Vigo's Lament: A Dystopian Thriller (Age of End Book 3) (3 page)

FOUR

THEY ARRIVED AT the edge of the woods. After a long walk across the snow plains, they were almost home.

Ella ran ahead of the pack. “I can’t wait to see everyone. They must all be so worried.”

Alan laughed. “You’re really excited.”

“And you’re not? Tell me you’re not eager to see your beautiful wife.”

Alan smirked. “Okay I’ll admit, I’m kind of excited.”

“Kind of?” Ella said. “You should be ecstatic.” She jumped in the air and threw her arms up.

“You’re right,” Alan said. “I should be more excited.” He ran up and mimicked Ella’s little jump.

“It will be nice to check on Carl,” Rupert said. “I know he’s in good hands, but that boy can be a handful sometimes.”

Ella ran back to Charlotte and Izzy, who were walking side by side. “You two can meet everyone. They’re all so nice. They’ll welcome you with open arms.”

Charlotte smiled. “Thank you. I look forward to meeting them.”

Izzy stayed quiet, but held a wide grin.

Alan looked over his shoulder at Vince, who was dragging behind the group and had not said a single word since they left the City. “I hope he’s okay.”

“He just needs time,” Rupert said. “His best friend was killed right in front of him. A friend he’s known his entire life. I’m sure he’ll open up eventually, but for now, give him his space.”

“Right,” Ella said. “He might feel like he’s lost his only friend, but he hasn’t. We’re here for him when he needs us.” She looked straight ahead and pointed forward. “In the meantime, we march towards Snow Peak, because there’s nowhere I’d rather be right now than home.”

“How should we break the news to Martha?” Alan asked.

“She’s a strong woman,” Rupert said, “but she’ll be devastated. She truly loved Patrick. She fell apart when he first went missing. It will be tough to tell her, but it must be done. We should tell her together.”

“Right,” Alan said. “We’ll be there to comfort her. She should have friends around when she hears the news.”

“Where will
we
stay?” Charlotte asked.

“We have a few empty cabins. We’ll fit you in somewhere. You two could stay together. I don’t want someone her age staying by herself.”

Charlotte pulled Izzy in closer, rubbing her shoulder. “My thoughts exactly.”

Rupert smiled. “She seems to like you.”

“Of course she likes me,” she said jokingly. “What’s not to like?”

“I suppose not much. Either way, I’m glad she’s comfortable around you.” He bent down to Izzy’s level. “You’re going to stay with us. How does that sound?”

Izzy blushed and hid behind Charlotte.

“Oh, come on Izzy,” Charlotte said. “Rupert’s pretty much the nicest person you’ll ever meet. You don’t need to be afraid of him.”

Rupert chuckled. “Ah, it’s okay. I’m a big guy with a bushy beard. I’d scare myself too.”

She patted Izzy’s head. “She’ll warm up to you soon enough. To all of you. She’s just been through a lot.”

“We all have,” Rupert said. “I think this Snow Peak reunion will be good for us. It will lighten our spirits.”

Fred fluttered on Rupert’s shoulder.

He took her in his arms and stroked her feathers. “Calm down girl. There’s nothing to worry about. We’re almost home.”

She ignored his words and wriggled from his grip, popping out and falling to the snow.

“What’s gotten into you?” he said, watching her wobble ahead of the group. “She must still be adjusting to her injury. It will take some time for her to get used to only having one wing.”

Ella tilted her head. “Are you sure that’s what it is? She doesn’t seem herself. It’s true, she’s been acting different ever since we rescued her, but if anything she’s been calmer. This is different. Something’s bothering her.”

“And what would that be?” Alan asked.

Rupert shrugged. “I don’t know, but hopefully seeing some familiar faces will calm her down. Maybe she’s just excited to see everyone.”

“Maybe,” Ella said.

Rupert looked ahead. “I should probably go get her.” He trotted forward to catch up.

Alan glanced at Vince again. “Do you think he’ll stick around?”

“I don’t know,” Ella said. “He’s done what he set out to do. Greene’s dead and the tests are over. Obviously, he’s welcome to stay if he wants, but he’s been traveling his whole life with a purpose. Now that his purpose is gone, I don’t know what he’ll do.”

“And Saul’s death doesn’t help,” Charlotte said. “I think he was hoping to go through this with Saul. Together they would figure out what to do next, but now he’s left alone.”

“He’s not alone,” Ella said. “He just doesn’t realize it.”

“He’s a smart guy,” Alan said. “He’ll catch on.”

There was a scream from up ahead. “No!” Their heads popped up. It was Rupert’s voice. Their casual walk turned to a nervous jog.

“Something’s wrong,” Ella said.

“What?” Alan asked.

“I don’t know. I just have a bad feeling. Something happened in Snow Peak while we were gone.”

Alan flashed a look of concern and ran faster. Ella, Charlotte, and Izzy followed. They emerged from the woods and saw what had prompted the scream. It was carnage. Blood. Bodies. Dead. Scattered along the road. Deep stains of red drenched the white snow. Pools of crimson. Bodies were splayed along the center of the road, littered with bullets.

Rupert was kneeling over a body, weeping. They walked up behind him to see who it was. He turned his head and moved aside to reveal the corpse of a child. It was Carl. Blood trailed from the hole in his neck. Ella looked at Carl’s face, and tears flooded her eyes. She looked down at her feet. She couldn’t bear the sight. Then a thought invaded her mind.

“No,” she whispered. She looked up and searched through the bodies. “Mother? Where are you? Mother!”

Alan watched her dig through the bodies, searching for her mother, until the same realization entered his mind as well. His wife, Melinda. He ran frantically along the other side. “Melinda? Honey! Please don’t do this. Please.”

Rupert remained on his knees next to Carl’s body. He could not move. He could not speak. He could only watch as his friends dug through loved ones. Ella found her mother, shot through the head. She held her close and wept. Alan found his wife, shot three times in the chest. He leaned in and kissed her forehead. Everyone they knew, everyone in Snow Peak, was dead.

Charlotte watched from the side as her new friends grieved the brutal death of their village. She pulled Izzy closer, shielding her innocent eyes from the gruesome scene. There was nothing she could do to help. Any words, any actions, would just upset them. So she stayed silent, watching in sorrow.

“How could this happen?” Rupert asked. “Who would do such a thing.”

“It was Greene,” Vince said, emerging from the woods. His first spoken words since they left the Spire. “Soldiers were acting under Greene’s orders.”

Alan wiped the tears from his face. “Greene’s dead.”

“It was before he died. A few days prior. He sent troops and took Snow Peak hostage. They were ordered to kill everyone if he didn’t report in at the start of every day. It was his way of keeping us in line. Making sure we didn’t kill him. The day he died, they were all doomed.”

“Charlotte?” Alan asked, looking at her with accusing eyes.

“She didn’t know,” Vince said. “Saul and I were the only ones.”

Ella’s faced grew red. “You knew about this, and you didn’t say anything? We were going to kill Greene that day! If Simon hadn’t done it, one of us would have! How could you not tell us our loved ones were in danger? Our families? Everyone we know? How could you do that?”

Alan shook his head and ran off to his cabin, slamming the door behind him.

Vince looked down at the snow. “I am sorry. I was reckless. I thought we could outsmart him. I now see that I should have told you from the start.”

Ella stood up and marched towards him. “Yeah you should have told us! That’s what friends do. They tell each other when their families are in danger.” Fiery rage engulfed her face. She walked up to him and swung her fist right into his cheek.

Vince fell over. Blood flew from his nose and mouth. Rupert jumped to his feet and held Ella back. Vince held up his hand. “It’s okay, Rupert. Let her.” Rupert released her, and she stumbled forward. She glared into his eyes with intense anger. Her breaths were short, and tears ran down her cheeks. Without a word, she turned around and walked away. She knocked on the door to Alan’s cabin and let herself in.

Vince turned to Rupert. His face was firm. Fred was hunched over on his shoulder, looking at the scattered bodies and quietly chirping to herself. Rupert walked up and patted his shoulder, averting his eyes, before turning around to join the others.

Charlotte approached from behind, holding Izzy in her arms. “They’ll come around. You were put in a difficult situation, and you chose to go for Greene. I don’t blame you. I had no idea he was capable of such awful things. He was just as bad as Simon.”

“No,” Vince said. “He was worse than Simon. Simon doesn’t hide who he is. Everyone knows he’s crazy, but they follow him anyway. Greene hid behind a mask. He lied to people to gain their trust, and when it was convenient for him, he cut them loose. Like us. He was just like Simon, but he kept it secret.”

“That’s not the only thing he kept secret,” she said, looking down at Izzy. “How long did your father keep you up there, honey?”

The girl shied away.

Charlotte bobbed her up and down. “It’s okay. You can tell us.”

“I don’t know,” she said softly. “For as long as I can remember.”

Charlotte brushed the hair out of Izzy’s eyes. “You’ve been up in the Spire for your whole life?”

She nodded. “Dad said it wasn’t safe to leave. He said people wouldn’t understand.”

“Understand what?”

She shrugged.

Vince tilted his head to catch the girl’s eyes. “Who is your mother?”

She shrugged again. “Dad never told me.”

“Why would he hide his child from the world? What wouldn’t people understand?”

“Maybe he thought it would hurt his image,” Charlotte suggested. “It would make him look soft. He had no time for love. No time for a wife or daughter. Whoever her mother is, he cut
her
loose as well.”

“And she never said anything?”

“Greene must have paid her off.”

“But he kept Izzy?”

She looked at the girl’s big puffy eyes. “No one could give up this cute little face. Not even Greene.” She poked Izzy’s nose with the tip of her finger. “She’s as sweet as a gumdrop.”

“Okay,” Vince said. “So, what was he waiting for? Surely he wasn’t planning on keeping her a secret forever.”

“Your guess is as good as mine. But that doesn’t matter. The past is the past. What
does
matter is what we do next. We can either stay here.” She surveyed the area, cringing at the sight of death wherever she looked. “Or we can go back to the City. You already know my vote.”

“We’ll see what the others think, but we should let them calm down first. Before we go anywhere, we should have a proper burial for their friends and family. I met all of these people. They were good human beings. They deserve a little dignity in the afterlife. It will be good for the others as well.”

Charlotte nodded and studied Vince’s face. “How are
you
doing? You haven’t said much since we left. Are you okay?”

“I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure? Because if you want to talk about Saul, I’m here to listen.”

He turned away. “Don’t worry about me. There are more important things to do right now.” He walked towards the bodies and stood over them. “We’ll take the night to rest, and tomorrow, we’ll bury them. We’ll hold a formal ceremony to show respect for those who have died. There will be no talk about future plans until after the burial.”

Charlotte nodded. “Of course.”

Vince waved her on. “Go check in on them and make sure they’re okay. I’ll start digging.”

She looked at the line of bodies. “There are so many of them. It will take you all night.”

“I want to do it. I owe them,” he said, head down. “They’re right. I should have told them. If I did, these people might still be alive. This won’t make up for it, but it’s a start.”

“I’ll put in a good word for you,” she said, walking past him. She covered Izzy’s eyes as they passed by the bodies.

Vince took a deep breath and surveyed the land. A night of digging would be exhausting, but it was something he felt he must do. It was something he
wanted
to do. He walked to the supply shed to fetch a shovel. After everything he put up with over the last two hundred years, one cold night of digging did not sound so bad.

FIVE

TRISH BUZZED UNIT Three of Building Twenty-Six and turned around to watch the street while she waited. Ever since the Spire fell, the streets were more crowded than ever. Former Spire workers roamed about with no place to go. They were forced to sleep on the outside. Trish was one of the lucky ones. She did not have any family, but was fortunate enough to know Warren and his wife, Dana. They welcomed her into their home with open arms.

Not many home dwellers were willing to help the homeless, now that Greene was dead and Simon was in charge. Anyone from the Spire or associated with Greene in any way now had to watch their back. Trish was convinced that Simon was on a mission to eliminate every last one of them. Now that he was in control of the Spire and the surveillance systems, that mission was hauntingly reachable. She spun around to buzz again, but the door swung open before she could.

It was Dana. “Trish, please come in.” She leaned in to offer a hug and then led her up the long flight of stairs. “Sorry to keep you waiting. Warren has his hands full with dinner at the moment.”

“No worries. I think waiting outside for a few minutes is the least of anyone’s problems nowadays.”

“How bad is it out there?”

“Pretty bad. And it’s getting worse.”

Dana shook her head. “There’s nowhere for anyone to go. Everyone’s too afraid of Simon.”

They passed unit two and twisted around with the staircase. “
I’m
afraid of Simon. Aren’t you?”