awake.

To a totally dark room.

The person standing in front of him wore a headlamp, conveniently pointed right at him, rendering it impossible for him to see.

“Let’s go, stranger. Time to get ready.”

Raine recognized the voice. The young woman who met him on his return. Someone else who didn’t like having him around.

“I thought… first light?”

“Give it ten minutes and the sun will be up.”

The woman turned and pointed with the light at some type of bread and a drink.

“I put water in your buggy. Also fiddled with the engine a bit. Not my area, but I could see that your engine was lugging.”

Raine sat up.

“Thanks. And-who are you?”

“Loosum Hagar. I do a lot of different things around here. Which apparently also includes getting your butt moving.”

“You’re doing a good job of that. Tell me-is everyone in this settlement named Hagar?”

“What’s the matter? Don’t like the name?”

“No. Fine name-just seems-”

“C’mon. You have five minutes less than you did when I woke you. Eat, drink, move, go. There are people hurting here.”

Raine swung his legs to the side. His feet touched the ground and he felt his guns.

Funny, that’s how he came to think of them.

My guns.

“Also got some extra ammo for you. Should be a clean trip. The bandits like to hit and run. Today will be a running day for the bastards.”

“Thanks again.”

“Don’t worry-I’m not doing any of this for you. We need those medical supplies. You go, and my dad can stay here.”

Raine walked over and bit into the bread. None too tasty, and the whitish liquid in the glass was a poor imitation of milk. He didn’t even bother asking what it was.

Loosum handed him a sealed pouch. “And this-this is the deal Halek put together for the supplies. Just give it to Rikter. He’s their boss.”

“Says what you will do for them?”

“Right. Yeah. Okay, breakfast over. Let’s go.”

Light had started to color the clear night sky.

Now Raine could see Loosum. She was young-and with the headgear and bulky outfit gone, was probably fairly attractive.

Too bad our chemistry is so off, he thought.

“There’s a map in that compartment there.”

“The glove compartment.”

“The what? Gloves?”

“Forget it. Was already archaic when-”

“Like I said… should be quiet out there. If not, drive like crazy and shoot even crazier. If you’re not back by nightfall with supplies, we’ll know what happened.”

Raine looked up.

Every minute, the deep purple of the sky shifted to a lighter shade, the sun still only looming. Time to go.

“Okay. And-I won’t say, you know, thanks again.”

He got in. Started the engine. The roar did sound cleaner, a deeper, tighter rumble. More than just tuned.

“Nice,” he said.

Loosum came close, clicking off her headlamp now that it was no longer needed.

“Look, we deal with the Outriggers on occasion, but the Outriggers deal with everyone, including the Authority. Just be careful around them. They’re not to be trusted.”

“And the Hagars are?”

“I will forget you said that, Ark man. Just a warning. Take it-or don’t.”

Loosum backed away.

“Now get moving.”

A hint of yellow on the horizon, the beginning of another day in the Wasteland. Was he keeping track of the days? Should he keep track?

It certainly didn’t seem to matter.

He pulled away from Loosum and went past the guards to the road and open expanse of the great desert that surrounded the settlement.