Radiation Point

Thirty Six

Bubba's words chilled me to my bones. My sister would be in danger out in the woods. Even Bubba was worried about her, and that was saying a lot.
"Good, you got the supplies," Tyler called from behind me. "Come on then, don't just stand out here."
I hurried inside after his tall frame, swallowing the wave of fear that had washed over me.
The room was packed shoulder to shoulder with people. Despite the lack of space, no one seemed to upset. In fact, they looked more tired than anything else.
There was the hum of quiet whispers from families as they waited for news. When Tyler stepped up in front of them, the room quickly hushed.
He seemed to have grown two feet as he looked at the crowd. He looked older than a 18 year. He looked like a full grown man-one who could be trusted.
"I know that everyone is restless here," Tyler began, his eyes touching on people around the room. "This isn't what you're used to, I know that."
His words were rich and alluring. It wouldn't have mattered whoffe said, because the genuineness in his voice made everyone sit up and listen.
"I promised you that no harm would come to your families if you trusted us. Look around, it hasn't."
I glanced around the room as he said this. There was no strong show of strength from the renegades, only one renegade watching each door. The other renegades were sitting with the families, mingling as friends. Ellen sat crossed legged on the floor chaperoning a group of kids. She was beaming as she listened to Tyler.
It was night and day from when my parents died. There was none of the chaos and terror. These refugees were simply tired and wanted to go home. Not back inside the camp, but back to their real homes. The people in the room around me weren't soldiers or fighters or killers. They were regular people who probably didn't even know where their food came from, let alone how to hunt it. After the bomb dropped, they never learned either. They simply trusted that they would be saved. Hadn't we all?
I looked out at the crowd and saw myself as I had been before my parents died. I used to be trusting like that. I used to be reliant like that. With a shiver, I realized that these people would have followed anyone who offered protection. The costs of that protection-the type of people they were-didn't matter. That was why they stood idly by at the commissioner sacrificed people in front of us. It was all under the umbrella of that protection.
"But you can't stay here and can't go back inside," Tyler said, breaking my thoughts.
Murmurs broke out at his words, and for the first time, the crowd looked uneasy.
"You can't go back inside," Tyler said, his voice rising above the talking. "Because the commissioner has brought an army of contaminated. We need to evacuate you so that the renegades can fight the contaminated and make the camp safe again."
The room was silent at his words, so the voice in the back came out crystal clear.
"Why don't you leave? We were safe before you came along."
The speaker was a plump middle aged man. Sweat beaded on his bald head, as his eyes narrowed threateningly at Tyler.
Tyler didn't falter at his words.
"You were never safe. The commissioner would have killed you if we hadn't stepped in."
"You don't know that," the man spat, his face getting red.
"I do know it. I've seen it. Camps full of dead bodies. Bodies of people who weren't contaminated, but murdered. That's what we saved you from and that's what we will continue to save people from," Tyler said, anger in his voice.
He spoke with a righteous anger. The more Tyler spoke, the more I understood why the renegades had made him leader. He was a gifted speaker.
"And if we don't want to be saved?" the man persisted, his voice grating my ears.
"Then leave. Those who don't want to be evacuated with us can go out on their own, but you can't stay here."
The man glared at Tyler, but didn't respond. Perhaps he knew it was useless. The people closest to him were telling him to be quiet and giving them dirty looks of their own.
"What I'm saying is the camp is no longer safe. If you want our protection, you have it. We just need to secure the camp again, then we can bring you back here," Tyler said, glancing around the room.
The outspoken man in the back was the only person who looked opposed. The rest of the room looked frightened, but on board. When no one else spoke up, Tyler nodded at the group.
"We leave first thing in the morning. Be ready by then."