Dystopia Chapter 18: The Swap

We were slowly toasting in the sun while we waited, sweat running into eyes, down our backs, the air stifling, the sun relentless. The two groups were now arriving at the same time. One from the north, the other from the west, each group wary. If there had been a misstep, I feared the whole gathering would have erupted into chaos.

With a nod, “My name is Luke, the… quasi-leader of this small group currently hiding east of here, give or take a mile. I must admit, surprised you actually showed up.”

“I’m Jesse, and this is Addison, Cord, Brett, Joshua, and Frank. Likewise. Though your party has grown since yesterday… should we be concerned?”

“Always, you know the phrase, trust no one. My mantra, and to be clear, I’ll not trust you. But pretty sure you can count and since you returned, as stated, hoping you will consider an arrangement. So, time is short. After the last encounter with what now is a common foe seeking revenge, need to move this along. Here are three options. We all walk away, we agree on an exchange, or this turns ugly.”

“Of course, so let’s hear what you’ve got in mind.”

“We have injured members who badly need medical care, perhaps a doctor, which are few. So we’re hoping you, as a larger, self-contained community, might have medical personnel. We have no medical staff, but we have a cache of medical supplies. So…, you take three injured needing care, and a trainable community member with several boxes of materials, address their needs, teach her, and return her upon which we will provide additional medical materials, capisce?”

“Medical supplies, such as?” Jesse asked.

“Medical supplies… bandages, splints, ointments, a first aid kit, stuff,” Luke responded, irritated.

“Okay, but you need to understand, I’m but a bottom feeder, a professional gopher, considered expendable. I had an unfortunate encounter with our highly qualified surgeon, who is no longer with us, which may have been my doing. So anyway, I’m a fan of no one, more of a marked man.”

“We agree with the plan.” Addison adds.

Surprised, turned and could see she was not in the mood to bicker.

Others shrugged their shoulders in agreement.

“Okay, let’s make the exchange, but no guarantee we can save the injured. We’ll do our best.”

“We expect them to return healed.”

Buggy pulled forward, patients transferred to our wagon, injured all in distress, hanging on to life, along with supplies.

Also, a woman. Introduced by Luke. Diana. She had red hair, dark brown eyes, a slender build, and a trusting, confident demeanor. She wore worn jeans, a t-shirt, and a white smock.

Transferred completed, the wagon moved out slowly, carefully. Luke, now moving near, watching the wagon pull away, leans in. “That’s my daughter, and if anything happens to her, anything, I will hold you personally responsible and promise to hunt you down, and you will pay,” a stark warning rendered.

“See that building, the easternmost end? I’ll hang something over the side. We can meet the next day. I would not recommend just dropping by unannounced,” I replied.

In that moment, I imagined my daughters, my wife, the night I left. Promising to return. Never to see them again.

I couldn’t protect my own.

I had stopped hunting for their attackers.

Moved with care up the pathway, Diana trailing at the rear of the wagon, holding tight, holding a broken umbrella, swaying side-to-side, trying to keep the sun off their faces. This trip seemed to take forever. Meanwhile, Frank, watching the pack retreat, had already fixed his attention on Diana.

Glancing towards the stable, I wasn’t expecting a warm welcome.

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