Rifts From The Sea (EMP Crash Book 8) Read online

  Unfortunately, Grace was one of those people who felt as though they were being disrespected along with the women. She had admired how Anna had dealt with the situation before, and afterward she had sought out the older woman's advice. Now that they had come to know each other a bit, the two of them had become firm friends and were happy to share tips and advice about certain things. Anna regaled her with tales of her youth, and told her the best thing to do was try ignoring the sailors. That the men were looking for a reaction more than anything, and the worst thing she could do was play into their hands. Although it was difficult Grace had taken this advice to heart, and only responded when she felt she absolutely had to, and even then, she replied with the bare minimum.

  However, Luis did not follow the same advice, and could not control himself to the same extent. His anger and jealousy burned within him, and he found himself unable to let it go. Grace and Maggie separately had told him that he shouldn't let it bother him so much, and that he was only playing into their hands.

  “Part of the reason why they start in on me is probably because they know it bothers you so much,” Grace had told him one evening.

  Luis rolled his eyes and accused her of blaming him, but that was not what she was saying at all. The whole thing was beginning to put a strain on their relationship, and that put Luis into an even more bitter mood. He already had been spending a lot of time walking around the settlement, keeping an eye on the behavior of the sailors, but it was obvious he was trying to catch them doing something worthy of locking them up.

  Maggie had warned him not to keep going near them because it only was antagonizing them and making the situation worse, but Luis was convinced their presence was detrimental to the settlement and he was going to figure out what they were doing. Maggie knew she couldn't argue with his paranoia, she just had to let it play out, even though she could see exactly what was going to happen.

  “Back again? If you want to join in, all you have to do is ask,” one of the sailors said, a man named Jerome.

  He was tall and tattooed, and had a gold tooth on the bottom row of his jaw. He was the only who had flirted with Grace, and one to whom Luis had taken an instant dislike. Luis grimaced and stood above the small group of sailors, who were sitting around a table playing cards. A low fire burned near them, crackling soothingly, and it cast them in an orange hue. Most of the other sailors were sitting nearby and looked upon this exchange with interest. They didn't have much respect for Luis, even though he was a deputy, because they didn't see him as having any real authority. The card game was suspended while the scene played out.

  “No, I'm good, but just make sure you keep it down. There a lot of things to be done around here, and people need to be at their freshest. So, don't make too much noise,” Luis said.

  “I'm sure we won't. Besides, we have you here to keep an eye on us. It's like we have our very own nanny,” Jerome said, and his comment was met with a loud cackling laughter.

  Luis bristled with anger again, and if looks could kill, Jerome would have dropped dead instantly. Luis' fists clenched by his side, impotent. For all the authority that his role as deputy sheriff gave him, he still was beholden to the law and the guidelines that Mack and Maggie had set out for him. He couldn't just wipe the grin off Jerome's face, or tell him to stay away from Grace, even though that's exactly what he wanted to do. Instead, he had to try setting an example, and be better than what his instincts told him to be. Yet, everything inside was telling him to defend the woman he loved and show these men they couldn't treat the people of New Haven in this manner.

  “You'd better watch your tone. I know you're used to setting your own laws out there at sea, but you're not at sea any longer. This isn't your ship, and you don't get to tell us how to live our lives. You're here at our discretion, and you're lucky Mack is so forgiving, because you could be kicked out at any time. We don't have to keep you here, you know, and with the way you're acting you're on own borrowed time,” Luis said, voice trembling with anger.

  “Please,” another sailor said, a smaller black man with a deep voice named Kevin, “from what we've heard, Mack just would let people walk all over him. We're here to stay. This place is pretty nice, a paradise compared to what we're used to. You people have done all the work, and we can enjoy the benefits. I just hope you can find enough food for us to last through winter, because I'm not going to starve myself. I had enough of that out at sea.”

  If Luis had been more conscious of his environment, or more experienced in observing people, he would have noticed an uneasy shift in the posture of the sailors around him, and the glances that were exchanged, and the eyes that fell to the floor as if in shame. But Luis was focused solely on his own anger, and in later nights he would chastise himself for being so inwardly focused that he had forgotten the job, and his mission.

  That was to come, however, for now he was tired of the sailors treating New Haven as a resort. He and the others had suffered and bled to build New Haven into what it was. People had died for the cause, and these sailors were trampling on the memory of all of them, and Luis had had enough. The final straw came when one of them referenced the fact that Luis being with them meant that Grace was alone, and perhaps a few of them should go to pay her a visit.

  “Obviously, things are getting bad in this world if a girl like that is going out with a guy like him. We should have no trouble there,” one of them said, and this was enough to make Luis fly into a rage.

  He yelled with frustration and threw himself across the table, bringing his fist back and driving it into the face of the sailor who said the offending words. The movement was so quick that Luis was able to bloody the sailor's nose. But the other sailors reacted quickly, and soon enough, Luis felt strong arms coiling around his body, dragging him off.

  The laughter had died down and a foreboding silence descended upon them as Luis was held down, struggling in vain. Jerome walked up to him. “You've made a mistake now. This was all fun and games, but it's clear you want a fight. So, I'm going to give it to you. You think you're so tough because of what you've built here, but you're all just ordinary people, and you're going to learn just how ordinary you are.”

  With that Jerome punched Luis in the stomach, winding him and making him double over in pain, but the other sailors held him up. One by one, the sailors took turn punching him, and soon blood was pouring from his mouth, but his anger only was increasing. It wasn't long before others realized what was going on, and they ran to help him, Saul being first. He was used to a brawl, and threw himself into the middle of the fight, tearing the sailors away from Luis. Saul had taken a few hits, but was tough enough to endure them, and he soon relished the fight, for it took him back to his youth.

  Luis pushed himself up after taking a few moments to regain his composure and spit out the blood. Fueled with anger, he let his fists fly. A red mist descended upon him, and he didn't much care who he hurt, just that he hurt someone. He could have ended the fight easily by drawing his gun and aiming it at them, but he was hungry to release the turbulent emotions inside him. Other residents of New Haven joined as they saw Saul and Luis in need of aid. Soon enough, the whole fight turned into a riot, with punches flying and loud grunts and shouts echoing out, drawing the attention of everyone in the settlement.

  At the center of it all were Luis and Saul, the two men fighting side by side. Despite his age, Saul was giving a good account of himself. Luis was bloodied and bruised, but he kept going as well, even though his fists were aching. He wanted to see every sailor writhing on the ground in pain, and he wasn't going to stop until he did.

  Then a gunshot was heard. Everyone stopped. Mack and Maggie yelled at everyone to stop what they were doing as they made their way through and separated the two sides. When they got to Luis, Maggie gave him a withering, disappointed look.

  “You're all going to have to come back with me and spend the night in lockup,” she said, barely taking her eyes off Luis.

  Luis was sull
en as he walked away, and as he did so, Grace caught up with him. He thought she would give him words of support, but instead she told him they would need to talk about this soon. Luis was left feeling empty, and hated the fact he would have to spend a night locked up with the men he hated. Saul was being walked off, too, but seemed unconcerned about it, although had a much better reception from his lady. Alison came up to him and planted a firm kiss on his lips, seemingly proud of how strong Saul was and the display of masculinity, promising him she would give him a surprise when she next saw him.

  Mack was furious when he learned of what had happened, and had to use all his self-control not to let his temper fly when he was outside. He worked with Maggie to bring in everyone involved in the brawl somewhere secure and then had to take a few moments to himself. He barely could stomach looking at Luis and Saul, because he thought they should have known better, along with the other members of New Haven. However, he was equally annoyed at the sailors. He had tried to do all he could to make them feel welcome, even going to Flint himself to try smoothing out the disputes that had arisen, all seemingly to no avail. If there was one thing Mack hated, it was being taken advantage of; Flint and his men were doing exactly that.

  They all had been locked in a large room that used to be a storeroom. One thing on the list to build was a proper jailhouse where people could be held for a night or two. However, until that was built this would have to suffice, especially for such a large group. Maggie left Mack to speak with those from New Haven, while Mack went and stood in front of the sailors and paced around, unable to mask his disappointment. The worst thing was that they all looked smug, and didn't seem to care about the havoc they had wrought. To them, nothing had any consequence, and Mack didn't know how to deal with people who had such little regard for authority. There were only two exceptions, the people who weren't involved. One was Flint, and the other was a thin man who barely had said a word to anyone since arriving in New Haven. Even though he was a part of the sailors' group, he didn't seem to fully belong, and had a nervous disposition.

  “You seem to think you can do anything you like here. While the world has ended and you've been used to being masters of your own fates, that doesn't mean anything goes. There are rules, and I think, so far, we've been pretty accommodating, but you can't expect us to let this behavior slide. I have worked hard to make the people here feel safe, and that means no brawls. I will not tolerate any future behavior like this. If something such as this happens again, you all will be shown to the gates, and sent back out into the city.

  “I'd love it if you all could stay here and join us but, New Haven has to come first. If you don't buy into our philosophy, we don't have a place for you. Oh, and from now on, your portions are going to be monitored closely. You've been reminded what life on land is like, so now it's time you remember how to be responsible. This isn't a resort, and we aren't here for your amusement.” Before any of them could respond he strode out and left them to ponder his words.

  Chapter Three

  Mack walked back out to where Maggie was standing. Mack glowered. Luis tried to apologize, but Mack raised his hand. Maggie opened her mouth to speak, too, but he glared at her and made it clear he didn't want to speak to them. This was a betrayal. He should have known that things wouldn't have gone smoothly when different groups of people were involved, but he had hoped people would have been able to control themselves. He wasn't perfect, but sometimes he had to remind himself that not everyone was like him, and they couldn't all have the emotional awareness that he shared. There was only one person he wanted to talk to, and that was Flint. New Haven had been through too much to see their peace ruined by these sailors, and they had far more important things to worry about.

  It only had been a short time, but already they were beginning to overstay their welcome, and this was something Mack had not spent much time thinking about. When he thought about New Haven he imagined people coming from all around to enjoy what they had to offer, but he had been so caught up in the shining idealized version of his dream he forgot about the practical realities of it. The truth was that some people just wouldn't be a good fit to stay in New Haven, and would have to be asked to leave. With the world in the state it was, Mack didn't want to turn anyone away, yet it was clear not everyone was going to want to take part in his perfect vision of the world.

  “This has to stop,” Mack said, finding Flint by himself, reading. Flint looked up and cocked an eyebrow. Mack remained calm, but he didn't make any attempts to hide the anger that seethed within him. “Did you hear what happened?”

  “Word travels fast in a place as small as this,” Flint said, unruffled by Mack's demeanor.

  “I've tried to be patient and polite with you, but we will not allow this anymore. You know what I'm trying to build here. When you let your men act like this it just undermines everything we're trying to achieve. I'm trying to give you a lot of slack, but at some point, there will be consequences for their actions. I’ll have to come down hard on you. I like you, Flint, and I really hope we can work this out, but I can't have brawls happening here. It's not good for anyone.”

  “I understand where you're coming from,” Flint said, snapping his book shut, “and I can only apologize for the actions of my men. I've tried telling them to rein in their behavior, but they are all adults, and I can only do so much.”

  “But you understand that I have to be hard with them.”

  “I understand all too well. I am sympathetic with your cause, believe me, but I can do little to change human nature. Life on the sea was...it made us look at the worst reflections of ourselves, and it will take us some time to get used to being with other people again. I don't know what else I can do other than offer my sincerest apologies.”

  Mack grunted and left it at that. Flint was one of the few people who was not intimidated by him, and while he enjoyed spending time with the captain, there was also something about him that unsettled Mack. Flint was quick to placate Mack, and offer him exactly what he wanted, without actually delivering on the promises. Flint only had been in his company for a few days, and Mack knew he still had to be wary as things were unpredictable.

  After seeing Flint, he called on Freddie to try gaining a professional's understanding of the situation.

  “Did you see this coming?” Mack asked.

  “The fight? Let's just say it didn't surprise me. Both New Haven and the sailors have a strong identity that are at odds with each other, and the sailors didn't exactly help their cause by being so headstrong in taking everything they wanted.”

  “What do you think about them?”

  “I've been trying to talk with them to try getting a better understanding of what they went through and how they coped out there, but they tend to stay together. It's typical defensive behavior, really. They're afraid to leave their pack, and they're acting aggressively to prevent others from disrupting their dynamic.”

  “Is that something you'd expect?”

  Freddie stroked his jaw. “I'm not surprised by it. Even before this they would have been a close-knit bunch. I get the impression some of them have served together for years, and being out at sea creates a strong bond. They've seen a lot of their brothers die, and that's only going to make the rest of them grow closer together. I wouldn't be surprised if they were just afraid that by becoming part of New Haven they would be losing themselves.”

  “That's no excuse for the way they've been acting, though.”

  “I try not to offer excuses, only reasons and explanations. But as I said, I haven't been able to talk with them as much as I'd have liked. It would make for a fascinating paper, not that anyone is around to read it...you've spent more time talking with Flint than any of us, what have you managed to glean from him?”

  “Not as much as I'd have liked. He hasn't really provided me with details of their time on the sea, at least not ones that give me a full picture of what they went through. He says it was difficult, and that it tested their measure as me
n, but he doesn't actually say what he means by that. I haven't pressed either. I thought it was best for them not to relive their experiences.”

  “Maybe you should,” Freddie said, “and I'll try making more of an effort on my end as well.”

  “I don't want to get to the point where we actually have to turn them away. I want to make this work. However, if they're going to carry on such as this, I don't know what else I can do.”

  “I think everyone else feels the same way. People like the idea of opening the gates to New Haven and giving people a safe place to live, but there must be some boundaries, and, at the moment, the sailors aren't respecting them at all. The hospitality we've shown them has been perfectly acceptable, and if you feel you must turn them away, I don't think you'll get any argument from anyone in New Haven.”

  “But at the same time, I don't want to make any more enemies. We've had enough of those recently.”

  “We can't control what they do, only how we react to it. But I think you've been clear about what you expect from them, and what the consequences will be if they don't meet those expectations, just like you have with everyone else who lives here.”

  Mack nodded and closed his eyes. A sluggish tiredness was coming over him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and his mouth opened in a wide yawn. He was well aware that being in this state impaired his judgment and decision making, but sleep didn't come easily to him when he had so much on his mind.

  The following morning, bruised and feeling sorry for himself, Luis was released. Maggie unlocked the door and gave him a withering stare as he shuffled out. The only solace was that he didn't have to face the sailors. Maggie already had released them, and Luis had heard the catcalls and wolf whistles as she unlocked their door. Their behavior still made him angry, but he no longer was seized by an uncontrollable rage. Seeing how Maggie, Mack, and especially Grace, had reacted filled him with shame. He felt as though he had let everyone down, and he wasn't looking forward to seeing Grace again, or the talk she had promised him.