she’d read his mind, Jean made the decision for him. She brought water and train food to the captives, but they didn’t respond to her. Eyes lowered, most of them shied from her where they crouched on the road. She left a bottle of water and packet of Stew-goo, both opened, in front of each one. Then she came to where Nick was coiling the heavy chain at the side of the road. “What should we do?” she asked.
Nick didn’t want to bring these people to High Meadow. They were damaged, physically and mentally. Angus wouldn’t turn them away. But they would probably need care for the rest of their lives. It was a cold thought, but they were a liability. If they had any other trouble on the road, this lot would be of no help. He regretted letting Wisp talk him out of riding the train. A clean, well-lit station would be a god-send right now.
“You got em fed and watered. It’s warm enough to sleep out tonight. See if any of them will let you check their wounds.”
Jean winced, a look of revulsion crimping her brows.
“Sorry,” Nick said. “I can do that in a bit.” He turned to look for Wisp.
The biobot was standing by the front of the van watching the woods. Nick went over to him. “We need to do something about these folks.”
“Grand View is just north of here. They have a med center.”
Nick felt a fast flash of anger. He didn’t want to go further north. He wanted to get to High Meadow.
Wisp flicked a pale-eyed glance at him before returning his scrutiny to the woods. “We can leave them here, but I am not sure that we were able to eradicate the entire cult.”
Nick shot a frown at him. “Cult? You know who these nuts are?”
Wisp walked a few steps away, standing over one of the bodies. “Without a closer look, I didn’t realized who they were. The bone necklaces and scalps gave them away. They call themselves Maneaters.” He gave Nick an eye roll. “Not the most imaginative bunch. They are cannibals. There are a few groups of them around. They believe the only way to survive is to eat those that appear immune.”
Nick felt sick, defeated. Cannibals. What had happened to these people that made them believe that was a viable course? He stared out into the surrounding woods. Small towns scattered across the country had become entirely isolated over the years. Many agricultural communities had carried on in their own tradition without much fuss. Other towns had devolved into petty oligarchies or church-based cohorts. Then there were pockets of pure evil, like this one. He felt a strong longing for High Meadow and its high ideals.
Despite how sick this made him, he felt responsible for the captives. The best course was to take them to the closest source of medical help. “How far to Grand View?”
“I will look for a road.”
As Wisp went back in the van, Nick walked around the vehicle to check it. A few scratches and dings. The tires were all in good shape. He came to the boy that had shot at him. Close up, he could see he was wrong again. Not a boy at all, just a skinny, runt of a man with filed teeth and three scalps on his belt. He felt no regrets. This was a death deserved for a vile predator.
“Wha’ abou’ da chirren?”
Nick spun, startled. One of the captives stood near him. She stared at the dirt. Nick’s gut twisted. Her bones had been broken and healed at odd angles. She looked badly put together, all angles and lumps. “What?”
She shot him a quick look, one eye socket was sunken. She gestured with a stick-thin arm. “Da chirren.” Her words were garbled from a lack of teeth and a mangled tongue.
Nick followed her gesture, peering into the darkness. Wisp exited the van and joined him.
“You understand her?”
“She’s fearful and hopeful and yearning for something over here.” Wisp walked confidently into the night.
Nick wondered if his pale eyes let him see in the dark. He had to shuffle along, snagging his feet on vines and weeds. A wobbly finger of light came
Nick didn’t want to bring these people to High Meadow. They were damaged, physically and mentally. Angus wouldn’t turn them away. But they would probably need care for the rest of their lives. It was a cold thought, but they were a liability. If they had any other trouble on the road, this lot would be of no help. He regretted letting Wisp talk him out of riding the train. A clean, well-lit station would be a god-send right now.
“You got em fed and watered. It’s warm enough to sleep out tonight. See if any of them will let you check their wounds.”
Jean winced, a look of revulsion crimping her brows.
“Sorry,” Nick said. “I can do that in a bit.” He turned to look for Wisp.
The biobot was standing by the front of the van watching the woods. Nick went over to him. “We need to do something about these folks.”
“Grand View is just north of here. They have a med center.”
Nick felt a fast flash of anger. He didn’t want to go further north. He wanted to get to High Meadow.
Wisp flicked a pale-eyed glance at him before returning his scrutiny to the woods. “We can leave them here, but I am not sure that we were able to eradicate the entire cult.”
Nick shot a frown at him. “Cult? You know who these nuts are?”
Wisp walked a few steps away, standing over one of the bodies. “Without a closer look, I didn’t realized who they were. The bone necklaces and scalps gave them away. They call themselves Maneaters.” He gave Nick an eye roll. “Not the most imaginative bunch. They are cannibals. There are a few groups of them around. They believe the only way to survive is to eat those that appear immune.”
Nick felt sick, defeated. Cannibals. What had happened to these people that made them believe that was a viable course? He stared out into the surrounding woods. Small towns scattered across the country had become entirely isolated over the years. Many agricultural communities had carried on in their own tradition without much fuss. Other towns had devolved into petty oligarchies or church-based cohorts. Then there were pockets of pure evil, like this one. He felt a strong longing for High Meadow and its high ideals.
Despite how sick this made him, he felt responsible for the captives. The best course was to take them to the closest source of medical help. “How far to Grand View?”
“I will look for a road.”
As Wisp went back in the van, Nick walked around the vehicle to check it. A few scratches and dings. The tires were all in good shape. He came to the boy that had shot at him. Close up, he could see he was wrong again. Not a boy at all, just a skinny, runt of a man with filed teeth and three scalps on his belt. He felt no regrets. This was a death deserved for a vile predator.
“Wha’ abou’ da chirren?”
Nick spun, startled. One of the captives stood near him. She stared at the dirt. Nick’s gut twisted. Her bones had been broken and healed at odd angles. She looked badly put together, all angles and lumps. “What?”
She shot him a quick look, one eye socket was sunken. She gestured with a stick-thin arm. “Da chirren.” Her words were garbled from a lack of teeth and a mangled tongue.
Nick followed her gesture, peering into the darkness. Wisp exited the van and joined him.
“You understand her?”
“She’s fearful and hopeful and yearning for something over here.” Wisp walked confidently into the night.
Nick wondered if his pale eyes let him see in the dark. He had to shuffle along, snagging his feet on vines and weeds. A wobbly finger of light came
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