The goodbyes had taken longer than necessary. Marcel had the absurd idea to suspend work duties so everyone could stand around sullen and falsely optimistic. For Olivia's crew, it meant the faces of those left behind were far too freshly imprinted in their minds to gain clear focus. Personally, she craved the reprieve from the two men pulling her life in opposite directions.

A lag entered their steps as they travelled to the cycle shop that the scavengers had scouted out yesterday. They reported that basement stock had gone virtually undamaged and they pocketed a repair kit for each team member. With the condition of the roads, they'd surely need more.

The hour-long walk was tolerable in the early morning cooler temperatures. The nine-hour ride to their destination, would be less so. A week each way on a bicycle was far better than the alternative of walking several weeks across the country like the group of escapees had done. Why they didn't try to get a vehicle was beyond her. Perhaps the fear really had been that strong. Given how connected the shards of society were now, the fear could have been justified.

Her eyes scanned the horizon for any signs of an external presence: familiar boot treads, out of place vehicles, movement in the windows and doors of the building with at least three walls or tire tracks. She didn't have the home team advantage. Relying on Reggie's memory was key. Unfortunately, Reggie's memory came with the expense of much sought after silence. He filled the air with quips and questions about her past with Marcel that she nipped in the bud before the others could catch on.

They arrived at the shop which had been tagged with two graffiti symbols a chicken and a man with bulging eyes, spewing vomit from his lips. Olivia went in with the SIG Sauer M11 she'd been carrying since serving for a functional government. It rarely left her side, even if she was forced to do something brash like chase after a man who was signing his own death warrant with a poorly executed escape plan.

The solar-powered flashlight wasn't needed on the first floor as the smashed windows and doors let in enough light. The store had no squatters, human or animal, so she headed into the basement that Reggie had described. In a small closet, a large trap door led to cement stairs. Her ears detected no sound other than the shifting of rubber on concrete from her boots. She stilled and listened again. Nothing.

She took two more steps then snaps and cracks came from the main floor. She swung around with the M11 aimed at the boots of the careless intruder clad in a tight green t-shirt and leather jacket. The winking smile on the shirt caused her heart rate to still, but she refused to lower the gun on principle.

"The guys were in here yesterday. We don't need to be US army thorough, just use those trained muscles of yours to help carry up the bikes," Reggie said, brushing past her raised weapon as if it were a flower.

"You don't know what's out there. People could have come since yesterday. I'm shocked you let so many civilians penetrate buildings regularly on their own."

"Hate to break it to you, Olivia," Reggie's voice bounced off the cement walls. He emerged with a bike held high. "Disaster left just a bunch of us civilians and we've been keeping ourselves alive for months without any kind of special training. It's called adapting."

He ran past her and called down the rest of the team. Olivia made haste to make sure she'd get a bike that wouldn't condemn her to push it partway through the journey and brought it upstairs. She picked up a few more empty water bottles, a couple of pairs of those ridiculous padded shorts that suddenly looked appealing, and some gloves. Energy tablets and snacks had been picked dry upstairs.

Reggie packed his bag with extra tire patches, two pumps, and glue. He'd even found a batch of bungee cords to secure his bag to the back. When Olivia checked her bike, she saw no storage area.

"How is it you knew where we could locate more than half a dozen bicycles?"

Reggie's lips twisted into a smirk. "My admirable civilian tracking skills." Upon receiving her dirty look, he added on, "which I gained working here in my early twenties. They always had a peculiar storage system to deter theft, being as this wasn't the ideal neighborhood. I was nearly shot twice during robberies."

"I've been shot three times," Olivia added.

"Yeah, well it wasn't in my job description so as soon as another offer came my way, I high-tailed it outta here." He brought out another of those black-looking stands and placed it over the back tire. "So what made you want to get shot at for a living?"

"To defend my country? It's a noble and prestigious job."

He raised a dark eyebrow. "The real reason."

"Other jobs came relied far too much on people skills, serving the general public, networking and plain luck. I have no interest in people-pleasing. The military rewarded hard work and actual skills systematically."

"People skills can be quite useful."

Olivia laughed lightly. "I'd rather be able to defend myself against an attacker when unarmed."

"Always an asset. But just think how clear your mind would be right now if you knew how the two men pining for you would react together."

Cheeky bastard.

The others came out with their bicycles. Nate and Reggie set up the luggage holders for everyone to save their backs for the trickier sections. Olivia urged them to move quickly before others noticed the advantage a bike could offer and tried to relieve them of their new possessions.

The ride went off fairly well as they'd all procured mountain bikes to deal with ruined roads. At any sign of a vehicle, they had to drop out of plain sight and stop all movement. In the desert, this was far easier said than done. Olivia's eyes were constantly scouting the next shelter spot, so much so she'd even tipped the bike once or twice, prompting Reggie's off-base taunts. On the navigator Matt's cue, they found their way to the railway line that ran along the San Jose river and made the task a lot easier. Water meant vegetation and cover.

They boiled water for instant noodles with a few vegetables on the side from the Nouveau Depart garden. No one complained, but their stomachs were likely only half full as hers was. In twos, they'd take turns going into town gas stations and convenience stores for any kind of non-perished good. Their luck had been poor so far, but the further from Albuquerque they travelled, the more likely they'd find some. By the end of the day, they'd amassed a bag of extra crunchy Cheesies, a tiny pack of peanuts, and a couple of handfuls of black licorice candies.

Her crew's bodies slowed to a stop as the sun neared the horizon. They stowed the bikes behind some bushes and Gunnar took off into the bush with the other tall teen. He'd brought his collection of arrows along. Reggie and the third teenage boy, Matt, nailed down some of the tarps to create a shelter while Amelia wandered off to get firewood. That left Olivia with Nate to evaluate the surrounding area for possible threats. With the imminent darkness, the task grew increasingly minimal. The fire would be their biggest worry and the shelter set up had been planned to block some of that light from the road. Olivia set up a tripwire or two just in case.

In the morning, no one complained about sleeping on a bit of natural padding on the hard ground but their stiff movements articulated a different sentiment. The ride started off slow, but they soon reached a fair speed. With every meal stop, the crew became more efficient and fewer words were required to keep the machine running. Yesterday's meat helped sustain their energy levels. They still hadn't seen a single vehicle on the road or rails yet either which instilled more confidence. It did make Olivia wonder where the officers who'd dealt with Higgins had gone. Back to the mountains?

In the evening, Olivia settled into the brush bed next to Reggie and Nate. She tried not to let positive thinking take over her alertness. One clear night did not mean that the next four would be without their challenges.

The following morning, boots crunched on the sandy terrain. Her eyes shot open and she reached for her M11. Both men slept soundly on either side as did the teens and Amelia. Shit. They were outsiders. She stayed low and surveyed the area, listening for the number of pairs of footsteps. Four and they whispered amongst themselves as they walked. Civilians, but they could still be dangerous. She moved slowly to get a more advantageous position.

She rose up quickly from a crouching position without moving her feet as she got closer.

"Over there!" A man with a large gut exclaimed.

Olivia found herself starring at the barrel of a rusty shotgun. They'd even sawed off the end. This was why she hated the South. Little respect for their weapons.

"You got ten seconds tuh explain what yer doing this side of Holbrook."

She hardly had time to move as a second swept in from behind her to knock the gun to the ground. He was lighter on his feet than the others.

"Gathering information," she supplied.

A pair of gruff hands grabbed her around the waist from behind. She instinctively pressed her body weight down on his foot and elbowed him in the gut. She heard the safety click off on the gun and she stilled.

"'Bout what we suspected from you lot. We'll be asking all the questions 'stead of you, Miss." Shotgun sneered.

"You're confused."

"Do I look confused?" he articulated.

She couldn't tell with the barrel shoved in her face.

"I didn't come to get information from or about this community. We're heading North."

"We'll be damned if you go near any of our water either. We know what you false squatters are all about. You can pull that crap 'round the other independent camps, but you won't get a drop of ours. Take your greedy paws elsewhere," the man spewed.

"Relax fella's she looks the part but the only thing she's guilty of is a bad wardrobe and worse personality."

Olivia's eyes narrowed at Reggie who stood with a bit of the rabbit they'd been saving for breakfast. He brought it over to the unarmed men who each snatched up a couple pieces.

"We're trying to figure out when the hell any aid is coming our way over in New Mexico. The hell did we pay taxes for if those asshats won't help their people out of times like these. We didn't realize the water was yours. We'll find another source," Reggie said while chewing on the meat. Olivia snatched up a piece before the intruders snatched it all up.

"They ain't paid you folks a visit yet? Yer in fer a real treat." The man with the shotgun lowered it to smile at Reggie. They may have had water, but judging by those remaining yellow teeth oral hygiene was long gone.

Reggie grimaced. "What are the bastards up to now?"

Shotgun spat on the ground. "They'll have ya working down in them copper mines if yer not careful, son."

The shock on Reggie's face wasn't fabricated this time. "They have mines? We don't even have running water."

Shotgun snickered and stuck a hand in his pocket. "You lot do have a bit of a stink."

Olivia scowled. "We stay well-groomed considering."

Reggie chuckled and mouthed 'Told you' to the men who shook their heads with smiles as light as helium.

"Are you just passing through then?" asked a middle-aged Chinese man. He had no weapon but stood with a confident air that he could likely hold his own in hand-to-hand combat. Or maybe that was just the stereotype talking.

"Soon as sleeping beauties over there find us some grub."

Reggie pointed his thumb back toward the bushes. Great, yet another delay compliments of Reggie's selfish generosity. Amazing how those teens could sleep through a volatile situation. Civilians surviving this long on their own was just pure dumb luck and Marcel's intervention.

"Can we stash the weapons, yeah? Never liked being around 'em too much." Reggie said casually.

"They'll be in arm's reach," Shotgun said.

The gesture allowed Olivia to recollect her baby and place it safely back in the holster without suspicion. She nodded to him in appreciation. Reggie perched himself on a rock and the other men did the same.

"What kind of place are y'all living in then with no power, no water, no nothing," Shotgun asked.

"In homes that weren't destroyed in the storms. A few of us had stockpiled resources, in case the worst should happen. Pays to be prepared. Those that weren't paid with their lives," Olivia answered before Reggie could give away important security details. No telling if military were posing as civilians, but given their skills she doubted it.

"What did you do about the fires?" the Chinese man asked.

"What fires?" Reggie asked.

"The ones that came with the storms, the lightning and the brush fires. New Mexico ain't exactly burn-proof neither," the third man with a blue bandana added.

Reggie met Olivia's gaze with wide eyes and she could only shrug as discreetly as possible. She had been in a mountain fortress with a down disposition since Marcel's departure. She had doubted the storms would get him, but to know hundreds of thousands were perishing around her while the rest of the community sat in ignorance weighed on her conscious. Too dangerous for them to know those they loved would meet their fates that night. It couldn't have been for the greater good.

She and her colleagues in the mountains had found the person that Steven had replaced hanging from his ceiling fixture the following morning. She should have paid more attention over their shared drinks, but she had been all too consumed by her own melancholy. That colleague had probably been in on the disaster plan and unable to cope with the responsibility.

The guilt sizzled stronger than yesterday's sun. Who the hell was she protecting with her silence?

Olivia took a deep breath and stood up tall. "They were planned, major storms, earthquakes, fires, biological agents and that's just what we've seen so far."

The guns raised back in her and Reggie's direction. He shook his head at her.

"You folks best be going," said Shotgun.

She held her hands up like a criminal under arrest. "How else could they manipulate and control so many people to do their bidding?"

"Olivia-" Reggie said.

"They needed to destroy the stagnating system for a fresh start, but it really turned into a worse dictatorship. You're right to fear it and stay away."

"Keep talking," said the Chinese man, leaning forward.

Be honest, stop playing games. Edward's words came to her.

Reggie shook his head, but she swallowed the fear that came with losing her advantage. The more civilians knew, the more people they could mobilize against the troops. Marcel's allies were being picked off and these ones seemed tough enough to withstand some back and forth.

She tapped her fingers on the rocks. "I'm ex-military, ex part of that colony that was responsible for part of the disasters. We were based in Colorado. I never had to live through the storms. I don't know how connected or widespread it is, but I fully intend to find out."

The man with the bandana looked over to Reggie. "And him?"

"He just got lucky and lived through the storms."

"We've been living in a commune pretty content and self-sufficient until this lot showed up a few weeks back," Reggie added.

The youngest man's eyes were still trained on her. He lowered his weapon and adjusted his red cap. "What made you leave?"

Her mind flashed to the cold floor against her burning skin, the iron taste swishing over her tongue, and the emptiness left inside her in place of an offspring. Glass crashed against a dark wall as Marcel's face contorted to the most anguished positions.

A warm hand on her shoulder brought her back. When she tried to open her mouth to respond, her tongue felt swollen and stuck. Nate stood behind her, inciting more tension from the locals.

"Aside from being the ugly underbelly of society, they have a remarkable ability to find your weaknesses and exploit them until you break. They tried to turning my daughter against me and force her to conceive a child. They had her feeling so isolated that she believed escaping without breathing a word to me was the only way," Nate spoke with authority Olivia hadn't yet been able to achieve. Perhaps it came with age. It used to come with confidence.

Two of the men's faces softened. "Your daughter alright?"

"Took a few thousand miles and weeks of tracking her down, but yes. She's safe back at our community. And your families?"

The young man and the Chinese man shook their heads. The one with the sawed shotgun stood silently.

"Jeremy's son volunteered to work in the mines. They took his daughter," the younger man answered.

"Thirteen gawdamned years old. Don't even know who she'll be if we find her. If they lay a hand on her, I swear to Gawd almighty, I'll..." Jeremy's shoulder trembled.

"Mine's only sixteen," Nate said softly.

"This ain't right! They shouldn't be taking our kids in America," Jeremy cried out with pain wrinkling his freckled skin.

"Shouldn't be happening anywhere," Reggie added.

"What do they want with them?" The Chinese man asked.

Nate sighed. "Easier to brainwash a kid than an adult."

Jeremy stood unnaturally close to Nate and Olivia. "Brainwash 'em to do what?"

Olivia waited out the silence even though she knew she was the only one with the answer. "To live in a society free from corporate greed and intervention. At least, that was the idea at the beginning."

"You make it sound like some sort of well-meaning intention. Those people we seen ain't got a care for nobody but themselves," the young man said.

"That's the problem with people trying out communal living. Greed always gets in the way," Reggie added.

"Your people, how do they deal with greed?" the man with the bandana asked.

"Well enough for now. Most of us get by. The ones that don't, well, they probably wouldn't have made it far on their own either. Now I know you men aren't keen to share your water, but do you know where-" Nate's words were cut off by Jeremy. He waved his hands around.

"Hell, take the damn water."

Reggie smiled and shook each of their hands. "Thank you, we'll only take what we need. And if we needed help doing a bit of investigating on what's going on in town with the mines?"

"Count me out, man. Count all of us out," the young man said shaking his head. The rest of the ground grunted their agreement.

Olivia placed her hands on her hips. "Reggie, we have no interest in-"

"These ones are closer and more of a threat," he argued.

"Precisely why we need to explore the others first. Do you want to draw them back to our community, to Nate's daughter and all the other innocent people there?" Olivia huffed.

"Do you want to be ignorant when they do track us down?" Reggie added. "You know better than I do that they'll come, and they won't hold back. Worst case scenario we head to Vegas or North to throw them off."

Jeremy leaned over to Nate. "Is she like this with everybody?"

He let out a snort and gave a curt nod that Olivia still managed to catch out of the corner of her eye. She turned to Jeremy. "You're the local expert, what do you recommend?"

"I guess if y'all are looking for trouble to confront, here'd be a good place to start." Jeremy turned to Nate. "And if you see my daughter, red hair freckles, 'bout a head shorter than her Daddy, you bring her back, alright?" He grabbed tightly onto Nate's hand. "You make sure she comes back safe."

Nate nodded. "I can't make any promises, but I'll treat it as if she were my own. What's her name?"

"Stephanie. Goes by Steph lately."

The two fathers exchanged a few more word before Jeremy pulled out a worn photo. Olivia and Reggie took the time to discuss specifics with the other men to get a better idea of the scale of the organization, the kind of cover they'd need and the best way to do surveillance. Luckily, they were more helpful than they had looked.

----

Updating a day early as I'm off on a road trip for the next few weeks (luckily not across the country on a bike like these guys). If I come across wifi I'll try to keep up with weekly updates, if not, then I'll touch base when I get back. I have a notebook so I'll be trying to get some chapters done on the long drives.

Hope you're enjoying it so far. Think going into the mines is a good plan or are they asking for trouble? 

Thanks for reading!