Days Since...: Jenny: Day 986

Chapter Eleven

Jenny leaned in toward Grant—“You think they’ll listen?”—her words fighting against the sporadic outbursts of celebration.

“Won’t know for sure until we try.”

“Yeah…” She studied the crowd. Everyone in the Depot, minus Matt, Xavier, and a few guards minding the perimeter, had gathered in the Garden Center outside. People shuffled along the tables of the soup line, bowls being poured full of stew. Those who’d already been served stood around several burn barrels, chatting between bites while they waited for the explanation they’d been promised.

“They’re pretty worked up over the win,” Grant said, “but you gotta couple of people in there who prolly realize this ain’t over. Those the folks you need to help you out. Tell them your story, and I don’t mean just talkin’, but touch them, you know, reach out to them, and then they’ll help bring in the others.”

“Got ya.” Jenny spotted a few who appeared worried, out of place like black and white figures drowning in a sea of color and jubilance. She understood what Grant meant but doubted those people’s ability to fire up the crowd. No energy existed in them. They barely stood on their own two feet, disconnected, not participating with the others. Jenny could only assume they wished to be alone in their tents to mourn Danny and Griffin, to consider the future of the Depot. At least they get it. They understand loss and that none of this is ever completely over. Everyone else, though… “How many you think know about Danny and Griffin?”

“Gotta be all of them. No way that news didn’t spread ‘round here like wildfire. People can’t keep they damn mouths shut.”

“True… I guess everyone being so happy threw me off. I figured maybe they didn’t know. Just seems kind of wrong.”

“You ain’t bein’ fair to them if that’s what you’re thinkin’.” Grant took on his familiar fatherly tone. “Think about it, girlie. Through all that shit you just went through with Danny and Griffin, with finding us, with finding Xavier, with the battle, all that, you think of Danny the whole time? Or you focus on other stuff too?”

“Other stuff too, but—”

“Yeah, other stuff too. The ‘too’ is important. All of them feel that loss.” He began pointing his finger at the crowd. “All of them knew Danny, knew Griffin. Hell, some of them may have loved them just like you did. So, for you to think they don’t care is wrong. You want them on your side, you better get that outta your head.

“Remember, we just won a battle with no deaths, no injuries. They’re pumped up. Most of them tryin’ to think happy thoughts, tryin’ to block out the bad. You gotta remember people deal with shit differently. You gotta respect that.”

Jenny’s shoulders sank, her eyes followed.

“Hey, don’t be doin’ that.” Grant dropped his arm around her shoulder. “I ain’t tryin’ to get you down. Those just some facts you gotta understand. I know these things ‘cause I’m older than you, and that means I’m smarter,” he joked. “Seriously though, everythin’ I said about you before still stands. Don’t get it messed up. You’re brave and able to do stuff I ain’t ever dreamt of doin’. Someday, you’re gonna be a great leader. In some ways you already are. We just need to work on your people skills.”

She cracked a smile.

“There we go. Now, you think you ready for this?”

“I…” Unnoticed by Jenny, the line for soup had worked its way through—every set of eyes in the crowd were now focused on the two of them. She felt a tremble in her hand, slight, but there. Just tell your story, Jenny. Let them know the truth about where you came from. What you’ve been through.

A few groans slipped through the crowd because of Jenny’s hesitation.

You know what to say and what not to say.

“Alright, let’s quiet down now,” one of the women shouted in an effort to squash the restlessness and last remaining bits of whispers.

Let’s—let’s do this. She took a deep breath, looking over the crowd. Each person in front of her wanted an answer, wanted to know what the hell had happened over the last 24 hours.

When Jenny finally spoke, her words were shaky at first, but tightened with every truth put forth, with every head that nodded along with her. She told them everything about River’s Edge. Their life there. All they had accomplished together since Almawt. Then, their downfall at the hands of the Second Alliance, explaining how the enemy had managed to do it through a plan of deception and false camaraderie. The same way they planned it with the Depot.

“I told you they were trouble,” a woman said.

“Yeah, you did call that one.”

“You think I missed anything?” Jenny asked Grant.

He shook his head.

“That’s all well and good, but what about Griffin and Danny?” a man with a large scar across his forehead demanded. “What the fuck happened to them? The Second… whatever they’re called, they did this? Is that what you think?”

“That’s what I know.” And there it was—the lie Jenny knew she’d have to tell. It was the tricky part, but the most important. If she was to convince the Depot to mobilize against the Second Alliance, the lie had to be told.

Briefly, she brought it together in her head so as not to fumble through it when it mattered.

The S.A. came here to strike up the deal with the Depot. When the S.A. took Matt and Grant prisoner, the discussions fell apart. A fight broke out, but none of us saw it. I was outside, then later in my tent cleaning up. Grant and Matt had been put in a secured room. Unfortunately, the only people who saw everything were the S.A., Griffin and Danny. After the gunshots, I found the bodies and took Sherman and tracked the S.A. I rescued Matt and Grant. Simple. Keep it simple…

If anyone asks why they took Matt and Grant, it’s because they knew the truth about the S.A. And, the reason I wasn’t taken is simple. They didn’t find me. Hopefully, not many people know how Griffin died, but if anyone brings that up… Again, you weren’t there. You have no idea. Stick with that.

“Well, out with it!” the man yelled.

As Jenny brought forth the lie, the scarred man fell silent—the rest of the crowd did the same, all of them listening intently. She hit on all her points, but in the back of her mind, she apologized to Danny for disrespecting the truth, hiding what really happened. In this way, no one would know Griffin, the monster. No one would know what he’d planned for the Depot—for Grant, Matt, for Jenny. The fact that Danny had saved her would never be known. He gave his life for her. The lie was a disservice to him. A disservice to the truth that everyone deserved to know but couldn’t. The S.A. had to be the enemy. It was Jenny’s only way to fight back.

Danny, I’m sorry… but it won’t be for nothing, I promise. River’s Edge is worth it. Taking the S.A. out is worth it. If we don’t, they’ll keep coming for me, Grant, Matt. They’ll keep tearing everyone else down.

The joy which had swept over the crowd earlier had quickly evaporated with Jenny’s explanation. Most struggled to keep their chins up and their eyes toward her while she finished. “…and if you think this is bad, this is only the beginning. The Second Alliance will be back. They won’t quit.”

“We believe you, but how—how do we stand up to them?” Lars asked. “If what you’re saying is true—”

“We don’t know it is!” the scarred man said. “The Second Alliance could all be bullshit. How the hell do we know how big this group is? It’s probably just some bullshit operation. You think people are that organized already? Like some big-ass army?”

“It is possible! Why the hell not?” a woman interjected. “We’re going on three years since Almawt.”

“Seems crazy to me is all…” he let his defeated voice fade.

“Is there any other proof? Anything at all?” the woman asked Jenny.

“I do, but… you have to understand, when I bring him out, he’s not one of them. Yes, he has their uniform on, but he’s—”

“A prisoner?!”

“We took a prisoner?”

“No! He’s not a prisoner!” Jenny shouted out to quell the notion before it got out of hand. “He’s the one they hung from the scaffolding at River’s Edge. Well, the one we thought was hung, but the truth is, the S.A. didn’t kill him. They faked his death. It’s—it’s complicated.”

“And we’re supposed to trust that? Come on!”

Grant stepped forward and cut into the fray, “Shut it! Now!” He shifted his attention to where Matt stood post—the second set of doors toward the back which led inside the Depot. “Matt! Go ahead and bring him out.”

Worried, Jenny watched Matt bring Xavier outside. I’m not sure they’re ready for him yet. Not sure he’s ready either. He must have felt it too, his head shaking, his feet shuffling toward her, shoulders slumped, noticeably ashamed to be dressed in the enemy’s garb. “I don’t think right now’s a good idea,” Jenny said to Grant.

“As good as any. They need to hear it from him. Need to ask him what they want, unrehearsed or whatever you wanna call it.” Grant turned back to the crowd. “Listen! The kid’s comin’ out here to let you in on the truth. The whole story. This ain’t no joke. This ain’t some scare tactic. I’m tellin’ you, there ain’t no way around it. What Jenny says gonna happen, will happen.”

While Grant spoke, Xavier made it to Jenny’s side, closer than she would’ve normally liked, but understandable considering the circumstances.

“She told you how our old town fell to the Second Alliance,” Grant said, “and how some of us fought back. But… we failed, and we felt it. They made sure of that. We lost some people—some good people ‘cause of them. But this young man here”—he gestured to Xavier—“was thought to be the first one killed. But the Second Alliance, they playin’ games with everybody. They acted like they hung him to make a point. That no one can cross them. But instead of killing him, they killed someone else.”

“He turned on you guys!” the scarred man shouted. “That kid’s an insider. Sold you guys downriver.”

“That’s not true!” Grant shut the man down.

Jenny watched Xavier cringe, uncomfortable with the accusation. Wanting to offer his vindication, Jenny felt the words form within her mouth, but thought better of speaking them—Grant was doing well enough.

“Then what?” the scarred man continued. “Why’s he in that damn uniform if he’s one of the good guys?”

Grant sighed. “You know I wouldn’t lie to you. All you know me, worked with me. Hell, Me and Jenny, Matt, all of us have given our sweat, our blood to fix this place just like any of the rest of you. Some of your stares are uncalled for. We love this place. Don’t want to see it fall.”

Most in the crowd nodded with understanding.

“This here.” Grant pulled the unopened Second Alliance letter—the wax seal still intact—from his coat pocket. “This letter was part of the plan, but Griffin never gotta chance to read it. If you want, I can read the damn thing or any of you can, don’t care. I already know what it says without openin’ it. It’s short and sweet. The truth is, they ain’t got it much better than we have. Sure, they got fancy uniforms and big promises, but shit, you can put a dress on a pig, but it’s still a pig.”

Very few chuckled through the tense air.

“The whole point is they’re comin’ for us. They gonna take us whether we want it or not.” He held up a second letter—the one Xavier found in Simon’s boot months ago. “This one shows what they willin’ to do to get what they want. Fake attacks. Murder. Kidnappin’. Both these letters I got are two very different things but come from the same monster.

“The S.A. came here with a peace plan, but they saw me and Matt. Two people that got away from River’s Edge with the truth of what was goin’ on there. When they saw us here, they took us. The only blessin’ was Jenny wasn’t there at the time, or we’d all be gone. You’d be sittin’ here without any answers. Sittin’ here with two dead bodies and three people missin’.

“But thank the Heavens, she wasn’t there. She’s the hero. Saved us. Came and got us with Sherman just like Danny would’ve wanted. I’ll say we got some revenge today, but not enough for what they took when they killed Danny and Griffin. Think of all those two did for you. How they took you in. They deserve better than just lettin’ this whole thing go.”

“We can’t sit back and let them come for us,” Jenny cut into Grant’s message. “They’ll have the advantage if we do. I know maybe I haven’t always been so outgoing, maybe rude or whatever at times, but I’ve been scared. I’ve been scared that they would find us, because I knew what would happen. And it did. But I’m not scared anymore. All of us together, we can do this. We’ve spilled their blood. They’ll be back. It’s a guarantee. But…” She took a second to catch her breath. “We can’t let that happen. They won’t expect us to take the fight to them. We’ll catch them off guard.”

“So, is there a plan?” the scarred man asked. “The kid in black know what’s going on?”

Everyone looked to him.

Xavier exhaled, then started.

Jenny sat at the desk in Danny’s room, alone, creaking back in his chair, trying to imagine him sitting there, not gone. Against her better judgment, she started through his framed photographs—his life. A wife. Kids. Friends. With each smiling face next to his, she couldn’t keep herself from letting a few tears go. She brought one of the lit candles closer to her, to the next picture she held within her hand—a bar scene filled with what she assumed were other cops.

“Is that…?” she grumbled. Of course it is. Griffin’s face was the last thing she wanted to see. Jenny couldn’t understand the respect Danny felt for the monster. So different, the two of them. Maybe more the same in the past. Perhaps, only the apocalypse started them on diverging paths. But all she knew of them was Danny, the man who gave everything for her, and Griffin, the man that only took.

Fearing someday her memories of Danny would fade, she carefully freed one of the photographs from its frame to keep for herself—the one with him and his wife, two daughters, a son, and an infant.

A baby… Her hand rested against her belly. No outward sign yet, but soon there would be no hiding it. She’d wait until then to tell. The time still wasn’t right she decided—the mission too important. It was better to hide her condition as long as she could rather than try to convince others she’d be able to fight, to be part of the movement she’d begun.

Finally… She smiled.

It took a while, but eventually the Depot voted in favor of avenging Danny and Griffin—the Second Alliance now their collective target. It wasn’t easy. At first, Xavier seemed too big of an obstacle to persuading them, but once the crowd opened their interrogation, Xavier met every question with the answer they needed. Jenny was impressed with how well he performed against the pressure, against the hostility some in the crowd projected toward him. But he held strong, speaking from the heart—they knew it with each passionate word he laid upon them.

River’s Edge will be ours again, and from there, we start taking them down, piece by piece.

“Sorry, took so long, but here it is,” Grant said, entering the room with an old typewriter cradled in his arms. “Took Lars awhile to find it and give me a crash course in settin’ it up. Prolly, the crash course that ate up most the time.” He chuckled, setting it down on the table. “Should be good to go. Now, if you’ll look right here, this here’s where—”

“I know how,” she said, her eyes still affixed to all the pictures in front of her.

“Guess I didn’t need the crash course, huh?” He waited for an answer, but it wasn’t coming. “You okay, girlie? Oh. I see…” He lifted one of the frames from the desk and tapped his finger against the glass. “Good man right here. Better than anyone in this place if we’re bein’ honest, but you already knew that.”

She nodded.

“You know he’d be proud of you with everythin’ you’ve done here. You don’t have nothin’ else to prove to him. Don’t let—”

“I’m not trying to prove anything.” She pulled the typewriter in front of her. “This isn’t about anything like that. The truth is I’m just tired of running, tired of being scared of them. Right now, I’m more excited than anything else. Those assholes put people through so much. It’s their turn to feel it. Their turn to get a taste of what’s deserved.

“You said people would follow me, that I’m a leader, but it wasn’t until after the vote that I believed it. Everyone kept coming up to me, thanking me, telling me how brave I was. The looks on their faces—I don’t… I don’t doubt it anymore. Danny trained me for a reason. He chose me to have these skills, and I’m choosing to use them to fight back.

“Grant, it’s not just us this time, we have backing. It’s not even close to what it was like with River’s Edge. We have the truth about the S.A. We have weapons, the people, a chance to surprise them. All of it gives us a real chance.”

“I think we’re being smart about this,” Grant said. “You and Xavier’s plan is good. Real good.” He gripped her shoulder and squeezed a couple times before changing the subject. “I still have these.” He took both the Second Alliance letters from his coat pocket and slapped them on the desk. “Figured if you’re pretendin’ to be Haverty, you might want these, right?”

“I’ve read the one plenty.” She took the new letter, the one intended for Griffin, and delicately removed the wax seal from it. “It’s set up similar to the other,” she said while reading through it. “Same format… Same sort of language… Long-winded for sure. You mind checking this out? It’s a draft I put together for Xavier’s new orders. I think it’s pretty good.”

“Yep, I’ll take a look at it.” Leaning back onto Danny’s bed, Grant began to read.

Jenny waited.

When Grant finished, he stood and made his way back over to the desk. “Sounds good to me. Real official, but let Xavier take a look when they get back. He’s prolly seen S.A. orders before and can tell you what’s missin’.”

Jenny eyed Haverty’s newest letter and adjusted the margin on the typewriter to match it as closely as she could.

“Never knew you knew anythin’ about typewriters. Figured it was only computers and phones with your generation.”

“When I was younger, my grandmother let me mess with hers. She liked the clacking of the keys. Told me it relaxed her when she wrote letters to her friends.”

“Great! You guys got it,” Xavier said upon entering the room with Matt and Sherman.

“We were worried Lars wouldn’t be able to find it,” Matt said, as he took Sherman into his kennel.

“You think I’ll be able to make it look right?” Jenny asked. Xavier moved behind her to get a look at what she had started on the typewriter. “Well?”

“You shouldn’t have any trouble making it look right. I’m more worried with how it sounds.”

“She wrote this here.” Grant handed him the draft, and Xavier read over it.

“This is a little too much.” Xavier set the letter on the desk. “I’m not trying to be nit-picky, but the orders need to be a lot shorter. Haverty’s regular letters are long, but his orders aren’t. They’re supposed to be professional, and he writes them that way. You’ll definitely want to throw in some big words like you did in the draft, but there doesn’t have to be a lot to it. Let me see that pencil, and I’ll try and shorten it up.”

“How ‘bout me and Matt leave the both of you to it,” Grant said. “That is unless you need us doin’ somethin’ else.”

“You mind taking Sherman out for a bit? Let him use the bathroom and stretch his legs.”

“Isn’t that what me and Xavier just did?” Matt asked under his breath.

“I don’t think he’ll complain,” Jenny said.

“I got you, girlie. Matt, nab up that rifle and cover me.”

“Sure.” Matt passed Sherman’s lead over to Grant, then grabbed the rifle.

“You two play nice,” Grant said, as he and Matt left the room.

“Okay.” Jenny let the joke slide, focusing back to the letter. “How much do you think they’ll look this over?”

“Not sure,” Xavier said, still ticking through the draft with suggestions. “Sentries are used to taking orders and won’t question Haverty, but you never know. I think so far, this sounds pretty good. These changes will get it close to being perfect. Otherwise… Well, you know what will happen.”

“You sure you still want to do this?”

“Are you getting on me again? I told you I’m not S.A. I don’t wan—”

“That’s not what I meant. It’s just… Going back into River’s Edge is crazy. I’m just worried about you. Even with the uniform and everything, what if—what if someone recognizes you?”

“I’m not too worried about that. Most the S.A. there aren’t going to know who I am. The Guards aren’t going to give a shit. Haverty’s gone. The whole thing with the hanging, with you guys escaping, isn’t likely to be known by a lot of the S.A. that’s there. Things like that, you know, things that make the S.A. look bad don’t get out very often. They change people out pretty frequently to keep it that way. The only people who will care about me being back are our people.”

“You better not get caught sneaking around before you get the chance to set it up.”

“What’s the worst that can happen? They kill me again?”

“Don’t say that,” Jenny said through weak laughter.

“This plan will work. I know you’ll handle your part. Matt and Grant will take care of what they have to do. And trust me, I’ll have no trouble with mine.” He took a crisp piece of paper and slipped it into the typewriter. “Now, right here is how the orders are done.” He pointed to a section of Jenny’s draft he had corrected. “Format the top of the letter like this. If it doesn’t look like that, they’ll know right away.”

Jenny nodded.

“When we take the wax seal from the other envelope and super glue it to ours, then there’ll be no doubting it.”

“I hope so…”