The City in the Storm: (Post Apocalyptic Fiction) (Collision Course Book 3) Read online

  The park behind him felt off. He couldn't figure out why until he counted the trees. There were only three. The one he saw when he first arrived was full of trees. It was the same one Sedi took him to after he met with the council. He walked toward the park. It had to be west. It was behind the council's hut and directly opposite the other green space.

  Jakobe ran for it when he heard a familiar deep voice. "You're going the wrong way."

  He spun around and saw Robe holding his two revolvers, one resting at his side and the other aimed at Jakobe. "That's northwest. You have to enter on the road, or you'll be out of the protection of the last stepping stone and get swept away into the storm."

  "Wouldn't it have been easier for you to just let me go?" Jakobe asked, sidestepping onto the road. He held his fist out with the key, ready to strike.

  "Might've been—might've been. Am I to assume Sedi is dead if you're here?"

  "Of course not. He's just locked in my cell—and probably in a bit of pain."

  "You don't look like much of a fighter."

  "Looks can be deceiving," Jakobe said and tried to keep his voice steady. It was true looks could be deceiving, but not in his case.

  "Sort of like how you assumed this city was under the control of Red Eye," Robe said.

  "That wasn't based on looks."

  "No?"

  "You made it clear he was the reason you weren't going to let me pass."

  "We made it clear what he would do to us if you were caught. What do you think we discussed at that meeting? You really think we sat around worrying about Red Eye? We were discussing ways we could possibly send you west safely." Robe lowered the gun and sighed. The dirt road was empty besides the two of them.

  In the distance, Jakobe could feel the windows of the abandoned skyscrapers watching them. The smaller huts closer to the city center were so still they look painted on the air. Jakobe’s throat swelled up like his body was too nervous to even take a full breath and disturb the world.

  "You wondered what would happen to us if Red Eye fell? We wonder the same thing every day, not because we're afraid it'll happen—we're afraid it won't. The West is a lost cause. Why do you think so many are looking east? Red Eye will sooner wipe everyone out than lose control of what he's built. In his mind, he saved the West. The lake he uses to pump water to all the cities wasn't originally pure.

  “He was the one who purified it, and he was the one who calculated how to spread it evenly to ensure optimal survival. He wanted to make sure those who could live long and fulfilling lives had access to clean water before those who drained the resource. To him, humans are just an investment, and if they can't contribute to rebuilding the world, they shouldn't be allowed to benefit from his hard work." Robe walked toward Jakobe and tossed him a gun.

  Jakobe looked at the gun then at Robe. He instantly raised it, pulled the hammer back and squeezed the trigger, but nothing happened. "Of course."

  "You didn't think I'd be dumb enough to hand you a loaded gun, right?" Robe pulled the hammer on the revolver he held and fired at the ground a few feet in front of Jakobe. "I'm surprised Lyo didn't kill you. He was always a no-nonsense kinda guy."

  "Why are you toying with me?" Jakobe asked.

  "Toying with you? I like you. I like anyone naive enough to not be afraid of Red Eye."

  "I'm terrified of him. I'm just more terrified of being trapped."

  "Trapped? You had the whole east to run. That's the difference between you and my brother: he sees everything he has; you see everything you don't." He pointed the revolver at Jakobe. "I was more like you. Heard stories about the West and got into some trouble with the gangs back east, so I ran. I told myself I wasn't running from anything—too much pride for that. No, I was running to make something. Find a better life. Worst part is, I don't regret it for a second." He approached Jakobe.

  Every muscle in Jakobe's body tensed. He was outmatched in every way. There was nothing around him to give him an advantage. He gripped the unloaded revolver in his hand a little tighter. The first chance he got, he would bash it against the side of Robe's head. Without a word, Robe handed Jakobe the other revolver.

  "Is this some kind of test?" Jakobe asked and hesitated to take it. He could think of a thousand ways Robe could take him down if he reached for the gun.

  "I can see how you survived for so long—you don't trust anyone."

  "Why would I trust the guy who held a loaded gun at me five seconds ago?"

  "Cause he's offering the same gun to you now. Cause he got you out of the jail cells—"

  "That his city tossed me in," Jakobe cut him off and grabbed the gun, then quickly backed up three steps.

  "Can you trust me now?" Robe asked and raised his hands in the air.

  "Depends, what can you offer me?"

  "The same thing I was gonna offer you to begin with. I can get you west."

  6

  They went back to the prison to check on Sedi. "It's the most secure part of the city. No one comes down here except Sedi." Robe inspected the bloody nose and bruises. Sedi pointed at Jakobe and tried to speak but could only cough. "You gotta take it easy there, buddy. Let your throat heal." Robe looked over his shoulder at Jakobe. "You really kicked the crap out of him, huh? Were you the muscle back east?"

  Jakobe tried not to laugh. He'd been called a lot of things in his life but ‘muscle’? "Why would you risk sending me west? Don't give me that same crap about wanting to stop Red Eye; I know it's got nothing to do with some moral compass."

  Robe ignored the question at first and helped Sedi choke down some water. Sedi struggled, spitting a mist back at Robe before finally downing the rest of the contents.

  "What does Red Eye got on you?" Jakobe asked.

  "Nothing—I'd be dead if he did," Robe replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

  "Then why do you want to send me west? For real this time, none of that Red Eye thinks he's god bullshit."

  "That wasn't a lie. He's the only person on the planet who knows how to purify large bodies of water, and keeping that a secret has kept him alive this long." Robe sat beside Sedi and looked up at Jakobe. Something in his face changed. He no longer looked like the confident leader who walked down the steps and turned his sharp chin up when he spoke to Jakobe.

  "Kept him alive? He has an army."

  "Armies can lose a war—and armies aren't always loyal. If I've been able to get someone on the inside, I'm sure tribes much closer and more connected have been able to."

  "You're spying on him?" Jakobe's voice cracked.

  "Of course—Red Eye wants to see the whole world. Only a fool would turn their back on a man like that."

  "So his men aren't loyal to him."

  "They're loyal—they just don't want to be." Robe went back to inspecting the damage on Sedi's face.

  Jakobe's stomach twisted in knots when he saw Sedi nodding along mindlessly to the conversation. He breathed loudly—each breath sounding more stressed than the last. Sedi had been nothing but a friend to him since he first arrived; even if that was his job, Jakobe didn't know how he would've survived without him.

  "And you think we can turn them if I can, what—steal the tech he uses to purify the water?"

  "You can't do that. From my understanding, the reason is, it’s not a physical gadget you can just unplug and run away with. The water isn't regularly processed or anything; it's pure. I think he used some sort of combustible agent, but no one knows the exact details. Whatever it was, he placed it in the water, and by the time it fully dissolved, the water was pure."

  "He put explosives in the water?" Jakobe's jaw slackened. Just who was Red Eye?

  "It took him ages to perfect the technique. I know the start of the conflict with the Hammers was his experiments on their water. The North wasn't always ruled by cannibals. There was a time it was the last place to find cities of the old—before the cure ruined everything. The first Red Eye was responsible for the destruction of those cities, and therefore, responsible f
or the rise of the Hammers. Red Eye burned the world so he could build on its ashes.”

  "Shit—what do you want ‘em to do? How do you expect me to find his purifier?" Jakobe grit his teeth thinking about the world he was marching into. The East was vast in emptiness; the West sounded like one snare after the next.

  "I told you, I have a man on the inside," Robe said.

  "Yeah—so?" That didn’t do Jakobe much good. He didn’t know if he could trust Robe, let alone his man on the inside. Not to mention it was Robe’s brother who chased him into the storm.

  "So—I think you should join him."

  "You're shitting me. First, you tell me I can't head west because I might stand out—now you're telling me you're gonna send me right to Red Eye's doorstep. Now I know you're messing with me," Jakobe replied. If they couldn’t kill the prisoner, they would package him for Red Eye.

  "No one's messing with you. Not everyone in the city wants Red Eye out of power because he has given us a comfortable life—to an extent. I couldn't bring it up around the council, but there are ways to ensure you won't be recognized."

  "Oh yeah? Ways? Sounds totally legit—go on," Jakobe said sarcastically." He had been sold false promises his whole life. The only thing to ever speak the truth every time it opened its mouth was his rifle.

  "I can't leave the city again so soon, but Sedi can take you to our girl, right?"

  Sedi held the front of his bruised throat as he nodded.

  "Your girl?" Jakobe asked.

  "The face gardener," Robe replied with a grin and lifted his sharp chin into the air. "Half-blind from a whack to the head—don't make any comments about it—she can create a whole new identity for you."

  "You're just telling me this now? What about the council and the worries? What about that meeting you had with them to figure out ways to get me west? This never came up?" Jakobe leaned back against the wall when he felt his legs wobble. Did Robe ever show his hand, or would he always keep Jakobe in some kind of darkness?

  "No one knows about her except Sedi and me. You really think she would last long if people found out what she could do?"

  "So why haven't you just used her skills to get you close to Red Eye?" Jakobe retorted.

  "I have. Just the one so far; she's still in his army but stationed in his outer guard. Problem with the face gardener is she's expensive, and I don't know who else she's connected to, only that they're powerful."

  "Thought you just said she wouldn't last long if her identity was revealed." Jakobe crouched so he could be more level with Robe. Sedi sat up and took a long sip of water. He tried to speak but coughed instead.

  "Doesn't mean the person who crossed her would live," Robe replied. As Jakobe crouched, Robe stood up. "We gotta get both of you out of here tonight."

  "Both?" Jakobe asked just as Robe helped Sedi to his feet.

  7

  "I've never driven one of these before," Jakobe said when Robe led them to a black truck. Stuffing stuck out of the black interior, and the gray paint was scratched up. One headlight was smashed, and the bed was full of scrap metal.

  "It's automatic so just move the stick to D and press the right pedal to accelerate and the left to brake." Robe pointed to each device as he spoke.

  "Right go, left stop," Jakobe muttered and turned the key in the ignition. The engine rumbled to life, and dust sprinkled from the overhead mirrors. When he hit the accelerator, the engine revved up. People walked out of their homes and into the street to see where the noise was coming from.

  "Put it in D, man." Robe pointed to the transmission, and the car sprang into motion.

  Jakobe struggled to keep the steering wheel straight. It jumped left and right after each bump. As they drove through mid-city, a young boy ran across the street and dove at the last second. Jakobe slammed on the brakes, but the boy was already gone. Ahead he saw Kendra running toward them.

  "Go!" Sedi managed to shout, but his voice sounded raspy, and he gasped for air seconds later. Jakobe laid the pedal to the floor and bumped his way through the rest of the city. They flew by the west park and into the dust storm. He instinctively covered his eyes the second they crossed, but the windshield protected them.

  "Hahaha! This is awesome!" Jakobe shouted and slapped the steering wheel. It made a sharp beep. "What the?" He slapped the wheel again.

  Ahead he saw the final stepping stone. It was much closer than the previous three were before the eye of the storm, and the drive-through was easier by car. It handled the cracks and holes much better than his bike did, and though the wheel didn't always obey him, there were few obstacles in the road for him to crash into. He heard something in the undercarriage jingling, but it didn't matter. They drove through the final stepping stone, and Jakobe took a deep breath. He gripped the steering wheel so tightly his hands felt stuck in place. The high winds rattled the sides of the car and made it feel like it was going to tilt.

  His heart raced because he knew the next clearing would be what he longed to see his entire life—the next calm would be the West and all its glory. "How are we gonna find this face gardener?" he asked Sedi, who didn't respond.

  Sedi kept his eyes closed most of the ride and rested his hands on top of his stomach. He pushed his cheeks out, and his white skin looked ghostly pale. His shirt was covered in dark sweat stains.

  "Come on, Robe must’ve told you something about her."

  Sedi shrugged and opened one eye. The subtle quake and look of fear conveyed that moment made Jakobe feel more alone than he ever had. When he was running in the East, he was always accompanied by a fear he knew. There were gangs; there were thugs; there were the occasionally cursed contaminants, but there was also always a way out. It dawned on him that he was not only entering a new world full of new fears he couldn't even begin to understand—but the only person he was heading west with had never been out of the City in the Storm.

  "We're gonna be alright," Jakobe said to Sedi, but it felt more like he was saying it to himself. He took a deep breath, and the wind suddenly stopped. He hit the brakes, and the car came to a screeching halt. The road ahead of them was completely clear and looked brand new.

  "You gotta be kidding me!" For a moment all the fear he felt for the West dissolved and was replaced by a bubble of euphoria. Though it was a mysterious place, and he had no idea where to go next, he actually made it to the place he always wanted to go—the place he always thought would save him.

  8

  Far in the East and far in the West were two different things. In the East Jakobe could go days without seeing another living soul. In the West, he spotted encampments every mile or so—some even closer. "She's gotta be out here, right? If she's as at risk as Robe said she is, then she wouldn't be in one of the main cities, right?" Jakobe asked, scanning the nearest camp.

  The road cut through a grass plane. It was the greenest Jakobe had seen in his entire life. Color spread in all directions, and in the distance was a mountain he couldn't see the top of.

  Back east, camps were only one or two poorly constructed tents made with some dirty linens and full of patches. To their right, a short distance off the road, he saw a temporary camp, similar to what he saw back east, except the tents were larger; they looked capable of fitting three or four people easily and looked more well-maintained. None of them had the rushed patchwork to cover holes.

  Surrounding the camp were functioning trucks. They were more modified than the ones in the storm city. A man stood on the flat bed of his truck and leaned against a mounted gun. He watched Jakobe and Sedi drive by. As the man watched, other members of the camp walked out of their tents and observed. The man leaning against the gun slapped the roof of the car and whistled loud enough that Jakobe could hear him over his engine.

  At least a dozen people sprinted to their bikes and trucks. A four-wheeler similar to Clive's pulled ahead. It had a battering ram attached to the front, and Jakobe's heart stopped when he saw the white painted on the front. When he looked closer he saw i
t wasn't a horizontal white line, though it was an inverted V. He'd only seen that symbol once before.

  Jakobe readied his revolver, but he'd never shot while driving before. He didn't have enough ammunition to pick them all off either. His only hope was to outrun them, which seemed less likely the further down the road they went. The five trucks behind him rode in a V shape with the four-wheeler in the lead. Jakobe couldn't make out any details of the driver except for long blue hair.

  He turned off the road and bounced in his seat. The truck creaked with each bounce on the unlevel terrain, and the RPMs jumped close to the red. Jakobe looked for a clean shot as the truck rode over the hill. For a moment as they drove down the back of the slope, they were out of sight of the gang. He turned hard to the left to give himself a clean shot and took it the second the four-wheeler popped over the top.

  "Shit!" He steadied the wheel, but the truck didn't cooperate. Sedi reached over to help, but Jakobe slapped his hand away. "Worry about them!" he shouted and aimed the car away from the road again. "Get down!" he said and pushed Sedi forward before ducking himself.

  Pop! Pop! Pop!

  Three shots hit the truck; one struck the dashboard. Jakobe grabbed Sedi's hand and stuck it on the wheel. "Keep it straight," he ordered and turned around so he could take aim out the open back window. He took two shots at the four-wheeler. Neither hit the driver, but it was enough to make them change course.

  "They slowed down," Jakobe said and turned back to the wheel, capitalizing on the moment to build more distance between them and their pursuers.

  The truck creaked, and Jakobe heard something snap. "What's happening?" he asked and felt the floor rumble. Sedi looked around frantically trying to spot a problem as the truck cranked right. Even as Jakobe turned the wheel left, it fought to circle right.