She went back to the mayor's body and searched his pockets. As her fingers curled over a set of keys, she felt a wave of triumph. She made herself pull her weapon free of the man’s body. She was repulsed at the bits of meat and bone clinging to the bloody steel. She cleaned it as well as she could and secreted it away once more.

  The day before, Jackson had told her everything about the building that housed the other kids. It sounded like something out of a nightmare. It was an ancient basement, and the structure was deteriorated and beyond repair. The guards, according to Jackson, escorted them to and from afternoon military drills which were mandatory. They kept the youngsters under lock and key and when they brought them back later, they would have food and blankets, sometimes a few other supplies.

  Carla estimated she had just over twenty minutes to get there and get the kids out. It was one part of her plan but shouldn’t have been the first. Slipping out of her place was easy. The mayor hadn't even left a guard downstairs. She blocked her door as best she could so they wouldn't easily find the body, but that would only last so long. Someone surely saw him on his way to Carla's. She dashed over to the other building, her lungs on fire, knowing she was racing not just for her own life, but for the lives of everyone else.

  It took her precious minutes to find the right door to the basement. Her hands were shaking violently. The adrenaline and endorphins flooding her system made it impossible to concentrate. Calm the fuck down. Deal with it later. She tried again with the rusted lock that finally accepted one of the numerous keys, having gone through several before hearing that click.

  Carla swung open the door to discover all the kids inside a cramped, dusty room covered with cobwebs and smelling of feces. All of the kids were gathered together. She couldn't tell if this was for safety or comfort. They were all looking up to her, and she could feel the horror in their eyes as they imagined what would happen if they stepped out of line.

  She had to get them all out. That hadn't been part of the plan. Not really, but in truth, she knew she had to. Every child here was being held against their will. What these people were doing to these children violated every fiber of her being. Carla meant to slip in quietly, grab Anna, and sneak away. Instead, she had a dead mayor and a group of children who suddenly saw her as a source of renewed hope. Carla swore at herself. She couldn't abandon them in this city.

  The trance they were in seemed to break at once with many of them talking excitedly and yelling her name.

  "Shhhh! Listen," she said emphatically. "We have to get out of here! Now!" None of them moved.

  She lowered her voice to an ominous tone. "How many of you want to die down here?"

  It was cruel, but she needed them to move their asses. "Let's go!"

  The children stood up and began to exit. “Keep it quiet." Carla pulled Anna aside and said, "Listen to me, I'm a friend of your father's. I'm going to take you home, ok?"

  She picked up the child and rushed past the others "Don't go for the roadblocks, instead go for the fields. You all grew up on the farms, right?" They all nodded. "You can lose them in the fields. You continue running, find your house and don't look back. The mayor won’t be bothering your families anymore."

  The kids nodded and hurried away in small groups. She desperately wanted to accompany them all and ensure their safety. But she had to finish what she had come here to do.

  She went to the drugstore while carrying Anna. Carla should have been relieved that it was unguarded. She wondered if they were all waiting for the mayor's instructions. She dashed inside, opened her backpack, and began stuffing it with every anti-psychotic drug and sleep aid she could find. Carla was struck by the irony of the scenario. Jenny Harris had been in the same situation a few weeks before. Now, would she be executed for doing the same crime?

  A sudden shriek brought an end to her shopping spree. It was the city-wide klaxon, the mayor's body… had it been found so quickly? She imagined the guards scouring the city for the murderer. Carla knew if she didn't go now, they wouldn’t have a chance.

  She and Anna dashed outside, only to find Jackson standing there with his own backpack.

  "I figured you had a plan,” he said. “So what did you do?”

  Carla panicked, "Out of the way Jackson."

  He shook his head, "I want to come with you."

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Carla felt the pressure, as if the universe was continually putting new obstacles in her path. The mission began as a simple job to earn some food and maybe get the meds her family needed. Then there came Tom and his desperate plea to find Anna. Killing Cleveland hadn't been part of her plan, but then again, neither was being raped. There were countless things in this town that she and her own community desperately needed, yet all she was taking were some meds and two small children. One of which was the mayor's ward—whatever that meant.

  "OK," she responded, setting Anna down and taking the two kids' hands in hers. "Do you understand how you stay close to me no matter what?"

  They both nodded, "Listen to me. If I go down, just keep running. Run until you get to your dad's Anna. Do you hear me?”

  The little girl was crying now, but slowly nodded. Jackson gripped Anna's hand protectively. The three of them took off running. She was counting on most of the security to be massed at the common area near the school, so they avoided that. Carla knew it wouldn't be long before the men had the entire town covered. She slipped down an alley between shops and came up short as a guard stepped in front of them.

  "Whoa! Where do you think you are going?"

  Carla's mouth was frozen, she couldn’t form words.

  "She's our new teacher,” Jackson said. " She doesn't know where the shelters are."

  The man gave a near toothless smile. "Gotcha, yeah, it gets a little confusing."

  Carla wanted to reach for her hatchet, but something made her slow-walk that idea. The man's posture was relaxed.

  "What's going on?" she asked.

  "Some ruckus off to the southwest toward the Space Force Base. It sounded like a war or something. Seems to be heading over toward us. The boss men are trying to find the mayor now to find out what he wants us to do."

  The man told them to hurry to the shelters. Carla couldn't believe their fortune. So, they weren’t hunting her…not yet. The trio dodged other people running in all directions, then edged past a gap in one of the walls and made their way unnoticed out into the burned fields. Carla noticed several of the school children vanishing into the distant line of trees. She wondered what would happen to them all and if she'd made the right decision in sending them off on their own. It was risky, but she imagined most of them making it to their farms, reunited with their families. She had to have hope, and it wasn't like she had any time to come up with anything better.

  She heard shooting several times, possibly back in Lehigh, but like the man had said, it seemed farther south. They rushed through the fields, each of which was bordered by trees and fencing. They seemed to stretch on forever. She assumed guards would be unwilling to chase them all down, likely more interested in getting their share of the mayor's loot. Still, she felt sure some would come for them, they just had to be ready. Her legs kept trying to give out and more than once she felt herself falling, only to catch herself. She was not in a good place…not mentally or emotionally.

  It was totally dark when Tom's farmhouse finally came into view. Anna quickened her pace. "Dad!" she exclaimed, rushing ahead, Carla and Jackson fighting to catch up.

  Tom emerged from the farmhouse. He saw his little girl running towards him. He snatched her in his arms and held her close. "Dad," she wept. She'd never expected to see him again.

  Carla held on to Jackson as they held back, giving the two as much space as they needed.

  "My sweet, sweet girl," Tom said softly, clutching her close. After several minutes, Tom looked up at Carla and Jackson. Tears lined the older man’s weathered face, "Thank you," he said softly. "I don't know how you did it, but thank you."

  Carla offered a grim smile and nodded. "You…you’re so welcome," she whispered, delighted to see something good come from the horror of the day. Truthfully, she wanted to savor the moment as long as she could, because she knew the feeling wouldn't last.

  The farmer seemed to finally see the expression in Carla’s face. “What happened, child?

  She shook her head as the tears began to fall. She looked to the kids, and Tom seemed to understand. He approached Carla, innately sensing the trauma she’d been through. He pulled her close as he would have his own daughter.

  They were both crying now, and Carla was surprised how much she needed this connection right now. She was surprised she would let anyone touch her.

  “I am truly sorry, Carla. Please tell me you made him pay.”

  She sniffed and nodded but was unable to speak. A smell of food caused Carla's stomach to growl loudly.

  Tom gently released her. "Come on. You've had a long day, you must be hungry," Tom murmured as he cradled his daughter in his arms. "Come on in, I'll make us some supper."

  Carla, Tom, Jackson, and Anna sat down to a literal feast by current standards: roasted pork, potatoes, homemade bread, and simmering pots of vegetables. Carla loved the simple smell of home cooking.

  "I tell you," Tom declared after the meal, "thanks to you, a lot of parents around here will go to bed a lot happier tonight."

  His words made Carla feel good. But now that the adrenaline had worn off, she couldn't help but be concerned about the long-term ramifications of her actions.

  "What do you think will happen regarding the mayor?" She'd told Tom everything, once the kids moved into a den to play.

  He shook his head, "Hard to say," Tom said. "Guess there will be a power vacuum of sorts, and nature abhors a vacuum." Carla worried if Lehigh would turn into a pit of vipers or maybe vultures all squabbling over scraps. Then she considered the museum full of treasures, wondering if all those objects might end up destroyed, like Cleveland had said, or just wind up once more in the wrong hands.

  "So, what happens now?" Carla asked, cautiously.

  "Now?" Tom stated this with newfound zeal. "Now,” he said with energy she’d not seen in him before, “we figure out how to keep you and your community fed. I have fields aplenty, and in time, you will have access to all of the food you need. I owe you, miss."

  Carla was overwhelmed by the thoughtful gesture. "Are you certain, I mean you…you can do it? I'm grateful, but I've seen the fields outside; they’re nothing but ash."

  Tom gave a big grin. "I expected you to say that." He got up from his seat. "I'd like to show you something."

  He led her out behind several barns to an enormous greenhouse. "This is constructed of Armorglass, the strongest stuff available. It cost a fortune to install and was a pain in the ass to even get, but given that it withstood a near miss by a tornado and then the missile strikes a few miles away, I'd say it was a great investment."

  He proudly showed Carla row after row of beans, tomatoes, peppers, and more. Most were on large vertical trays that he could move down for picking or replanting. The entire thing was ingenious. "All grown from non-hybrid seeds, so we can replant, should be sufficient to help feed a small community, which is exactly what we will be able to do. I'll be able to send you some food back now. I know a farmer nearby who sells cows, so we'll be able to send you milk, cheese, and butter."

  "In exchange for what?" Carla asked. Nothing in this world is free. The past twenty-four hours had driven that fact home like a dagger to the heart, or… a hatchet to the brain.

  "You gave us more than just our children, hon, you have given us hope. That was something we didn't have before. This is the least we can do. In timem we’ll work out a barter system or have you select people to come and help us out. Without the bots, managing this and the fields is going to be monumental." Tom's expression darkened somewhat. "How about the boy? Is it true, he's orphaned?"

  Carla hadn't considered what she would do with Jackson. Like everything else she'd done today, she’d just winged it, it wasn't in the plan. She was aware that his family was gone, and he obviously had no desire to ever go back to Lehigh.

  "He is, but he'll come home with me," Carla said, the idea just occurring to her, but she was confident she could take care of him. She literally turned down the idea of starting a family just a few days ago. But despite the horror and bloodshed, Carla now had a spark of something, maybe a belief that she could finally dream again.

  She spent the night in Tom's spare bedroom. He said he had an old bunkhouse out back, but it needed to be cleaned out. Jackson had slept in a separate bed in the same room because he didn't want to be alone in case the 'bad men' came to take him away. Despite all the past twelve hours had brought, Carla got the best night's sleep she'd had in ages.

  When they left the next day, there was a basket of food, and Tom promised to talk with the other farms about offering more supplies to her neighborhood. Carla was greatly relieved to know that she could help provide for her little corner of San Antonio. She might also be rid of the shame she'd felt over the stockpile of food in Meredith's shed. Still, they had to be watchful. The mayor's men probably knew where she lived. They might be waiting for them already.

  Carla took confident strides back toward her house, the sun high in the sky, as Jackson grasped her hand tightly. Both seemed excited to see what the future held.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Carla and Jackson got home a few hours later. They snuck through yards of vacant houses and surveilled the street and the houses before approaching. Carla had only been gone a little over a week, but it felt like much longer. She worried about her family and Joshua, too, if she were being honest. It surprised her how quickly all the concern over their issues had slipped to the background over the previous few days. Carla was constantly worried about Meredith having an episode or Maria losing more of her memory, but with everything going on, she'd barely had time to think about them.

  She found Carson sitting on the curb, looking as deflated as she had ever seen him. “Are you all right?" Carla asked, still feeling sorry for him. But all those feelings now seemed to occupy a different place inside her. Maybe she was just no longer the same. Cleveland had robbed her of the last few shreds of youthful innocence. Honestly, she just didn’t have time for the drama. People had real issues, and her neighbors’ marital shit barely qualified.

  "I've had better days," he said. "Chelsea hasn't completely shut me out. It turns out she does still like feeding her children and herself."

  "So, what’s the problem?" Honestly, she no longer cared, but it seemed like he was waiting for her to ask.

  "Problem is, I am a lousy provider when I'm not with you. Everything has been stripped bare. I haven't eaten in days."

  His eyes landed on the boy.

  Carla held up one of the baskets of food Tom had given her, her conscience gnawing at her. "Well, maybe this will help."

  Carson's mouth dropped open as he gazed up at the food. "My God, Carla, tell me I'm not hallucinating."

  “That's my sister's department. I just get food.” She said with a laugh as she slid the basket into his lap. "Does this feel like a hallucination?"

  He shook his head. "What exactly did you do for it?" Carson asked. His gaze shifted toward Jackson again. The concern evident on the man's sunken face.

  Carla refused to tell him, or who she had to killed in order to get it. She shook her head, "Maybe someday, but not right now."

  "I can't accept this," Carson murmured as he pushed the basket back toward her.

  "You are an idiot, Carson. Is there a reason why, or am I supposed to guess?"

  "Chelsea will refuse anything from you."

  Something snapped in Carla's brain. "If you're telling me that bitch would rather see those kids starve than accept any kind of help, she doesn't deserve to be a mother…or even to be alive."

  "Whoa, whoa, whoa, OK!" Carson said this while holding out his hands and taking the basket again. "What's the matter with you? I've never seen you with that kind of fire before."

  "Just be a man, Carson. Go be a dad." Carla was dumbfounded. All she had been through, and this spineless lump wouldn’t do the very basics to keep his kids alive. Carla had been through much too much in Lehigh. She had changed, she just wasn’t positive it was for the better. She was capable of brutality, vengeance...hell, anything that was required. Now she knew she was also intolerant of those who couldn't step up.

  “I'll get this to the kids," Carson straightened up and returned his gaze to the window in his house. Rachel and Ryan were peering out the window, taking in the panorama. "You know, they miss you. They want to see you again."

  She missed them, too, but worried that she was the reason their family was torn apart. "Yeah, I don't think so. Not with Chelsea around," Carla acknowledged.

  "So, who is this?"

  Carla saw Carson was looking at the boy. "He's Jackson, and he's going to be staying with us."

  Carson looked bewildered but struggled to his feet. "We all were worried, I just... " Carson murmured, "I missed you so much.” And before Carla could stop him, he held her tightly, and she didn't have the heart to push him away.

  It didn’t last long, but Carla broke the embrace when she saw Jackson standing behind her. The poor boy had been thrown into an entirely new world and needed someone to guide him.

  Carla stepped back from Carson. "Don't ever do that again," she said. "Whatever you and I had is over. The world has changed. And so have I."

  A visibly chastised Carson hung his head, then took the basket and silently headed toward home, where he would almost certainly face the wrath of his wife once more.

  "Where do I fit in?" a tiny voice asked.

  Carla smiled and knelt down to eye-level with Jackson. "You're coming to live with me," she stated. "I will look after you."