Revolt

• Carmen

“Hello strangers! Haven’t seen you guys around before!” Yelled the man, waving at them from behind a makeshift car barricade that created a half-circle around the gas station. Carmen saw that he was armed, standing guard at the only entrance.

The barricade also included a general store and a motel attached to the station, all forming what seemed to be a small, but thriving community. Carmen could see beyond the cars glimpses of people. Two men hunched in front of a bunch of car parts all splayed over tarps, talking to what seemed like a mechanic. She also saw a group of women hanging in front of the motel, and although she could not see their faces from this far away, she could still see that one of them was topless and another was fully nude.

This did not bother Carmen much, she would do the same if Ethan wanted to, but she saw that Ethan was bothered by it even if he hid his true feelings well. He truly was such a sweetheart, always so concerned for women everywhere! She and Anna had been truly lucky to be claimed by him.

Carmen idly wondered that if only more women were under Ethan’s control, they too could share their luck, and their joy… But then again. If Ethan went around claiming women, then he wouldn’t be the kind man they adored and submitted to so deeply. An amusing irony she thought, and then dismissed quickly. This fancy thinking did them all no good, what was important was helping Ethan right now!

And she did this by moving forward and placing herself between Ethan and the man, as a simple precaution. “Let me protect you, master,” she told him, not a hint of hesitation in using herself as a shield.

Ethan freezed slightly, but then nodded. “Good thinking… Slut.”

Carmen felt a thrill when he praised her, and in such a dominating way. She couldn’t help smiling, even as she used her body as a shield.

But the other man did not point the gun at them, instead only raising a head. “Easy there! So long as you don’t cause trouble we won’t go shooting at you! This here’s the main trading market of Ridgesburg!”

“So we can come in?” Asked Ethan from behind Carmen. “Without getting shot at?”

The other man sighed. “Don’t know where you’re coming from, but we don’t do that here! Why would we shoot people coming in to trade? That wouldn’t be good business, would it? Come on in!”

They approached the entrance and Carmen saw the guard give both her and Nadia an appraising look, before turning and speaking to Ethan in the practiced tone of someone who had said this many times before.

“A couple simple rules: First, no attacking anybody. No pulling out guns, no punching, no stealing. Basically, don’t cause trouble. You can carry your gun with you but keep it holstered.” He pointed at Ethan and his gun, to which Ethan warily complied. “Good. Second rule: no whoring your girls while inside our place. We got our own, this ain’t a free-for-all. If you want to offer some kind of service in our market you can talk to the boss, Marcus. He’s inside. But we got a mechanic and all the women we need right now. Third: you’re responsible for your women. Don’t want to hear no ‘she did it without me knowing!’ bullshit. If your women fuck up, it’s on you.” The man cleared his throat. “There. Three simple rules. You get all that?”

Ethan nodded. “I got some fruit I can trade. You guys taking that?”

The guard laughed. “Of course! Food is always welcome, friendo!”

And so they walked past the barrier, and into the market.

There were goods piled in separate areas on the outside, under makeshift stalls out of tarps and improvised carpentry. One for clothing and fabric, and Carmen noticed a lot more female dresses and clothes there and male ones, another for car parts and pieces, yet another for tools and utensils. Carmen noticed however, that all the food was inside the general store. One of its windows was broken, and inside she could see piles of corn and boxes of soup cans, all under careful watch of another guard that stood by the open entrance. The food was the most well-protected part of the market, Carmen noticed, and wondered if food wasn’t even more valuable than they all thought.

Ethan wandered a bit around the market, making a show of looking at the wares while eavesdropping on the conversations people had, men haggling with the mechanic for the cost of helping them with their car, which was apparently broken down half a mile away from Ridgesburg. The mechanic steadfastly refused to follow them back and help them. “I wasn’t born yesterday,” he repeated, much to the pair’s frustration.

“You can bring your women with you! They can keep you safe, right?” Insisted one of the men, gesturing at the women standing by the motel.

“They’re not mine,” answered the mechanic drily. “I ain’t got no girls, all I got is my skills, and that means I’m staying right over here, nice and safe. But if you pay me extra I can tell you how to change the battery yourselves.”

The other man cursed, then resumed his haggling.

“Hey, handsome!” One of the women gestured at Ethan to come closer before mashing her tits together. “Want me to teach your girls a thing or two? Even if you got your girls doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a new flavor, huh?” The woman flashed a lustful smile at them.

“We can please him plenty,” replied Carmen, a flash of protectiveness in her heart. But she glanced quickly at Ethan to confirm if this is what he wanted. She knew that she would drop to her knees and learn all she could from the whore, if that was Ethan’s command… But no. He was frowning, hesitant.

The whore just shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

The group watched as another man approached the prostitutes. He was young, but strong and tanned, unkept and unshaven as he looked at one of the women in particular with a longing glance. That woman, the same one that had just shaken her tits at them, offered him a polite smile.

“Hey Darla,” the man spoke, tentatively, pain evident in his face.

“You know my price, Luke,” she replied with a playful shrug. “If you want to chat… Or do anything else, you have to pay.”

“I don’t…” The man, Luke, swallowed and hung his head. “I don’t have enough now. But… If you can accept these clothes as payment? They’re YOUR clothes, Darla! Please…?”

She shook her head, still smiling politely, clearly unconcerned for how much he was suffering. “Marcus said I should show off my tits, since they’re my best asset! And you know that’s not the price, silly.”

The man stood in place, bouncing on his feet while glaring at the ground, as if it was the one responsible for hurting him. But another voice from the courtyard made them all look away.

“Luke! What the fuck have I told you about moping around near my girls?”

The one shouting this, as he strode towards Lucas, was an older man in his forties or fifties with a big moustache and five o’clock shadow. He was wearing a fancy-looking coat and a cowboy hat, but their colors were mismatched and the coat was too big, giving him a faintly ridiculous appearance, which clashed with the clear authority everyone else showed around him. “So do you have the payment or not?” He asked Lucas. “A pound of food and you can have your girl for an hour. Or another girl for all I care.”

Luke raised his eyes, and if looks could kill the other man would be dead where he stood. “She’s still my girlfriend, Marcus.”

“Not anymore she’s not,” replied Marcus. And from a distance Ethan saw one of the guards slowly approach their way, calmly holding his weapon “I claimed her, fair and square. Now either you pay, buy some of my wares or leave! Now! Don’t want your ass scaring away any more clients!”

“I told him that, but he wouldn’t listen!” Protested Darla, biting her lip as she looked at Marcus. “I’m working hard like you asked, baby.” Carmen recognized in her the desire to please her man. And Carmen subtly glanced again at Ethan, but he seemed upset. He was hiding it, but she could feel it. Maybe she could help the man feel better? She would even offer her own body, if she thought it Ethan wanted it, but no… He was too sweet to do that.

Which meant Ethan stewed in his frustration, much like the other man. Which frustrated Carmen as well, by proxy.

Luke blinked, glancing at his former girl as his body trembled with impotent anger. “I… I have these clothes that belonged to you…”

Marcus glanced at the bagful of clothes and scoffed. “Not enough. You won’t get more than a potato for that at my shop.”

The guard walked up behind Marcus but said nothing, ominously holding his weapon. Luke clutched the bagful of clothes tightly. “But… They’re hers! They fit her right, so…”

“Not enough!” Interrupted Marcus. Although he then smiled unpleasantly at the other man before adding, “although.. If you want to just give me the clothes I can promise to hand them over to your ex. Y’know, so long as they don’t cover her tits.”

Darla grinned and mashed her tits together again, looking to Marcus for approval.

“We’ve all been working hard, of course,” said another woman, the one completely naked. From up close they saw that she was older than the other women, and if the morning cold bothered her she did not show it, her freshly-shaven snatch proudly on display for all.

Carmen idly wondered if Ethan would like that. Shaving supplies were a bit hard to find, but… She was sure they could trade for something they could use.

“I got the most clients though!” Said the third woman proudly, the most conventionally attractive of them all. She was fully clothed, although her dress still showed off her curves, and her trim, narrow waist. “So do I get rewarded later, baby? Hmm?” She pouted at her master, eager and lustful.

Marcus laughed, his eyes twinkling as he regarded the three women, his women. “Easy girls… Not during work.” But he clearly didn’t mean what he said as the three women fawned and sighed at him, eager for even a crumb of his attention while Luke stood to the side, watching sadly while clinging to his meagre bag of clothes, all but forgotten. He looked like he was about to cry.

Carmen was so happy Ethan had them to keep him company. She couldn’t bear the thought that he could have become like that young man, if things were different.

But Ethan approached the lonely Luke with a friendly smile. “What are these clothes you have?” He asked. Lucas jumped, startled, as if first noticing their group. “Depending on how they look, I might be willing to trade for some food for them. Maybe enough for your… Needs?” Ethan gestured at Darla, who smiled eagerly in return. Although her smile was not quite as smitten as the one she gave Marcus. To her, pleasing her clients was just pleasing her master by proxy.

Marcus glanced at Ethan and his girls with open curiosity but then shrugged. “If you can get enough food to pay for some time with her, that’s fine by me. But no hanging around anymore! Got it?”

“Let’s do our trade somewhere else then,” said Ethan without missing a beat, pointing to a different corner of the market. Luke eagerly nodded, following Ethan and the girls while pleading with his eyes, still hopefully clinging to his sad bag of clothes.

When Ethan clarified, in a low voice, he wanted information rather than clothes Luke was confused at first.

“You want to know about the farms around here?” He asked. “Why?”

“Want to know if there’s a good place for me to work at. Well, me and my women,” said Ethan, an easy smile as he hunched next to the barricade. “Know any good places around here?”

Lukas looked at Nadia and Carmen with a mixture of pain and jealousy. Carmen could feel him staring at their bodies. Would it help milking some information from him if they teased him a little? Regardless, Carmen idly crossed her arms in a way that pushed her breasts together. Enticing, but with plausible deniability, and saw him swallow nervously.

“You got two claimed women with you so… Yeah, any farm’s gonna take you,” said Luke. “The most valuable currencies right now are food and women. And farms have lots of one and not enough of the other right now. Although that’s changing too.”

“Is that so?” Asked Ethan.

The other man nodded. “Guys joining in with lots of girls in two. This one guy joined our farm, I’m working under Gunther now, and he had seven women under him. Seven!” Luke made a disgusted noise. “Seven! Can you believe that? Raided a dorm in the city or something… That guy is now the second in command despite barely arriving a week ago! Guess if you got girls you’re set for life!” He added, a bitter tone to his voice. Then he looked at Ethan, with Carmen and Nadia behind him, and seemed to remember who he was talking to you. “Uhh, not that there’s anything wrong with that. Fuck, I’m glad you got your girls, man. The blonde is pretty hot! I’m just jealous, you know? Ha ha…” He laughed without any mirth.

Ethan just nodded. “She is,” he said, and Carmen noticed Nadia subtly smiling and placing a hand on his back. She enjoyed being a status symbol for him. Carmen didn’t take it personally. She wished she could be young and beautiful for Ethan, but realistically that wasn’t going to happen. Carmen was better off focusing instead on what she could do.

“And what are we girls doing in the farms?” She asked, and glanced quickly at Darla and the other women at the motel. “Serving the men?”

Luke’s expression grew dark. “Yeah… But there’s more to it than that. Claimed women also work hard as hell, they’re completely loyal and if their master is threatened they’re real scary in a fight! Saw that first-hand…” He looked down at the ground. “What can I say? Every farmer, landlord and gang likes having claimed women working for them. And they attract the men too, see? Like the guards around here.” He gestured at the men with weapons strategically placed around the market. “Guarantee they’re all getting paid in pussy as well as food. Hard thing to say no to.”

“So that’s what the other farms are using as… Payment?” Asked Ethan.

Luke shrugged. “Pretty much what there is. Heard the Hoffmans are also dealing in some ****, so they got their own ways… And heard the Hughes farm is a free women haven… Maybe I should defect there, if only so I don’t have to see any more claimed women.” Luke sighed. “Although… I’ve also heard they don’t even have permission to go out. So, out of the frying pan and into the fire maybe.”

Ethan blinked, but otherwise showed no reaction. “So this… Hughes farm. They have free women roaming around? Unclaimed?”

Luke grinned at him. “Know what you’re thinking. But we got the boss call a few days ago not to mess with them. Heard they got some good defenses or an agreement with another big group. Dunno,” he shrugged. “But Gunther said he’ll crack them soon enough. Said he had a plan.”

Carmen felt Ethan’s body stiffen slightly, even as his expression remained calm. “Oh really? So he thinks he can take them on?” He asked, almost a bored tone to his voice.

“I dunno,” said Luke. “He doesn’t tell me much. To be honest? I don’t recommend working for Gunther. I stayed because he agreed to give me some extra food instead of girls, so I could come visit my… Visit Darla.” He pursed his lips, looking upset. “But he’s also kind of a dick and a shitty boss. Yells at us all the time if we don’t do things his way and some of the other guys are getting mad at him. I can tell. Whole thing is a powder keg. And the girls…”

It looked like he was about to say something, but then stopped himself. Ethan kept the same, neutral expression but he took a from his bag and played with it, drawing the other young man’s attention.

“What about the girls?” Asked Ethan.

“Why are you so curious about my farm?” Asked Luke, showing suspicion for the first time.

Ethan shrugged, as if the question did not bother him. “Want to know if this farm of yours is a good place I can work at. Although to me it’s sounding more and more like a bad deal, huh?”

Luke nodded and grumbled, “you can say that again.” He then sighed and glanced at Darla and the other women. And right before his eyes he saw a grubby old man approach them and stiffened. The man offered what seemed like a single can… To the naked woman, and she graciously accepted, beckoning him inside. Luke relaxed as he saw his girl was not the one taken.

“You know…” Said Luke, and he suddenly sounded tired. Exhausted even. “Darla. She told me that she was the one that helped Marcus get the other girls. Managed to get him three more women for his harem.”

There was an awful moment of silence. Ethan shrugged, trying to keep cool. “That’s rough,” he said.

“Lilly, the one with the dress… She was Darla’s friend,” he said, looking at them as Darla and Lilly tried luring another client. “And Megan was Lilly’s aunt. The one that just went inside to service the hobo. They… Darla was the sweetest girl you could ever ask for. She was the one that stood by me when things got tough before… And yet…” And Luke made a face, as if he’d swallowed something bitter. “And yet, she helped Marcus enslave her friends, including another woman I don’t know, apparently a barely-legal girl that Marcus keeps only for himself. She told me that herself, seemed proud of what she did even! It’s… It’s fucked up, isn’t it? You can’t tell me this isn’t fucked up…”

“Yeah, I can see that,” said Ethan with another shrug. He was trying so hard to keep calm, to not show too much empathy… Carmen was proud of him! She made a mental note to tell him later what a good job he had done in his acting.

“These girls… Claiming does something to them. Twists them. Makes them cruel, completely heartless!” Said Luke, bitter anger burning behind his eyes. “And the men too, the ones who claim them? It twists them too. Marcus wasn’t such a piece of shit before. Didn’t know him too well, but always said hello when I refilled my gas, and he greeted me back. Always polite. He always seemed so… Normal? Before, at least. Now he’s a mixture of pimp and the kind of asshole that wouldn’t sell mouldy bread to a starving child for less than the asking price! Fuck… And it’s always the guys with the most girls that are the assholes. You realize that? The more girls they get, the more of a self-centered prick they turn out to be!”

Carmen felt a surge of anger as she heard his words. “That’s rich, coming from someone asking for our help,” she muttered. “If you think we’re evil why are you talking to us?”

Nadia also disapproved, even if she was calmer about it. “Typical sour grapes. I’m sure you would feel different if you had claimed your wife, instead of that other man.”

Ethan said nothing, but his mask slipped for a moment. He was hurt. Oh shoot, the man’s words had affected him! Carmen was quick to give his arm a gentle hug. “You’re a wonderful man, sweetie. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Luke, wide-eyed, seemed to realize his tactical mistake. “I - uh, fuck - I’m sorry man!” He stammered. “I’m just jealous of the guys with lots of girls! That’s all. Don’t take it personally. And besides you only have two women! That’s not crazy, nothing like three or four! Not that that’s wrong either, Uhh... I mean…”

Ethan quietly opened his pack and took out the rest of the apples, about half a dozen, all packed in a frail brown paper bag, and placed them in front of the other man. “I don’t think I’ll be working at your farm after all. But thanks for the info.” He said and tapped the bag while asking, “is there any other farm you can suggest as being safe for me?”

“I, uh… I only heard rumors, but…” He spoke, not taking his eyes off the bag. “”Well… The Wenders seem alright? And I heard there’s a farm further up the highway that has some nice people, the Andersen farm. I don’t think they’re hiring but you can always ask… And, uhh… The Hughes are alright too, I heard? But not sure if they’ll take you in, since you got claimed girls.”

Ethan nodded, and then gave the bagful of apples a gentle push. “Hope this buys you the time with your girlfriend that you wanted.”

Luke grabbed the bag, warily as if ready for a trick of some kind, but after opening and finding the apples were not moldy or fake he smiled weakly, for the first time during their entire conversation. “Thanks man! That’s… Uhh, sorry about before! You’re one of the good ones! For sure!”

Ethan waved goodbye, already closing and putting the bag around his shoulder. They quickly parted ways and their group left the market soon afterwards. They were out of trade supplies now and it was better not to draw too much attention. But as they walked back, Carmen felt in their silence that Ethan was worried.

“Don’t pay too much attention to that man’s words,” said Nadia softly. “He was traumatized by what happened to him. That’s all.”

Carmen agreed before kissing him in the cheek. “You’re the best man I could hope to claim me and my daughter.”

“Thanks,” he replied, but his frown did not leave his face.

“Ethan?” Nadia placed a hand on his shoulder. “The thing that man said about all all claimed women being evil… Don’t tell the rest of the council that? Or at least not without qualifying that the man’s situation made him bitter and his words are unreliable?”

“Don’t want to lie,” said Ethan, looking uncomfortable.

“It’s not a lie, Ethan,” said Nadia. “And you don’t get anything out of presenting yourself in the worst possible light. Which you tend to do a lot, especially when you feel guilty.”

Ethan blinked, looking at her. “Do I?” He asked.

“You do,” she affirmed, then moved her hand towards his cheek. They briefly stopped walking as she got his full attention. “Ethan? You haven’t done ANYTHING wrong. Not to any of us girls, nor to the others you helped bring to the farm. You SAVED all of them. So don’t feel bad because of what someone else said? Please?”

Ethan hesitated before nodding. And Carmen felt a swell in her chest as she noticed his frown melt away as Nadia talked. She had to give it to the blondie, she knew how to talk people up. She wanted nothing more than to hug Ethan tightly until all his worries passed… But Nadia’s methods seemed to work better. So she only hugged him and said, “let’s go back to the farm and tell Kaitlyn what you discovered. I’m sure she’ll be pleased with your work! You were amazing back there, getting the information, helping the young man while keeping cool! You did great, Ethan!”

And she hoped that, once night fell, her, her daughter and Nadia could help him feel even better, like usual. Maybe he would use her throat next... Or her daughter’s, maybe? He deserved a little stress relief, the poor man.

• Kaitlyn

She had been so deep in her thoughts, worrying about the future and thinking of how she would manage things, that she did not notice Ethan approach behind her, with Carmen and Nadia in tow.

“Hey,” he said, and winced as his words startled her. “Sorry. We’re back. Got some info.”

“Oh. That’s… Great! Great news!” She replied, giving him a small smile before glancing back towards the main house. There was a small group milling around in front of it now, people whispering among each other and glancing towards the house. There was a tense atmosphere in the air.

“What is going on?” Asked Ethan, glancing towards the house as well, but more confused than worried. She envied his cluelessness for a moment.

“Oliver’s wife,” she replied. “She’s very sick, apparently. He’s by her bedside now, and rumors are that… She’s dying.” Kaitlyn sighed, leaving out the part that Oliver had been completely absent for the morning, which had slowed down work at the farm. He had always been present every morning, supervising one thing or another, and without him things felt… Off. Many people now looked to her for what to do next, in his absence, which was an awful lot of pressure.

“Heard that they’ve run out of medicine for her,” said a man, gravitating towards them while lowering his voice. “They’re using animal medicine on her now, but it’s not working. Makes sense since we have a vet instead of a doctor, yeah?”

“I heard he’s stepping down now. Leaving that council in charge,” muttered someone else, a woman. She turned to Kaitlyn with a mix of curiosity and fear. “Is that true?”

‘Time to put these rumors to rest, at least for now,’ she thought. But aloud she instead yelled at the group standing outside to get everyone’s attention. “Alright everyone! I know things are uncertain right now, but we have got to get back to work! It’s still harvest season, and we can’t fall behind, right?”

“Is it true that Isadora is sick?” Asked Aziz, an old hand at the farm and familiar enough to know Oliver’s wife by name. Many others echoed his question.

“She’s sick and Oliver is with her, as well as Sam, our… Our doctor. That’s all I know,” said Kaitlyn with a shrug. “If I know anything else, I’ll let you know later, alright?”

“Are you leading us for now then?” Asked another worker she didn’t recognize. There were murmurs among the crowd, although she was glad to see the reaction to this comment being more split, with some angry at her and others coming to her defense. But this too needed to be stopped immediately.

“Sort of,” said Kaitlyn. “All I’m doing is trying to keep things moving while Oliver is busy. It’s still his farm.”

Another wave of murmurs. Then a familiar voice rose above the rest.

“Umm… I can’t speak for everyone, but the cooking team is a little late for lunch…” Interjected Jasmine, looking concerned. “So… Should we get back to it? Unless we want to go without dinner today.”

The prospect of going without a meal seemed to be the dealbreaker, and as the rest of the cooking staff walked away the rest of the workers begrudgingly did the same, away from the house and back to their places of work, in the cafeteria, the stables or the fields. Kaitlyn was secretly grateful for the support, and reminded herself to talk to Jasmine later. There was so much to do recently…

“Alright. Ethan? Did you learn anything important?”

Ethan hesitated. “Yes? I think,” he replied at last.

“Great! You can go and fetch Jacob while I check on Oliver. Oh, and Nadia? Carmen? You two can return to your duties! Then we’ll all meet in the office and you can tell us what you learned.” She told him, already moving towards the house. But her mind never stopped working and worrying. Such were the burdens of leadership, she supposed.

“So Gunther is apparently up to something, and there’s discontent in his farm?” Asked Kaitlyn, confirming Ethan’s story. The three of them were all gathered around the desk, listening intently. One chair was unoccupied, its absence casting a shadow over the meeting. Ethan seemed self-conscious as he carefully told them what he saw, while Jacob looked restless and irritable, constantly interrupting with short-tempered remarks.

“Yes. And they said the best farms to work at were the Wenders, the Andersons… And us. Although people also know about our free women policy, which… I guess, is attracting attention.” Explained Ethan.

“But you’re telling me people don’t want to join because of our reputation as a safe haven? That’s no good,” interjected Jacob. “No matter how you slice it, we can’t go at it alone.”

“You’re not proposing we claim all free women, are you?” Said Kaitlyn, a cold, menacing timbre to her voice. Even Jacob was taken aback, scratching his neck nervously.

“Never said that…” He muttered, looking away. “But if people think we only let in free women and we don’t accept anyone else we’ll be short on good farm workers compared to the others… And we also are not actually paying anyone or letting anyone out on their own. I mean… If people find out that our workers are getting a shit deal compared to everyone else people are gonna revolt- !”

“We’re not going to be able to offer claimed prostitutes like the other farms,” said Kaitlyn. “And as for letting people leave… Well, that has problems as well. What if Gunther targets our men when they’re outside… Or what if someone make a deal to betray us? Or even spills information to the wrong person, like the guy Ethan talked to?”

“That is not your fucking decision to make!” Hissed Jacob, in a sudden, angry outburst. “Our men have a right to go out on their own, and buy stuff if they want to! Treating them otherwise is just unfair! Already we’re behind because half of the people here never stepped on a farm before and now you want to screw us even further? Keeping us all here as fucking prisoners while your buddy gets to stroll outside to his heart’s content!”

Kaitlyn glared, surprised at this sudden outburst but Ethan was the one to raise his hand before muttering, “uhm… Sorry, Jacob, but… Is this about you running out of cigarettes?”

Jacob seemed at first surprised at this interruption, then upset and embarrassed. “I mean… There’s that, sure, but it’s about a whole lot more than that!”

“We can trade and get a few cigarettes, if you want Jacob,” said Kaitlyn, trying to be conciliatory. “You can ask us and we can negotiate with the next trader that passes by -”

“Don’t want anyone buying me a damn pack of cigs!” He interrupted again. “I want to buy my own damn smokes, if I want to. It’s not just about the cigarettes, girl! It’s about being independent!”

Kaitlyn frowned. “But you understand my concerns, right? About this being a liability?” She pursed her lips, but then sighed. “I guess… Maybe we could allow a couple of men some time off along with some extra food for trading? We could use it as reward for working hard and for staying loyal, maybe… Although that would be way too dangerous for the free women…”

“And it’s gonna piss off the ones who don’t get picked,” said Jacob, crossing his arms and sitting back.

Kaitlyn shot him a frustrated look. An uncomfortable silence followed. “You weren’t nearly this snippy in our previous meetings, Jacob. What’s the matter?” She asked him.

“The ‘matter’ here,” said Jacob, pointing his finger at her, “is that you’re trying to call all the shots and bossing people around when you haven’t even spent a whole month in this farm! And now that his wife is sick suddenly you want to go calling all the shots…”

“Oliver’s wife is very sick, and he’s with her,” said Kaitlyn quietly. “He told us to meet up and decide things without him, which is what I’m TRYING to do-”

“Listen, listen,” said Jacob, interrupting her as he leaned in. “The only reason most of us farm workers stayed here with Oliver? It’s because he’s a great dude who always treated us well, compared to the other farmers. We trusted him. But you? We don’t trust you. The city folk here would be lost without us farmers knowing what to do! So how in the hell do you end up calling the shots and deciding how our workers are treated?”

“Umm…” Ethan tapped the table nervously. “Maybe we should postpone the meeting until Oliver can join us?” He glanced nervously at Kaitlyn and then and Jacob. “Would that be better?”

Kaitlyn sighed. “We have to decide this stuff soon… But I can wait.”

“Fine by me. Shouldn’t have met without Oliver anyway,” said Jacob, not looking anyone else in the eye.

“Can we agree to at least up the patrols for the next few days?” She asked. “If Gunther’s up to something I don’t want us to be caught with our pants down.”

“I agree,” said Ethan.

Jacob shrugged.

“And as for the day to day stuff…” Kaitlyn glanced again at the empty seat at the table. She attempted to smile and throw an olive branch. “While Oliver is occupied, Jacob, are you ok with guiding people and telling them what to do? Since you’re more familiar with the day-to-day farm operation?”

“I’ve done it before,” said Jacob with another shrug.

Kaitlyn struggled hard not to reply with an angry retort. She had heard that Jacob had been more short-tempered lately, ever since he ran out of cigarettes, but this behavior was unbearable! It would pass, she told herself. But that did little to brighten her mood as they all left the office.

Later that night she once again came to the door to Isadora’s room and knocked gently. “Oliver?” She called.

After a moment she heard the door open and Oliver walked out. He looked worn, as if he’d aged ten years since yesterday. His eyes were red from crying. Kaitlyn caught a brief glimpse of a skinny woman lying in the bed, wearing an old-fashioned nightgown and long, brown hair. Then Oliver closed the door behind him, standing alone with her in the dimly-lit hallway.

“Hey, Oliver…” Kaitlyn winced when she saw his face. He was obviously dealing with a lot. “Just wanted to ask how she’s doing… And how are you doing?” She wanted to press him about running the farm, but something held her back.

“She’s dying,” he told her, unprompted. “She hasn’t got her medicine for a bit now and she’s getting worse and worse.” He was barely looking at her, and his voice was hoarse. “We’re… We’re saying our final goodbyes now. Before we give her a good dose of sleeping pills.”

Kaitlyn opened her mouth, but words failed her. It was a horrible thing to think of, and any consolation she might offer felt trite. “Oh no… That’s awful!” She managed.

“Supposed to be a… A peaceful way to go. We talked. She doesn’t want to go on… Lingering on and suffering… It’s…”

He looked down, losing his train of thought, as if paralyzed by grief. Kaitlyn had to look away from him, the raw grief he was experiencing felt infectious, it radiated from him.

“My condolences,” whispered Kaitlyn, mortified. “We… We’ll do our best to run the farm while you’re… Um. Dealing with your loss.”

He nodded weakly, but said nothing else. She quickly bid him goodnight and left the house, almost fleeing from it, as her worries only multiplied.

The next few days proved that she was right to worry, although that vindication brought her no satisfaction. Isadora was buried the following day in a hastily built casket, something that brought the entire farm close briefly, and she learned that Isadora was much beloved by the other farm workers that had been with Oliver for a while.

But this unity proved short-lived. After his wife’s **** the old farmer retreated from all handling of the farm, consumed by his grief, and Kaitlyn’s gentle questions on when they could count on him helping them, at least with a few important decisions, was met with ‘I’ll leave it up to all of you’.

And so she tried, although she soon found that Jacob had gathered at least a few other like-minded old farm workers and they were obstructing everything she tried to do, almost out of principle it seemed. They didn’t take patrols seriously, complained about the state of affairs and generally ignored all her suggestions. They weren’t the majority, but still enough to give her trouble, even as she tried ignoring them and focusing on making sure the farm was functioning and well-defended.

It was in this state, as she tried to worry about three or four things at once and squinted at the list of all current people living in the farm right now, comparing it to the usual yield that the farm had in years past and trying to calculate if it would be enough, that Zarina knocked on the door and entered, closing the door behind her.

“Hey, good to see you!” Said Kaitlyn, smiling tiredly. She meant it too, Zarina was a welcome respite from most other people, who came to her with requests, or demands, and who she barely knew. This was changing quickly, and thankfully people looked up to her, but she didn’t want to imagine what it would be like living here without Zarina and Jasmine to talk to once in a while. “So, how’s the researching going?”

“It’s good… I think? I have a list of the things we need for treating the corn. It’s simple stuff, hopefully,” she said, before going silent. And Kaitlyn recognized that look, there was something on her mind, something she was **** to bring up.

“What’s up then? Something on your mind?” She asked, giving her friend an encouraging smile.

Zarina nodded before finally speaking. “Are you the one I go to about asking for permission to visit a different bunkroom?”

“Oh.” Kaitlyn blinked. This was not what she was expecting. “Wait, are you… Do you… Have someone in mind?”

“Ethan,” admitted Zarina. “I want to spend some time with him and… And talk more. Other than at the cafeteria.” She gave Kaitlyn a nervous glance, then looked away.

It’s true that Kaitlyn had seen him and Zarina talking while they ate, but she paid it no mind. Were they getting close? Close enough that she was considering becoming his… Kaitlyn closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose.

She had never met Nadia before she was claimed, and only knew Anna briefly before she and her mother asked for Ethan to claim them. But Zarina was different. She wasn’t an abstract person, she was Kaitlyn’s friend, and a damn strong woman at that. The thought of her becoming another stepford wife following Ethan around revolted her to her core. And the implication that the researcher of their community would be now in Ethan’s hands…

“Please tell me you’re not considering having him claim you,” she asked, bluntly. Zarina blinked, briefly taken aback.

“I only want a chance to talk to him more,” she said. After hesitating, she added, “he’s very lonely lately. I think.”

Kaitlyn sighed. “Not very lonely if he always has that entourage following him…” But even in her anger, she had to admit Zarina had a point. “So you promise you’re not going to be claimed by him.”

Zarina’s cheeks flushed, but she replied, “I can’t make any long term promises, Kaitlyn. I have no idea how things will turn out.”

“Do you like him?” Asked Kaitlyn.

“He’s nice,” the other woman replied. But it didn’t feel like enough, so she added, “I think he’s struggling to do the right thing. And I think it’s getting to him. Which is why I want to spend more time with him.”

Kaitlyn sighed. “If Ethan claims you, do you know what happens? Everything that you say might be compromised. I won’t know if I can count you to be on my side or not!”

It was the way Zarina looked back at her, a mixture of surprise and hurt. It made Kaitlyn feel worse than ever before. “It’s my decision to make, in the end, Kaitlyn. Please don’t treat this as… As a faction thing?” She shook her head. “I don’t want to pick your side or the ‘other’ side, whatever that even means… I just want to live as well as I can. And help whenever I can.”

Kaitlyn looked away, but her words still stung. “... You’re right. It’s your choice,” she admitted.

“You look… Stressed,” said Zarina, her voice gentler than before. Her concern was genuine. “I’m guessing all the stuff lately is weighing on your mind?”

“Ugh,” was all Kaitlyn replied, but it summed up her feelings perfectly.

Zarina smiled. “You’re amazing. Don’t burn yourself out, ok? And… I know it’s easy to get lost when it feels like you’re herding cats. But don’t lose sight of what’s most important.”

“Helping people,” said Kaitlyn. She took a deep breath, as if sobering up after waking from a deep sleep. “You’re right, Zarina. You have a point.”

“So… Do I have permission then?” Asked Zarina. “To be with Ethan?”

“... Alright,” she conceded. “Although I want Ethan to come here too and ask. If both of you are ok with that, then… It’s whatever.” She huffed, shrugging as if it didn’t matter to her.

“Thanks,” said Zarina. She hesitated before adding, “and for the record? If you want to talk to me as well? My door is open. And it looks like you’re also dealing with a lot. Like Ethan.”

“Thanks Zarina,” replied Kaitlyn, smiling. “You’re awesome.”

“Aww, no way…!” Shrugged Zarina, grinning despite her words.

“I might take you up on your offer!”

“You’re always welcome to!”

Unfortunately Kaitlyn woke up the next morning to news that Jacob, along with four other men, had all escaped the farm in the middle of the night along with some supplies, including a canister of gasoline. Although they were not many, Jacob had been responsible for a lot of the handiwork around the farm and morale, of course, was severely hit when news of what happened spread.

At least that managed to shake Oliver out of his depression, as he left the house for the first time in the last few days to blink incredulously and learned what had gone missing from their supplies.

“It can’t be…” He muttered. “Jacob? But… He was such a good worker! So hardworking and calm!”

“He took advantage of one of his friends being the one patrolling the south side,” said another worker, pointing at the fence where they guessed Jacob and his group had hopped over in their escape. “The guard is among the ones missing.”

“Was… Was it because I was absent?” Asked Oliver, his voice tired and weak. He was still not quite his old self.

“It was a lot of things at once,” rushed Kaitlyn. The last thing they needed was Oliver retreating back into his shell. “He also ran out of cigarettes and was frustrated with the way things were going in the farm.”

“Well… We have to make sure this doesn’t happen again!” Said Oliver, anger mixing with his sadness. “This isn’t right!”

Kaitlyn nodded. “For the meantime we’ll make sure people do security in random groups. That way it will be harder for people to plan something like that. Hopefully that lets us rest easy at night.” She hesitated. “We’ll also need a new representative for the men’s bunkhouse.”

It was later deliberated that Eddy, the former military man, would represent them in future meetings.

But the very same night they were woken up by guards with scared expressions, reporting they heard gunshots coming from Gunther’s farm. Everyone immediately was woken up and followed the drills, some grabbing weapons, others posted as sentries in case they saw anything, others making preparations to do what they had threatened before: ignite the gasoline stocks and burn the farm down.

They stood outside in the dark, with a chilly win blowing at them as they squinted at what little they could see beyond their flashlights, watching intently. More than once they heard another gunshot from afar, which caused a wave of startled reactions and gun pointing.

Eddy quickly proved his value, both calming people down and directing them to different places or telling them what to do. He seemed unused to command, but in the circumstances people quickly respected his advice, and Kaitlyn was glad to relinquish her command there. This is not something she had ever practiced or even considered until a few weeks ago. She had never felt more inadequate in her life.

Even Ethan seemed more in his element, holding tightly to his gun as the women around him glanced around warily, all three ready to lay their lives down for their master. And that is when she was reminded he had already fought, and killed, someone before.

But no enemy approached their side of the fence. And after hours of staring at the darkness, tense silence as everyone prepared and prepared, Kaitlyn at last advised everyone to get a good night of sleep, with reduced work hours tomorrow to make up for tonight, and left a significant guard for the sake of precaution. But it was futile. She barely slept herself, and closing her tired eyes only led to vivid imagery of men invading the farm, jumping over the fences, firing at them, a burly man reaching with his hand towards her as she struggled to escape, but she was too slow, too slow…

The following morning was uneasy, and everyone was on edge. Kaitlyn, Eddy and Oliver were startled when other guards approached them, but these came not from the border between them and Gunther, but from the main gate.

“There’s a few guys there in a pickup truck,” said one of the guards. “They were armed, and there were women with them. They looked claimed. They asked for you specifically, Oliver.”

All three of them looked at each other warily. “By name?” Asked the old farmer. “Did you recognize any of them?”

“I think I might remember the face of one of the guys, boss,” said one of the guards, an old hand at the farm. “From Ridgesburg… But I’m not too sure.”

Another moment of silence. “Wake up Ethan and tell him to meet us at the front gate then,” said Oliver at last. “And let’s meet these people who want to talk to me.”

It’s not like they had any choice.

“Hey, old man,” said one of the men standing by the gate. He looked wary, holding a shotgun and barely pointing it down. But he eased into a quick smile as he saw Oliver approach. “Good to see you’re ok.”

“Oh,” said Oliver, recognition in his voice. “You’re. Hmm… Victor, right? Wender’s boy?”

“Glad you remember,” said Victor. His smile faded. “Dad is calling all the farmers together. The ones around Ridgesburg anyways. Big meeting in the old town hall. You’d better come. Today, at sundown.”

“Wait, wait… What’s this meeting about?” Asked Oliver.

“Safety,” replied the young man, opening the door to the pickup truck. From the driver’s seat a young, brown-haired woman looked admiringly at him. “We’re under threat right now. Feels high time we band together.”

“Safety? You mean… Is Gunther attacking other people?” Asked Oliver, confused.

Victor shot them one confused glance, as if they had made a joke.

“You folks haven’t heard?” He asked.

“Heard what?” Asked Kaitlyn.

“Gunther got gunned down by his own people. Thought you knew,” said Victor. “And his farm was taken over by a bandit group. So better come to the meeting old man. Or you guys might be next.”

And with those parting words he hopped onto the truck and closed the door. They all watched him drive away in stunned silence.

Kaitlyn somehow thought that Gunther was the biggest threat, the one shadow looming over their happiness. Now… He was dead? And a new danger had emerged, before they could even recover? How could they even prepare for that?

But one thing was increasingly clear for Kaitlyn. It looked like the biggest threats to their farms, or hell to ANY of the new farms, were as likely to come from within as from without.