Part 19 (1/2)
”If you don't need him, leave him behind next time.”
Cole grabbed hold of the grate and pushed it open. ”Let's go,” he whispered. As soon as they moved out onto the riverbank, they felt a cold wind bite at their faces. The temperature was well below freezing.
Sheridan quickly got his bearings and pointed off towards a line of fires burning in a wood line a few hundred meters away. With his hands in his pockets and his head down he walked across the frozen ground trying to look as if he belonged there. He doubted the enemy was patrolling the refugee camp from the sky after the losses to their fleet of drones taken over the capital. However, all it took was one drone to spot them and they would be killed in by a missile in seconds. He could smell the smoke from dozens of fires as it hung listlessly in the cold, night air.
As they got closer, Sheridan could see a makes.h.i.+ft camp. Using discarded pieces of wood and pieces of destroyed buildings, the people had managed to build a shelter against the bitter winter.
Cole reached out and grabbed Sheridan's arm. ”Sir, I think we should let Roberts and his dog check out the camp before we all walk in there and find out that it's unfriendly.”
Sheridan nodded his head.
Roberts patted Tammy on the head and then as casually as he could, he strolled towards a group of people standing around a roaring bonfire.
A man with a thick black beard saw Roberts and pulled a machete from his belt. ”That's close enough, friend. How can I help you?”
”I'm cold and hungry,” replied Roberts. ”Can I come over by your fire? I have some things with me that I can barter with you for some food.”
”Like what?' asked a woman with dirt caked to her face.
”I have a flint and a full bottle of Scotch.”
”Step close then, friend,” said the bearded man.
Roberts thanked the man and carefully walked over to the warmth of the fire. He saw that there were at least a dozen people wearing a mix of whatever clothes they could find.
The bearded man looked at Roberts for a minute. ”Friend, I've never seen you around before. What's your name?”
”Roberts, my name is Roberts,” he replied, holding his hands out over the fire to warm them up.
”Well, Roberts, my name is Manfred and the woman to my right is my wife, Nancy.”
”How come we've never seen you before tonight?” queried Nancy.
”I've been looking for my younger brother for weeks. This is the last place that I haven't checked,” he answered, recalling Sheridan's report about missing teens.
”He won't be here,” Nancy p.r.o.nounced glumly. ”They took all the young 'uns away a month ago. I ain't seen anyone under eighteen for at least two weeks now.”
”Is there another camp nearby where I could look?”
”You could try back in the woods. I hear there're people still living back there. They're none too friendly though, or so I've been told,” said Nancy.
”Thanks,” replied Roberts, making a turn to leave.
”Hold on, friend,” said Manfred. ”What about that trade?”
Roberts stopped in his tracks. ”I'll give you the booze for some food. What do you have?”
”Only the best,” crowed Nancy. ”We've got Chosen rations we can trade with for your bottle.”
”Are they any good?”
”No, but it's better than starving,” the bearded man replied.
”What will you give me for my bottle?”
”Four ration packs?” said Nancy.
”Make it six and we have a deal. I'm not going to haggle with you. Make up your minds now or I'm going to walk.”
”Deal!” said the man, thrusting out his hand to cement the agreement.
Roberts shook the man's hand and then brought out a bottle from his pocket while Nancy left the fire to fetch the rations. ”How come you have Kurgan food?”
”We do the odd ch.o.r.e for them,” replied Manfred.
Roberts was stunned to learn that people were collaborating with the enemy. ”Like what?”
”We retrieve their dead from the city and stack their bodies out in the open field,” the man said, pointing out into the dark. ”They burn them at night. I've lost count how many bodies we've seen go up in flames.”
”Anything else?”
”No, we're busy enough carrying their dead back here.”
”Here you are,” Nancy said, handing Roberts the rations.
”And here you are,” Roberts replied, giving her the Scotch.
Nancy's eyes lit up at the sight of the amber liquid in the bottle. She unscrewed the lid and took a sip before handing it to her husband who did the same. Both people looked to be in heaven.
”Thank you for your trade,” said Roberts, edging back from the fire.
Nancy looked over at Roberts, smiling. ”Why don't you spend the night and continue your search in the morning?”
”Yeah, that's a great idea, rest here by the fire and warm yourself up,” added Manfred.
An uneasy chill ran down Roberts's spine. It was time to leave. ”No, thanks, I really must get going. My wife is waiting for me.”
Nancy said, ”Bring her here as well. I'm sure she'd like to get out of the cold for a while.”
Roberts shook his head, turned about and walked as quickly as he could back out into the dark.
When he linked up with his comrades, Roberts pa.s.sed on what he had learned.
”Do you think you can trust them?” asked Cole.
”No way! If I would have stayed, I bet they would have sold me to the first enemy patrol they saw in the morning,” replied Roberts.