Super Pulse (Book 4): Defect Read online

  “Put your hands up and show yourself!” he heard somebody commanding from the other side of the overturned car. Levan thought about this. He expected to die, and it was completely in the hands of the men who’d just killed Chappy. Best to go along with whatever they wanted. It was his only chance to survive.

  “I give up! I surrender!” Levan yelled before moving into full view. If he raised his arms any higher he thought he might dislocate his shoulders. “I give up, man!”

  “Put your hands behind your head and get down on your knees!” came another order. This was a different voice; Levan suspected it came from the man who’d just put a bullet into Chappy’s brain. After he complied, all three men were upon him almost instantly. One handed his rifle off and patted Levan down before nodding to his companions.

  “We don’t want to hurt you,” Chappy’s executioner said. “We were only defending ourselves after your man fired on us. Understood?”

  “Yeah,” Levan choked out with a nod, trying to hide his surprise. “Got it. I don’t know why he was shooting.”

  “Are you injured?” the executioner asked. “We can just leave you be, if that’s what you want. We’re just passing through.”

  Levan looked at him blankly. “I don’t know, man. I think I’m all right. I guess.” When he saw something move in the distance, he craned his neck around the three men and saw a small black woman coming in their direction. He could only assume she was with them. It made about as much sense as anything else. But he warned them about her anyway.

  “She’s with us,” one of the men said.

  The woman spoke immediately when she reached them. “What’s your name?” she asked Levan pleasantly. With no reason to hold back, he told her.

  “Nice to meet you, Levan,” she answered. “We’re not your enemy. My name’s Lou.” She pointed at the tall, shaggy man at the end. “That’s Dewey. And this is Plankton,” she continued, putting a hand on the shoulder of the man Chappy had fired at on the shoulder of the road. “The guy over there checking out your van is Nick.”

  The one who’d put Chappy out of his misery stepped forward, extending his hand. “Nice to meet you, Levan. You can call me Squid.”

  Twenty-one

  “I’m not sure why Grover didn’t call a full Committee meeting,” Carlo said to Linda after gently pulling her away from the stream of campers passing by. “Instinct, I think he said. He said he knows they wouldn’t approve of what he wants to do. But he wants to try thinking outside the box this time. I’m on my way to meet with him now, but he told me to stop by and talk with you first.”

  “About what?” Linda asked. The expression on her face showed how upset and afraid she was that Carlo tracked her down on her way back to the Village and asked for a quick meeting. She feared that somebody, maybe even Grover, knew that Nick been on the receiving end of some help with his departure, and now she was going to face the consequences.

  “We’re having problems with water supply,” Carlo explained. “We’re not sure what to do about it.”

  “Problems?” Linda replied. “Like what? I haven’t noticed anything.”

  “Apparently they can’t get the chlorine right,” Carlo said. “Or something. And they’re just not getting the barrels filled and distributed fast enough. It shouldn’t be so hard.”

  “It isn’t,” Linda said. “They’ll catch on. Not that I don’t want the old water-maker back. I hate what happened to them.”

  “He wasn’t just the water guy,” Carlo said. “Not to Grover, at least. To Grover, he was the guy who could go into the library with questions and come out with answers. And he’s not afraid to try what he learns. He was going to be our McGyver. He’s our nutty professor who figures things out.” Carlo laughed halfheartedly. “I think Grover’s getting carried away with it, maybe. But we could use that guy back.”

  “No sign of him, I take it?” Linda asked.

  “Nothing,” Carlo answered. “That’s kind of why I’m here. What would you think about taking the Bailey Brothers on a ride back down south to see what you can find out about what happened to them?”

  Linda cocked her head. “Grover and all the head honchos are okay with that?” she asked.

  “Just Grover,” Carlo told her.

  “Right, you said that,” Linda remembered. “Well, sure, I’m all for it, I guess. As long as you don’t send us down there unarmed. That’s not the plan, right?”

  “Of course not,” Carlo said. “I’d never allow that. But we’d like you to stay out any fights if you can. We’re only looking for information. If anything turns up, or you see a solution, come on back and we’ll decide what to do next.”

  “Did you ask the brothers about this yet?” Linda asked.

  “No,” Carlo answered. “We thought we’d get your buy-in first.”

  “Why the change of heart?” Linda asked. “I thought we were circling the wagons around whoever was still here and forgetting about everybody else.”

  “I had a lot to do with it,” Carlo admitted. “But Grover agreed. This was major. Somebody came into our camp, stole from us, and took away some important people. We can’t let that stand. We just can’t. If nothing else, we don’t want them or anybody else thinking it can be done without us up putting up a fight.”

  ~~~

  The solar team had decided that the first live test of their electrification project would take place in the Warehouse. There were several good reasons for this. Mostly, it was because there was a lot of room, and they could work behind closed doors without any snoopers looking over their shoulders. Not only that, they could store as much equipment as they needed on site without worrying about anybody getting their hands on it.

  But the most important reason was that the building, which existed long before the current residents came and created Tabernacle, was already wired for electric light fixtures. That simplified the task significantly and allowed them to focus on the experimental aspects without spending too much time building the infrastructure. All three members of the team were excited as they set up for the penultimate experiment. If this worked, all they’d need were more parts and equipment to electrify the camp. The know-how, thinking, and the blueprint behind it would be complete and ready to submit for final approval.

  They’d carefully collected power in the solar shack by running the line from the panels into two car batteries. To avoid another explosion, they’d learned to carefully monitor the voltage level in the batteries as they were being charged with a gadget they’d found in the disheveled aisles of an auto parts store. Ant lugged two fully-charged batteries into the Warehouse on test day even they’d only need one.

  Eventually this was how they planned to ration out power, by handing out charged batteries on a schedule, so it was a perfect test. Empty batteries could be returned and recharged, the same way the Water Plant refilled barrels and sent them back out. They assumed that The Committee would decide who received batteries, and how often they could be exchanged for charged ones after they were depleted. The solar team would be happy not to work on the administrative end. They just wanted to generate power.

  Changing the power stored in the battery from DC to AC would be done by the small converter they’d swiped from a boat back in December. From there, it would be a simple matter to connect the light fixtures to the output end of the converter. Of all things, Ant’s biggest concern was whether or not there were any light bulbs in the Warehouse that still worked. If not, they’d have no way of knowing if the system worked or not.

  He wished they’d gone back to the marina for more converters as soon as they’d known this would work. They were small, about the size of a briefcase, and probably wouldn’t be difficult to find. One trip in a single van would probably yield more than enough to electrify every building. Getting a van and a few cans of gas to drive to the shore was a lot easier back then. When he’d asked for one on the way to the Warehouse earlier that day, however, he’d been laughed at by Carly. “Take a number,” she�
��d said. “Or don’t even bother. It’s up to The Committee and they’re pretty stingy lately.” That road trip wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.

  Ironically, as he thought about this he was watching helplessly as one the few vans in the camp rolled slowly past the Warehouse while he waited for Vi and Dwayne to bring the rest of the equipment they’d need. What are they doing that’s so important, he asked himself with bitterness. What could be more important than electricity? If only he’d been able to talk the stuffed shirts on The Committee into giving him what he needed.

  But they had everything they needed for their experiment, he’d reminded himself quickly. And when they were successful, as he knew they would be, their project would shoot up the priority list and they’d get their van. He was sure of it. When people saw the lights go back on, they’d understand. They’d be mesmerized. The Committee would rush to hand them the keys to as many vans as they asked for and would wish them luck. That’s all that was needed to finish. He was confident they could scrounge up the rest of the equipment they’d need along the way. And then there’d be lights and power at Tabernacle.

  ~~~

  “Who’s that hairy ginger?” Dex Bailey asked Linda as they drove past the Warehouse. “He always looks like he’s about to off himself.”

  “They call him Ant,” Linda said. “He keeps to himself, but he’s all right.”

  “I wasn’t saying he isn’t,” Dex answered. “But what does he do around here? I never see him working on a crew.”

  “I heard he’s working on solar panels or something,” Con Bailey said from the back of the van, where he was sorting through the supply of guns and ammo they’d been given for their mission. The pile of homemade spears near the back door was a lot bigger than then one containing guns and ammo. “I watched them doing it, as a matter of fact. It was just him and that shaggy girl that hangs around with him. They’re always hooking up wires that run into their little building over by the Crop Fields.”

  Linda laughed. “That’s his girlfriend. Vi. They’re working on making electricity. What’s so bad about that?” She smacked Dex on the shoulder. “If it works, you guys can get your beard trimmers out and look like the Bee Gees again.”

  “Yeah,” Dex answered. “We’ll have a whole camp full of Bee Gees if that happens.”

  “So are we going straight to Atlantic City?” Con asked. “What’s the plan?”

  “I don’t have a plan,” Linda answered. “I was hoping you did.”

  “Nope, not us,” Dex said. “We’re just along for the ride, hoping we can get into a fight. They told us you’re in charge. You know—Lockworthians need not apply.”

  “I thought we’d go back to that bridge into the city,” Linda told them as she accelerated along the dirt road under the archway at the entrance to the camp, where the guards stepped aside and waved them through. “But we’re not supposed to get into any fights, okay? We’ll scope it out and decide what to do next. Matt’s in there. I’m sure of it. And somehow, we have to get him out.”

  “What about Nick?” Con asked. “And the dude that tagged along with him? Don’t you think they went down, there, too? I mean, Nick was pretty tight with the water guy. What if we run into them?”

  “What about it?” Carlo asked, speaking for the first time since boarding the van. He was the fourth member of the expedition, and the other three had been surprised when he showed up just before they departed. That explained some of the weapons Con hadn’t recognized from the mini-armory he’d found in the back. Apparently The Committee thought John Markle could run things for the Sec Forces, Linda had surmised.

  “He’s not part of this,” Carlo said firmly. “I mean, I like the guy. I like him a lot. But he’s got nothing to do with it. We’re going for Matt and his family, and that’s all. They told me that even if I found Nick and Dewey, they’re not welcome here anymore. That’s all we need to know.”

  “It’s not gonna’ matter,” Dex said. “Wherever they went, we won’t see them. They’re gone forever, one way or another.”

  Twenty-two

  “Sorry about your partner,” Squid said to Levan after the introductions were over and the entire group had moved into the green space in the median between the lanes of the Black Horse Pike. “I went into attack mode when he started firing at us. Once I’m there, I don’t dial it down. It’s what I do. But I’m sorry he’s gone, if he was your friend.”

  “He wasn’t my friend,” Levan answered. “Not even close. I’m glad to see him go down. I hope his buddies end up the same way.”

  “Okay, now I’m confused,” Squid said. “I don’t even know where to start. Were you not traveling in the same vehicle with the man?”

  Levan spent the next fifteen minutes explaining where he lived and what it was like living there. Squid took it all in calmly, but Nick and Dewey were far more fascinated with what they were hearing. Nick peppered Levan with questions every time he paused to take a breath. By the time the story was told, It was obvious that the mysterious expert brought in to solve the problems in Levan’s Water Factory was none other than Matt Shardlake himself, and none of Levan’s answers to the questions this prompted convinced him otherwise. Now the kidnappings made a lot more sense.

  “It’s, like, amazing that we ran into you,” Dewey told Levan.

  “If you say so,” Levan answered.

  “Maybe it’s not that amazing,” Nick said. “I mean, we knew we wanted to check out Atlantic City because that’s where Dex and Linda followed the van to.”

  “Yeah,” Dewey agreed. “And I think this might be the exact van they stole.”

  “Yup. I think it’s one of ours,” Nick said. “I’m glad we didn’t burn it up, after all,” he added after surveying its charred side door. “That’s a break.”

  “Who else is living in Atlantic City?” Squid asked. “I might have somebody in there, too.”

  “All I know is that most of ‘em aren’t from Atlantic City,” Levan said. “Like that guy,” he said, pointing at Chappy’s remains. “I think he’s from Philly. A lot of the dudes in charge are.”

  “I’d like to go in and look around,” Squid said. “Talk to some of the people in there.”

  Levan shook his head. “They’re not gonna’ go for that,” he warned. “Especially now that you killed Chappy. Not that he didn’t deserve it. They all do. But as soon as I go back without him, if it comes to that, they’ll have their guard up. In fact, they might figure I did it and kill me on the spot.”

  “We don’t have to tell anybody how he died,” Lou pointed out. “I mean, at least we don’t have to tell them that we did it ourselves. Maybe you could say he threw you out of the van and took off.”

  “I won’t tell ‘em what really happened, but it ain’t even that,” Levan said. “It’s not, like, a free, happy place, if you know what I mean. More like Russia or something. Everybody’s afraid of the leaders. And the leaders don’t want to see a lot of new faces walking around. They’ll get nervous if they see you.”

  “Let’s say we were planning on doing it anyway,” Squid said. “How do we do it? Just get back in our truck and roll up to the barricades? What would happen if we did that?”

  I don’t think it’ll go too good if you try to drive in,” Levan predicted. “You wouldn’t get past the guards on the bridges. They won’t let you pass without a fight, and there ain’t enough of you to overpower them.”

  “So wait, let’s get back to Matt,” Nick said.

  “I don’t remember his name, if they told me,” Levan said. “That was right after my brother got killed. I wasn’t thinkin’ straight.”

  “Let’s just call him Matt for the time being,” Nick suggested. “Whatever this guy’s name is, the guy who came to your factory, do you know if his whole family’s here?” Nick asked.

  “I don’t remember anything about that,” Levan replied. “Could be.”

  “Where are they being held?” Nick asked. “How can we get them out?”

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p; “How should I know?” Levan snapped. “Wait, they’re in the Tropicana Hotel. That’s it.”

  “Can you get in there to see him?” Nick asked.

  “I don’t even know if I’m going back in the first place,” Levan said. “They killed my brother, so I got nobody there anymore. And my babysitter over there just got burned up, thanks to you all. That gives me a little breathing space.”

  “Who killed your brother?” Squid asked. “What’s that about?”

  “The people that run the place,” Levan said. He pointed at the blackened, smoking corpse just a few yards away. "His buddies.”

  “If you left, where would you go?” Nick asked. “Trust me, it’s not better out in the wild these days. That’s a good way to end up dead. At least you’ll eat regular if you go back.”

  “Just get off my back, okay?” Levan said. “You don’t know me. What do you care, anyway?”

  “Okay, man,” Nick said. “I’ll back off. You’re right. It’s none of my business. But I hope you can help us get Matt out, even if it’s no more than telling us where to find him. That’s why me and Dewey came down this way.”

  “So we can’t get in across the bridges,” Squid said, getting the conversation back on the track he preferred. “I’ll accept that. What else can we try?”

  Levan shrugged. “You could come in across the bay if you could find a boat. It’s not very wide. Not very deep, either.”

  “How big a boat would we need?” Squid asked.

  “Just a canoe or a rowboat,” Levan answered. “Nothing special.”

  “Ah, okay,” Squid said. “Little ones. Where would we cross?” Squid asked.

  “You’re more into this than we are,” Nick marveled at his new friend.

  “I’ve got my reasons,” Squid said. “So what’s the best place to cross?” he asked Levan again. “How well is the coastline guarded? I mean once we move away from the bridges?”