Rebuilding the Union Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Jeremiah was wondering how he should handle the scavangers and bandits. After nearly a day the scavenger who was trapped earlier was near death. Hours of torture and not being fed has made sure of that. Jeremiah pulled the scavenger’s finger nails to get the information he needed. Turns out the scavangers old camp always been set near Romo borders but after the bombings they moved out to the north along with the bandits who protected them. Seems the Romo station was in charge of the district and they weren’t to keen on having a camp of bandits and scavangers near by. The scavengers were a small band no more then twenty eight scavengers who are always on the hunt and ten sellers. The scavangers hunt down mainly electronics to pass to sellers for a cut of the profits.The sellers then go and sell the wears in different camps or bandit tribes with a large escort of bandits. Any guns or weapons are took by the bandits along with any women who were sold off to slave traders who just appear every few weeks.

Armed with some weapons the scavanger stashed away hoping to sell it to another tribe of bandits the camp felt more secure so the survivors who were off hiding came back after the men got the ok from Jeremiah. Even though most of the weapons were old the scrap metal also found in the stash were used to fix them. April was just fixing the last of the guns when Jeremiah came in to the apartment they lived in together with Gruff and Terrie. April was glad she could take her mind off the troubles of the camp and the world around it. Mostly April was glad to get her mind off Max her little brother. Max was just sent to his evaluation training a month before the bombings. She knew were he was too in the Chicago Academy of Citizens. A highly ranking evaluation center but more importantly it in the heartland of the union where from some of the air waves she got on her small radio seemed to indicate was the only part of the North American Union that wasn’t heavily bombed. Just as she finished with the last gun she noticed her dad was on her mat checking out the last bunch of guns. “Didn’t hear you come in daddy what’s up?” April said in her cheerfull way although she looked physically exhausted. Jeremiah was checking the gun out it was a small semi-automatic hand pistol a 9mm just as most of the guns found were. “Nothing just checking in on you and your mother.” Jeremiah said. “Oh moms back thought she was going to stay and chat with Mary to keep watch” April sounded a little tired. “That was yesterday sweetie. You haven’t gotten much rest huh?” Jeremiah said in a kind voice. “Not really I been trying to use the scrap to fix these guns and I was hoping I could use the rest to fix the radio better even with both Mary and Gruff plus my radio we can’t seem to get very much.” April said.

“Yeah I know and of course you can use the rest however you want April just let us know before you fire up the radio so we can keep an eye out for any Sunkin aircraft that happen to fly by.”said Jeremiah. April shook her head yes and put down the pistol she just finished down slowly. “Daddy how come you haven’t talked about Max?” Jeremiah look hurt.” I think about him everyday but we can’t do nothing for him he is in safe hand deep in the Midlands and we gotten some news that said the Midlands is the safest place in the union.” Jeremiah did think about his one and only son everyday. Truthfully he worries about him more then he does for anyone in the camp. April has Gruff to look over her and Gruff would never put his little girl in harm’s way. Terrie was still optimistic as ever that the rebuilders corps. would be here any day and stayed with Mary in the watch tower to keep a eye out for them. Mary and Terrie built a nice bond over the past weeks.

Jeremiah didn’t have anyone to confine in and he liked it that way he was never good at expressing his own feelings. Signing on with the Union Armed Forces straight out of evaluation he never had to confront his feelings. He was always taking orders and following them or making them himself. Feelings got in the way of the objective he told himself but when it comes to Max he can’t help but feel sad and worried over his only son being alone in a Evaluation academy having to wonder if his parents where even still alive.

Jeremiah own thoughts were interrupted when Gruff entered the room. “We got more survivors coming in on the west Jeremiah.” Gruff said with a concerned look on his face. Jeremiah knew it was only a matter of time before more survivors came by, but he couldn’t stop the idea of them being the scavangers looking for the camp. “Ok prepare the men in the camp I’ll lead a small team to scout up the survivors to see if there on the level.” Jeremiah grabbed a few extra clips and with a small team including Winston and a young man named Bobby they headed off to see what the survivors wanted. It didn’t take long for the group to find the survivors they were a large group of survivors up to twenty people. Mostly women and young teens the few men who were with them carried rifles and seemed to be well off for just coming out of the Wilds. Two men took point while the women and children were in the middle with three men at the rear classic guard position.

“They look hungry and scared.” Noted Winston who was with Jeremiah in a building right across from the survivors. “Hungry and scared is a dangerous combination.” Jeremiah replied. Bobby who was the youngest of the group noticed all the teens and even seemed like he knew a few of them from a social site back when he could surf the web. “I know some of them kids there from Churvanto a small assembly plant not to far from here to the north.” Jeremiah figured he should make his presence known but ordered the other guys to stay back and cover him incase things go wrong.

Once making it around the building and not to far from the survivors Jeremiah yelled out. “Hey there!” The group was surprised but didn’t immediately attack. With two semi-automatic rifles aimed at his face Jeremiah didn’t feel to safe. “Hey yourself who are you stranger? What you want from us?” said a large man who Jeremiah guessed was the leader of the group. “Names Jeremiah Steel who are you people?” Jeremiah hoped they would stay friendly and not shoot at him but felt more at ease once he saw Bobby and Winston flanked the group on top of the buildings. “My name is Christopher you can call me Chris.” said the large man to Jeremiah. “Well always glad to meet new people you in need of any help?” Jeremiah asked. “Were just passing threw the city no thanks.” Chris said in a clear tone obviously they didn’t want a fight but they weren’t going to roll over either. “That’s fine just fine if you have any injured I be happy to help or if you want how about we put the guns down and eat some?” The group seemed to get more lively when the food was mentioned. “You have food to spare?” asked a young woman who was hushed up by her mother. “Yeah I have food to spare it’s yours if you want it.” Jeremiah said in a kind tone. “What you want for this food?” Chris asked suspiciously. “No one hands out food for free.” Jeremiah looked at Chris ” I don’t need anything just looks like you have some hungry mouths to feed I have some food in my pack freshly caught and cooked.” Chris kept his rifle aimed at Jeremiah as he fished out some jerky and wild berries. “Here take it there’s more back at the camp if you guys want.” Jeremiah tossed the bag to the group who passed it around. Some of young teens fought over the jerky until Chris pulled them apart. “That’s kind of you Mister but we on our way to Romo there in charge of the district and all the bandits and scavangers are fleeing the south to move up north.”

“We have regular meals and water better then a long walk in the Wilds we are safe in the camp we set up trust me it’s better then marching in the Wilds.” Jeremiah stated.