The Ruins Part 2 (Sequel to The Ruins)

Chapter 16

There was a sign on a pole that read Andiron Sachet- Erosion Artist. It hung from two lengths of rusted chain and creaked in the hot western wind. The outside of the house was painted with murals of lush rain forests filled with exotic birds and brightly colored frogs. Sam had barely glanced at the murals when he'd come to apply for a job, but now he lingered to look. The paintings were filled with life- monkeys, insects, flowering plants- but no people.

The artist opened the door on the second knock. He wore low-slung jeans that seemed to be held together by dried paint and a plaid shirt with his sleeves cut off. His feet were bare and he had a steaming cup of coffee hooked on one multicolored finger. He peered down at Sam.

"You're the kid," he said.

Sam nodded.

"I thought I told you that I couldn't use you."

"I'm not here about the job."

"Okay. Why are you...?" The artist's voice trailed off as Sam held out the card. Sachet looked at the image and then at Sam.

"How did you meet her?"

Shutters dropped behind the artist's eyes. "It's just a card, kid. They're sold in every settlement in the Eleven Towns."

"I've come to you about her as a Chase Card and now I see her as a Bounty Hunter, alive."

The artist studied him, stalking but taking a long sip of his coffee.

"I don't remember you coming to me for a person to find. I just found her in the Tradepost and talked to her. Why?"

"Because she was my friend long before. She went missing when Lucius destroyed the zone and Tom tried many times to find her but nothing. I need to know if you met her and where she is."

"D'you drink coffee, kid?"

"Sure."

"I'll brew another pot. This might take awhile." He wasn't smiling when he said it, but he stepped back to let Sam enter. The artist paused to look at something that caused his whole body to tense, and Sam turned to see Motor Hammer, crossing the street towards the lorry stable. However, the Hammer was looking directly at Sachet, and he wore a peculiar smile on his face.

The artist's house was clean but not neat. Sketches were thumbtacked to the walls; partially finished paintings stood on half a dozen easels. A wheeled wooden table held hand-mixed pots of paint. They passed through into a tiny kitchen. Sachet waved Sam to a chair while he went to fill the coffee pot. Every house in Fairview had an elevated cistern that drew upon the reservoir and rainwater to feed the faucets and toilets. Because of some quirk of luck during the influx of the Black Night survivors, Fairview had twenty-three plumbers and only one electrician. In terms of electricians they were a half step out of the Stone Age, but there was always water to flush the John and fill the kettle. Sam was cool with that.

"Tom, huh," Sachet murmured. "I can see it now, but not when you were here the first time. I knew Tom had a kid with him, I always assumed you look like him."

Sam nodded. He had the straight brown hair. His skin was pale, but he took a good tan, blue eyes that were darker than Tom's. However, where's Tom's body was toned to a muscular leanness, Sam was merely lean.

"People say I'm the son of Tom, but that isn't true." He explained.

The artist digested that. "And he takes you out into the Ruins."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To practice on defending myself. I'm not like the rest of the kids in Fairview, I fought against Infected, Runners, and such."