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“It became a time of winner take all. But you had to know what to look for in the first place.”
History of a Changed World, Angus T. Moss
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NICK FORCED HIMSELF to stop turning over the little information he had. He couldn’t do anything in the middle of the night. His mind kept circling until he forced himself to sleep. Daylight woke him. A night in a bed, with men to watch his back, had been a much appreciated luxury. He could smell food cooking and hear people moving around downstairs, but still he took his time getting out of his warm blankets.
Ted had breakfast started. Arms folded, Wisp stood by the sink. Nick had the feeling he’d interrupted an important conversation. “Everything okay?”
“All good,” Ted replied. He gave Nick a forced smile before turning back to his frying pan.
“Istvan and Everett went to check on the cattle,” Wisp reported. “I told them where I felt more animals. Might be cattle. Darrell had the last watch. He’s sleeping. Nixie went out. The factory people are still sleeping.”
Nick helped himself to the pot of tea on the table. To his surprise it was black tea. “Where did this come from?”
“I found it in your gear,” Ted said with a look of chagrin. “I thought it was okay to use.”
Nick had dumped all of the food he’d taken from the other vans into the kitchen to be sorted and repacked. “I didn’t have time to look through it yesterday.”
Wisp picked up a small box, opening it to show Nick the contents. “Sugar packets, too.”
“Quite the treasure trove,” Nick mumbled.
“Where does it come from?” Ted asked. He collected plates from the drain board.
“It’s how they’re paid,” Nick said. “At least, that’s how the Ministry of Health paid the people at the vaccine lab. So I’m assuming that the food people and the train people do the same.”
Everett and Istvan came in the back door bringing cool air and a whiff of manure.
“How are the cows?” Nick asked.
Everett grinned. “Great. They mustn’t have been without food or water for very long.” He slapped Istvan on the back. “It’s great to see them out there. Amazing animals. I’m so glad there are still some of them around.”
“Did you find a cattle truck?” Nick asked.
Istvan shook his head. “I think it might be out at one of the ranches.”
“Won’t they come after it?” Ted asked. “Won’t they just keep doing what they did before? Taking whatever they want at gunpoint?”
“Can’t use that slaughterhouse,” Everett said with a grimace. “They’d have to power wash and disinfect every inch of it. It’s poison now.”
Nick sipped his tea, leaning against a dusty counter. “No more Stew-goo.”
“You’re sure?” Ted looked at him wide-eyed.
“It’s a domino effect. This slaughterhouse is contaminated, so they can’t process the cows into slabs of meat. No meat, no Stew-goo. No more work for the people in the processing plant.” He glanced up thinking about the people sleeping upstairs. “She said there was no one to care if they left. If the flu cut the number of guards low enough that the workers could eliminate them...”
“Or coerce,” Wisp suggested.
Nick agreed. “Like you said last night, with enough food and weapons, why would they leave?”
“So that means they won’t make any more,” Ted lamented. “And they won’t send out whatever they just made. They’ll keep it all for themselves. If that is the last Stew-goo factory, and Trey told us no one came for the grain he grows for the Crunch factory...train food is gone.” He blew out a shaky breath. “What will people do?”
Nick shook his head contemplating the repercussions, but Wisp summed up his thoughts.
“Beg, steal or starve.”