When We Shed Civilization

Chapter 4

"He's got a gun," Rock said.

"I see it." Leo had expected that.

"Being a gater, he might even have ammo."

"That's likely."

Most of the bullets in the city had been spent in the riots and wars over the decades after the age of tech, and much of the remaining ammunition had gone stale. Leo knew of no one who was able to manufacture new shots. But the Gaters still had working ammo—at least they had had it one year ago when they had shot his wife.

Leo approached the side of the car where the gunman sat, stopping an arm's length from the closed window, watching the man's every move.

"Hey, you've got a problem." He bellowed the words, hoping they'd carry through the glass and into the vehicle. "But if you follow orders, we won't hurt you."

The man operated a control on his door. With a hum, the window slid down, a mere finger's width, revealing a small gap at its top.

"What do you want?" The muffled voice carried venom.

"You give me that gun there." Leo gestured at the weapon. "Then you'll get out, one by one. We take you to a safe place. And then we'll return you to your people. If they pay us for our trouble, that is." He didn't want to frighten them, or they'd never leave that car.

"And if we don't come out?"

"You can't stay in your car forever."

"Wait." The man closed the window, turned to his companions, and said something. His words were too low for Leo to hear.

The passengers started discussing and gesticulating. Leo tried to read the gestures. The young man still glowered at Leo, his dark eyes mere slits. Apart from the eyes, everything seemed pale about him. His untamed hair had the color of straw and his skin the hue of bleached wood.

The girl glanced at Leo once, but when he looked back at her, she turned her gaze away.

"Need help to open this tin can?"

The words almost made Leo jump.

Spike had approached silently, and he now hefted his axe as if ready to smash the windshield.

Biting back a rebuke for approaching without being told to, Leo shook his head. "We're still talking." With that, he knocked on the glass.

The bearded man turned his face to him and lowered the window to open the same small gap as before. "What is it?"

"You've made up your mind?" Leo asked.

"We need some more time." The man's voice was calm now, the venom from before almost gone. "This ain't easy on the kids." With that, he closed the window again and turned to his friends.

"Not great talkers," Spike said.

The unease in Leo's stomach grew stronger. "There's something wrong here," he said. "I think they're playing for time. Maybe, they've been able to call for help. And now they're trying to make us wait until their folks arrive."

"Nasty, nasty." Spike spat. His saliva was dark from herb as it smacked against the car's windshield.

For a moment, all three passengers looked at the glob, eyes wide open.

"Now that caught their attention," Spike said. "Put the fear of God into them."

But seconds later, the captives resumed their discussion.

Leo scanned the horizon, expecting to see the Gaters' flying machine there, heading towards them. But the sky was serene and undisturbed. "Spike, give them a little tap with your axe."

Spike swung his tool, and its head hit the windshield. The vehicle shook, and a small nick of silvery grains marked the place of impact.

The bearded man opened the window's slit once more. "Dammit, I'm trying to convince them to surrender. You're scaring the living crap out of them, and that's not helpful."

"One more minute." Leo held up a finger. "Not more."

The window closed again.

In a whisper, Spike started counting. "One, two, three..."

The people in the van continued talking. At least the two men did. The woman was sat back in her seat, her gaze on her lap. The pale youth kept throwing angry glances at Leo. He didn't look like considering surrender, more like scheming and planning.

The seconds trickled by, slow as snails.

And Leo didn't expect these three to leave their car without a fight.