The Girl Who Owned a City (18 page)

“Tell Charlie that he shouldn't talk to anyone or do anything for two days. He has to come up with a plan of his own for getting the drivers, trucks, and guns. When he's sure it will work, he can get started. He and his team should sneak out of Glenbard on the night of May 23rd and come to the Arco station at Swift Road and North Avenue. We'll meet them there at midnight.

“If it's safe for us to show ourselves, he should flash a light across North Avenue once every minute for 12 minutes, starting at midnight. Set your watch and give it to him. Then tomorrow night, after everyone is asleep, you slip out of the Johansens' room, down the hall, and out the tunnel. But be careful—they may have guards. Here's a pistol. Keep it under your dress, and use it if you have to . . . will you?”

It's much too complicated for him, she thought. So she explained it over and over and over again, until he could repeat the mission plan without error.

“I've got it now, Lisa,” he said, finally, and he went out the door and disappeared into the night.

They all worried about him. It was a dangerous mission. But he was a brave kid.

The next day was a nervous day for all of them. “How is Todd? How is he doing?” they asked themselves, over and over.

Craig spent most of his time outside in the warm May sunlight. Why is he out there all the time? Lisa wondered.

Her strength was slowly returning. Jill told her she'd have to rest in bed for at least a few more days. Lisa didn't like that. She had many things to do to prepare for the 23rd. But she spent the rest of the day just making plans.

Late on the first day of Todd's mission, Lisa called for Craig. “What's the matter with you?” she asked. “You're outside all the time. Don't you want to help me make plans?”

“That's funny, Lisa,” he said. “It was
your
city. Your very
own
city when you owned it. Now that we have to fight to get it back, it's suddenly become
our
city.”

He was right, and she knew it. Still, he hadn't answered her question. “I'm sorry,” she said. “Will you help me plan the recapture of
my
city where
you'll
be safe?”

That didn't sound right either. “Craig, I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I
need
your help now, I truly do. I can't force you, I know that, and I would never want to. But will you help me?”

“No,” he said flatly. “Lisa, I think you should give it up and stay here with Erika and me on this farm. Why keep fighting?”

“Give it up? Stay on this farm?”

“Lisa, we're safe here, and we can live a peaceful life. We don't have to fight anyone. We can raise our own food and let all the gangs kill each other off. I'm tired of militias and armies and spy missions. We're staying here!”

“You think you're safe here? Just about the time you've hauled in your first crops, the armies of Chidester, Elm, and Lenox will stroll right in to reap
your
harvest. What will you eat when they've taken it all away from you? Who will defend you? Erika with a pistol?”

This time, Craig challenged her. “Remember back on Grand Avenue when you said that the militia would end all our problems? You said the same thing at Glenbard, and look what's happened. What you do, Lisa, is build valuable things that everybody wants to take away from you. So far they've done it every time.

“Let them have it, Lisa. You can't fight them forever. You'll work to build Glenbard into an even richer and stronger fortress, and what you'll get for your pains will be another attack—from a bigger and smarter army. Why fight it? Stay here with us, where nobody will care about our life and our corn. At least we'll be able to live in peace.

“We're staying here,” he said. “I've decided that for sure!”

“I'm sorry, Craig. I'm sorry to lose your help. Sure, I've made mistakes, I don't deny that. I've had wild ideas, and many of them have failed. Right now I'm the biggest failure in the whole world. But that's not going to stop me. I
know
we can accomplish all those things I used to talk about. We can get everything to work again, someday. But, to do it, we've got to realize that the reason for all the fighting is fear!

“What do you think makes Logan do what he does? It's fear. What do you think is the mistake almost everybody makes? They're afraid of the problem of survival. They fight and do all kinds of stupid things because they're afraid. No, I'm not giving up. It's too important. Someday you'll see it too.” She turned away from her friend.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

W

ell, Lisa thought, I'll just have to do it alone. But why doesn't anyone else see how simple it is?

Jill had been listening to Craig and Lisa argue. Although Lisa couldn't be sure, she guessed that Jill had taken her side.

“Jill,” she said, “I think you should go back to Glenbard tomorrow. Katy and Missy must really be afraid without you. You can help Charlie with the planning . . . very secretly, of course.”

Then she told Jill about her plans. Jill could help by signaling Lisa on the day of the attack.

“Logan will wonder why you've suddenly come back to the city. Tell him that I was only wounded that night. You tried to save my life, but I died. Tell him that we talked and that I didn't blame him for the shooting. I knew it was just an accident. And tell him you want to live there in Glenbard, to be with Katy and Missy, and to run the hospital. I think he'll believe you and let you stay.”

It must have been two in the morning when Todd returned to the farmhouse. He told them the news in a rush of words.

Logan was having trouble running the city. He couldn't convince the citizens that Lisa was safe as his hostage. Most of the children believed the rumors that she was dead. They blamed Logan for her death and were doing everything they could to make his life miserable. He sat up late at night in the lonely chamber, trying to figure out what to do next.

Ah, Lisa thought. He's learning what it's like to sit alone in that chamber and run a city. But it must be hundreds of times harder for him than it was for me, because the citizens are against him.

Todd went on. “He treats the children cruelly. He beats the ones who give him trouble. But no one has asked, yet, about any secret entrances to the city. He beat Charlie last night and tried to get him to tell about the Secret Place, but Charlie wouldn't tell. He wouldn't tell no matter what Logan did!”

“Good for Charlie,” Lisa said. “There's at least one other person who's not afraid. Good work, Todd! I know you haven't had any sleep, but can you slip back in tonight?”

“I'm not tired, Lisa. What do you want me to do?”

“Go back to the Johansens' room, sleep there, and wake up tomorrow with them. Tell Charlie that Jill will be coming in during the day. He shouldn't believe what she says. She'll tell them I'm dead. We hope Logan will be less suspicious once he learns that and won't notice Charlie sneaking out on the 23rd. Then ask Charlie to explain his plan to you so we know what's going on before we meet him at midnight.”

Todd understood. In the darkness, he set off on his new mission. For the next 48 hours he would get no sleep.

Lisa was still laying on the couch, but she felt much better. She was finding new strength and new confidence. Defeat had made her think more clearly. Each problem that came up was something exciting and new to figure out.

The old warning, “take no chances,” ran through her mind.
Take no chances . . . take no chances . . . look at all the possibilities . . . mistakes are costly . . . be logical . . . keep your mind clear . . . think . . . think . . . plan . . . be logical . . . take no chances!

The words repeated themselves over and over again as she plotted the new strategy. Lisa had learned the price of carelessness.

The Great King was right, she suddenly realized. When he said that the real fun in life is earning values, he was talking about the
most
important things in life, like knowledge and love and happiness. Not just the things you can touch, like money and cars and stuff.

Just look at me, she said to herself. I've lost my city and all its treasures. But the city was only the symbol of what I had. This hasn't crushed me. Only my body was hurt. My mind is clear. My friends are still friends. And my dreams, my plans, are not impossible. They become more real each day.

What
have
I lost, really? I've made a mistake, and I'll never make it again. I've learned so much. I'm stronger than ever now. And when I get the city back . . . this time I'll be able to keep it.

She stopped suddenly, feeling self-conscious. She couldn't believe that she had found a truth. She was not quite 12 years old—it must be a dream. She shook herself, took a deep breath, got up and walked around the room.

She reviewed the list of problems that she had faced since the plague. Some of them had led to defeat, but many had ended in victory. For more than a year, she had been in constant motion, finding supplies, planning militias.

She turned back to reality. Recapturing the city wouldn't be easy, but she was ready for whatever might happen. Outside, a breeze blew against the farmhouse windows. She noticed that it would have been a good day to fly a kite.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

T

he evening of May 23rd was warm and sultry. Lisa and Todd sat on their jackets and watched Swift Road for a sign of life. The Arco station was deserted, except for the dancing reflections of moon and clouds in the faces of the gas pumps.

“What time is it, Todd?”

“Five minutes to twelve.”

She said nothing more until a distant rumbling was heard. “What's that? Do you think it's them?” They peered intently into the darkness.

Finally, the sounds took form. A convertible with its top down led the procession. Three soldiers accompanied a boy in the front seat. That must be Charlie, Lisa thought. The car was followed by a large dump truck with 20 soldiers in the back. Three open Jeep 4x4's and two cars were next. Each was filled with soldiers. At the end was another convertible with four more soldiers and a driver.

The convoy stopped where Swift Road met North Avenue. For a few minutes, everything was dark and silent. “What's the matter? Why isn't he signaling?” Todd asked.

Then a light flashed from the lead car. Todd and Lisa counted the seconds: “. . . 10 . . . 30 . . . 60.” There was another flash of light. Then another . . .

When the signal had been repeated 12 times, Lisa and Todd walked across North Avenue and approached the first car. “Charlie, it's good to see you.” She shook his hand and was in command again. “Gather all your soldiers around the Jeep in the middle. Quickly! And tell them to be quiet.”

None of the soldiers, not even Charlie, knew what was planned for that night. They all wanted to cheer when they heard the voice above them on the roof of the Jeep.

“We have a long wait ahead. At daylight, we'll start a tour. It will be our first trip away from Glen Ellyn. We'll visit other cities in search of an army. When we find one that we think we can trust, then we'll make a deal with them to help us recapture Glenbard.

“We'll go to Lombard first, then to Villa Park, and then to Wheaton. If we can't find what we want, we'll try other cities. But . . . .

“You there,” she said impatiently to a restless soldier. “Did you hear what I said?” He didn't answer. “Pay attention to what I'm saying. We can't take any chances tomorrow. Who knows what we'll find in those other towns? There might be armies that will try to kill us on the spot. We must be ready, and we can't make any mistakes, so pay attention.”

The soldiers rested for a time, while Lisa and Charlie sat by the gas pumps discussing the plan. When they agreed on a better way to do something, they would rouse the soldiers for more briefings. Lisa carried the plan beyond the events of the next day. Her strategy brought them to the morning of May 26th, when Charlie's soldiers and a hired army of thousands would recapture the city.

The general criticized her. “Lisa, why get ahead of ourselves? Let's take the plan one day at a time.”

“No, Charlie. We have to plan the whole strategy to make sure that everything fits together. Then we can adjust it each day, as we need to, until the 26th.”

They spent the whole night talking it through. The soldiers slept, were awakened, and then slept again. By morning, the plan was fixed in everyone's mind.

The eight vehicles and the army of 55 were ready. At dawn, the motorcade began the journey to Lombard. The children were tired and some were frightened by what they might discover in the “outside” world. But they all kept to their assigned positions in the vehicles.

The kids in the towns they passed were amazed by the long motorcade. Fearing that the brigade had come to do them harm, they ran into their houses. No one in these cities had yet learned to drive. The sight of one moving automobile would have surprised them, but to see eight cars and trucks filled with armed soldiers made them shudder with fear.