Gyaros Book One: The Mice Eat Iron (YA 17+ Sci Fi Adventure) (27 page)

“Lucy, how on Carthage do you know all this?”

“I-I don’t know, I can’t remember. It scares me…” she said with worry plastered across her face.

“Hey, everything’s going to be
alright. We’re going to find some people who will help you. Whatever happened before doesn’t matter, you’re safe now and once we get to Humber Dam I’ll find someone who can help you, okay?”

“Okay,” she said sounding tired
, “b-but you won’t leave me right?” Miles looked down at her pleading eyes and felt a pain in his chest. He had to lie.

“Of course not.”

They drove along the featureless landscape for a number of hours
. Two other vehicles passed them heading in the opposite direction that day, it seemed like the further north they headed the busier it got. Sometimes the two were silent, other times they would chat about funny and trivial things. The atmosphere had grown lighter and their spirits we’re high. They had food, water and transport and for the first time since arriving on Gyaros, Miles was making real physical progress toward New Fortune. It was a victory, and one to be celebrated.

As the sun began to set Miles parked the vehicle. This time there was no boulder, he simply drove off the main dirt road and brought the tr
uck to a stop. They didn’t see many other cars since leaving The Dustbowl and so Miles decided it was worth the risk to simply park by the road. Besides it’s not like there were any other options. Choosing not to build a fire to heat their food, in fear of attracting the attention of people and animals, Miles and Lucy sat in the truck and pulled lid after lid off the selection of cans that they purchased from Guppy. Miles had spaghetti and sausages, Lucy ate beef tortellini in a tomato sauce. For desert they had peaches and custard. It was quite a decadent feast given the circumstances. After they had consumed their fill and taken turns of relieving themselves behind the truck, it was time to settle in to sleep.

“We’ve got a big day tomorrow Lucy. Just think, this time tomorrow you’ll be laying down in
to a nice soft bed.” The very thought brought a big smile to Lucy’s face.

“That sounds soooo good, oh and a shower! I haven’t had one of those since…well I can’t remember.” They both laughed. Miles hadn’t enjoyed a proper wash since arriving on Gyaros.
He had attempted to clean himself using the scullery sink and washing up liquid, as he simply did not feel comfortable using Jasper’s tub in his shack, but the last time he felt truly clean was back in Elissa in his Yellow Districts hotel bathroom.

Miles tucked Lucy in, making the best use of their newly acquired blankets to create makeshift pillows and duvets. She looked extremely cosy and she smiled
involuntarily as one does when tired and comfortable, ready for a good night’s sleep.

“I’ll be right here, just like last night. Don’t be afraid to wake me up if you have a bad dream okay?”
said Miles comforting Lucy.

“Okay, I will, good night papa.”

“Good night Lucy.”

Miles switched off the light inside the cab and laid down to sleep. Within moments he was snoring, Lucy giggled to herself and swiftly drifted off
as well.

Miles Stanton was now a killer. He had extinguished the life force of two human beings. But despite the fact that not even two days had passed since he shot Jasper and Gideon, Miles had barely thought about it. His and Lucy’s safety was his immediate concern, and although he felt guilty for feeling this way he was glad he had Lucy beside him to keep his mind from wandering to darker places. Gideon’s teary cheeks, the utter heartbreak in his eyes haunted Miles’ dreams that night. Although he had a clear justification in killing Jasper; saving Lucy’s life, he felt terribly guilty about what became of Gideon. As horrific as his little diner was, Gideon was a simple man doing his best to protect and care for his family in an extremely hostile environment. Miles felt an affinity with Gideon as a father, and a great sense of gratitude for his help and protection during his early days and weeks on Gyaros. Of course the plan was simply to rob the register and make a run for it, to disappear. But Miles knew that when Gideon caught him, it wasn’t just he who would be dying that day if he didn’t act, Lucy’s life was on the line as well. Miles made a choice, he chose young Lucy over old Gideon. Miles’ innocence died that day on Gyaros, but it was replaced by the innocence of a child and he would not let that too be quashed so easily. During his moments of doubt since leaving The Dustbowl Miles thought of Lucy. If only he could keep her safe, to leave her with people who could care for her, feed her, teach her, then his sins would be absolved, his conscience clear, his killings justified. This was what kept Miles from breaking down under the stress and horror of the past few days. He knew a time would come when he must face his deeds, face what he’d seen and taken part in since the beginning of his exile, and so he was desperate for anything that would take his mind away from those morbid thoughts. He would use anything to avoid delving into that dark place. In moments of silence he could feel his consciousness being sucked into the void, and he would bring Chet, Hellen, Lucy, Clark, Ryker and Candice into his mind’s eye and focus on them until the waves of fear would recede. The faces not tarnished by murder or cruelty or cannibalism. These were his pillars of strength.

A couple of hours passed as Miles and Lucy slumbered in the pickup truck when the sound of a motor could suddenly be heard in the distance. An old station wagon bounced along the dirt road as three men yipped and yelped. The car, which had seen much better days, sped along the desert while its inhabitants took large gulps of some unknown alcohol from clear plastic bottles. There were no doors on the vehicle and the drunken savages hung out the sides dangerously, laughing and hooting like the hooligans they were. The driver was thin and gangly with a long orange beard, he had a straight nose and tiny, beady eyes. Next to him in the passenger seat sat a rather fat fellow, he was balding and shirtless, his hairy belly bulging over his belt buckle. Finally in the back seat there was a very short man, not much taller than Landi, he giggled drunkenly and wore a western hat over his bulbous head.

“Hey Carl, what’s that?”
said the short man from the back seat pointing to the lone pickup truck parked a few metres off to the side of the road. The thin man squinted hard, through the dark night and slowed the station wagon down to a crawl.

“Huh, it’s a truck,” said the skinny man.

“Hey Carl, you think there’s someone in there?” asked the fat man turning to the driver.

“I dunno man, sure would be nice, we ain’t eaten since mornin’,” replied the
driver, who the other’s referred to as Carl.

Carl pulled off the road a few metres from the pickup truck, stopped the car and turned off the lights
.

“You boys get yer guns and be real quiet about it alright?” Carl whispered and he reached
down pulling his pistol out of its holster. He popped the barrel out, checked the rounds, span the barrel and snapped it back into place. Meanwhile the fat man and the short man took their weapons from the trunk. The three men then regrouped at the front of the car.

“Clem,” said Carl turning his attention to the larger of his two comrades
, “I want you to check the bed of the truck, don’t need no more surprises like last time.”

Clem nodded and cocked his shotgun with a satisfying cha-chunk.

“Madison,” said Carl as he bent down on one knee to speak eye to eye with the shorter man, “you cover the driver’s side and if they try anything funny you know what to do.”

Carl stood up and continued speaking
, “I’ll take the passenger side, y’all holler if you need help alright?” Clem and Madison nodded. “Good, let’s see can we catch us some grub.”

The three men smiled at each other
sickeningly and began walking slowly toward the blue pickup truck, doing their best not to make a sound under the silent midnight sky. They positioned themselves according to the plan and Carl produced a flashlight from his back pocket. He clicked it on and pointed the beam into the passenger’s side. He saw two figures sharing a single blanket, one a small dark haired girl, and the other a man, in his late twenties with a short, unkempt beard. Carl looked to his left where Clem stood giving him a thumbs up that signified that there were no threats in the back of the truck. Carl then took a step backward, inhaled deeply and kicked hard into the passenger side door.

“Wakey wakey boys and girls!”

Miles eyes shot
wide open as torch light flooded the cab and the sounds of laughter and jeering filled the night air. Lucy sat up quickly, her eyes filled with fear.

“What’s going on?”
she shouted over the hollering of the three deranged strangers. She threw herself into Miles’ arms and buried her face in his chest, Miles held her tight as he tried to catch a glimpse of their assailants but it was no use, the blinding light of the torch was too confusing and disorienting. He began to reach for the gun stuffed into his trousers when he heard a loud voice.

“Touch that gun and we’ll open fire,” said Carl
, “we prefer when ya’ll die in pain, it tastes better. So it’d be a real pity to have to shoot you dead here and miss out on that extra flavour.”

Miles retracted his hand and raised them both over his head. He was outnumbered, out gunned and utterly beaten. He knew he might get a
chance to turn the tables if he bided his time, but for now he had to play along.

“O
-okay, we’ll do whatever you want, just don’t shoot,” said Miles in as calm a voice as he could muster. Lucy shook, still clinging to Miles.

“Both of ya, outta the truck now, make it slow, no trick
y bullshit or we
will
kill you and the girl,” said Carl. Miles and Lucy slowly climbed out of the driver’s side door and stood in front of the pickup truck. The three men stood together and aimed their weapons at the two terrified figures shivering in the cold desert night.

“Take me but leave the girl,” said Miles knowing his request would be most likely be in vain.

“Hell no mister, do you know how hard it is to find food out here?!” Carl yelled, unaware of just how well Miles knew about the food shortages. Beyond the beam of the flashlight Miles could just about make out a large, round man, speaking softly to the leader in the middle.

“…yeah okay,” said Carl quietly before once again addressing Miles “Listen, uhh…Clem here has taken a liking to you mister. You’re gonna spend some quality time here with him first then he’ll drive y
a up to the shack a little later on,” Miles heart nearly jumped out of his chest, ‘quality time?’

“But uhh…me and Madison
, we’ll be takin’ the girl, should make for a nice appetiser,” the three men laughed. Miles felt both rage and fear boil up inside of him, a sudden movement toward his revolver would spell his end, and therefore Lucy’s. He had to remain calm and wait, wait for the perfect time to strike, he prayed that such a time would come.

“Alright now mister you’re gonna throw that
pistol over here, nice and slow.” Miles reached down and removed his pistol and, fighting the urge to use it, tossed it toward the feet of their captors. Carl kicked the gun a few feet away into the dark desert.

“That’s a good feller
, now we’re just gonna take the girl, nice and easy now.” Carl and Madison walked slowly toward Miles and Lucy as Clem kept his shotgun aimed squarely at them, smiling lecherously at Miles. Lucy clung tighter to Miles, shaking and whimpered pathetically. Carl bent down before Lucy, holstering his gun.

“You’re comin’ for a ride little missy,” said Carl and he reached out his hands grabbing Lucy
by the shoulders and pulling her violently from Miles’ side, his wide grin displaying his many missing teeth. Miles didn’t move, he simply clenched his fists and used every ounce of energy he could muster to supress his urge to fight.

“PAPA
!” screamed the terrified Lucy as she was carried away to their beat up station wagon, Miles stared at Clem, ignoring Lucy lest he lose his nerve at the sight of her crying face.

“Papa please!”
she screamed in vain, kicking and bashing her fists on Carls back. ‘Keep it together Miles, once I get this bastard alone I’ll think of something,’ he thought to himself, now shaking with rage.

“Don’t be long Clem!” Madison shouted back as they entered their car and sped off
, Lucy’s desperate wails slowly faded as the car disappeared into the distance.

“Well well, it’s just you and me now b
oy. Time for some fun before dinner,” said Clem licking his fat, slug like lips in anticipation. Clem took Miles by the back of his collar and guided him to the front of the pickup truck. He forced Miles down onto the bonnet and pulled his hands behind his back, tying them together with a rope that had previously hung from Clem’s belt. Clem leaned down, placing his lips to Mile’s ear, the heavy breath tickling his neck.

“I’m gonna enjoy this mister, but you ain’t,” he let out a sinister laugh and
laid down his shotgun on the dusty ground before beginning to undo his belt. ‘I only get one shot at this, only one shot, I need to make this count, for Lucy…’