Into Ruin

Chapter 6 Departure

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.