Page 35 of If They Knew

Mary rolls her eyes and sighs. “Way back when we were first looking for supplies, I snagged some bags that were abandoned in case I needed material to make bandages or whatever. All that stuff’s mostly clean.” She waves her hand at Tyler, who is dressed in a stained white shirt and dirty khaki shorts. “You might as well be walking around with a spotlight, wearing that in the dark.”

Together, Tyler and I rummage through the bag, pulling out the darkest clothing. Almost everything inside the bag is tropical wear. I pull out a button-up men’s shirt with pineapples and flamingos printed on it and toss it to the side, then another with sea turtles. After tossing a few more items that are too bright, I finally pull out a dark maroon shirt and blue jeans. Tyler grabs another pair of blue jeans and a navy-blue shirt with a small ocean wave across the back and the words ‘Surf’s Up’ printed across the back.

Several hours later, the sky is deathly black, and I stand beside the barricaded door. I’m nervous about what’s to come, but I do my best not to pick at my nails. I can tell Tyler is also nervous because he hasn’t said a word in the past twenty minutes, and is pacing back and forth. It’s the same thing he would do when something was on his mind when we were kids. I swear, there were track marks in his bedroom on the wood floor. He was always worried about something. I gently stop him by grabbing his shoulder. He looks up and smiles. I know that nervous smile. I smile back, and then slowly and quietly, we take apart the barricade, one piece at a time.

“Ready, Tyler?” I whisper once the barricade is cleared.

“As ready as I’ll ever be, now let's go before I change my mind,” he says.

“And you wanted to go out alone. You know you don't have to prove to me you're a hotshot,” I say, giving his shoulder a quick squeeze. “I’m your brother, I already know.” He doesn't respond.

Before we leave, Kelly walks over, kisses Tyler, and gives him a tight hug. Julie is right behind her and does the same to me.

“We will be right back. I love you,” I say, kissing Julie once more, and then push the door open.

The door is open just enough for me to take a peek. I don’t see anyone. “All clear,” I whisper. My heart is nearly pounding out of my chest. This is a terrible idea.

Tyler and I quietly step into the hallway. Immediately, we realize the ship is far different from how it was weeks ago.

Before Logan took over, each person had a role in maintaining the makeshift community. However, since we have been barricaded in the medical center, it appears that things have changed significantly.

In the hallway, as Tyler and I walk, I see empty cans of food and empty bottles of water everywhere. It looks as if the place had been ransacked. The smell of urine lingers in the air, suggesting the man-made bathrooms are no longer in use or that people no longer care and piss on the floor. We step lightly, making our way to the stairwell. Each of us is doing our best in the dark not to fall. The trashed hallway isn’t making it easy to maneuver or stay quiet. Once we reach the stairwell, we begin to descend carefully, watching each other’s backs.

Standing on the 6th floor, we find the closet that’s supposed to have an axe. I slowly open the door. Please be there, please be there, please be there. The hinge squeaks, and I stop moving. I hesitate for a second, looking around to make sure no one is around. In one quick motion, I pull the door open fast so it doesn't creak. A smile spreads across my face as I notice that not only is the axe still in place, but there are two. I let out a sigh of relief.

“Tyler, there are two axes, so we can each have one,” I whisper excitedly.

“Thank god,” whispers Tyler.

After grabbing them, we turn and face each other. ‘Ready?’ I mouth, and he nods back, giving me a thumbs up. My heart is pounding again, and I feel beads of sweat forming on my forehead. I look over at Tyler, his hands are gripping the axe so tightly that his knuckles are turning white.

Slowly, I crouch down and walk toward the railing directly in front of the library entrance. Tyler follows my lead, crouching down close behind me. We stop at the railing and I set my axe across my knees. Looking through the railing, we have a bird's-eye view of the atrium. My senses are on high alert, and I do my best to stay quiet. I go to set my axe down on the floor and reposition myself, but then stop instantly when I hear a noise from down below.

“What is it?” Tyler whispers.

I put my index finger to my lips then point two fingers at my eyes, then point them toward the railing to get Tyler to take a peek. As soon as Tyler gets a view, his eyes widen, and he leans back away from the railing.

Standing directly below us in the atrium are two men whispering. I can't see their faces or understand what they are saying but they seem to be arguing. Immediately, I noticed how much the atrium has changed since a few weeks ago. All the entrances have been securely blocked off with broken furniture and tables. From above, I point out to Tyler that there is only one way to enter the atrium, and that's the stairwell behind the elevators. While I’m doing so, I spot Logan walking in. A knot forms in my stomach and I feel heat rise in my cheeks at the sight of him. The two men who were whispering have now gone silent and are standing straight up, facing Logan like soldiers.

“What are you two nitwits arguing about this time?” Logan asks.

“Nothing, sir. We were just talking,” says the man on the left.

“Did you do what I told you to do, Randy?”

“Yes, sir, we did,” answers the other man.

“Well...?” Logan asks, sounding irritated.

“We didn't find anything; all the water is gone. They took everything, and the back of the ship is completely blocked. If we try to enter, I'm sure they’ll kill us. They don't like you or any of us who work with you,” Randy says, his voice soft like that of a child that's in trouble.

“I guess we’ll have to find a way, and if that means killing everyone there, so be it. I’m no longer negotiating with them. They’ll either give us the water, or we attack, that’s an order.” Logan pauses, looking at Randy. The other guy doesn’t move or speak. “We have all the food on the ship, so unless they want to starve, they’ll agree to our demands.”

“Yes, sir, but uh... how are we going to do that? We don’t have enough weapons to attack with.”

“They don't know that, dumbass. We’ll give them one more opportunity to provide what we've asked for and issue a warning. Their so-called leader, Chris, is a fucking joke. He won’t call our bluff.”

“But what if he does?” asks the other man nervously.