David was half shocked and half admiring after Charlie’s revelation.

  “I very much did. As for what I’m going to do. That’s why we are having this conversation...” Charlie grinned.

  David looked at the two of them. Billy spoke softly.

  “I agree people will fight over this and the people who should benefit from this are you, well you and Camila and Charlie.”

  “Why us three?” David was curious, he didn’t get why Billy picked them.

  “Charlie found it, you and Camila are the reason we got off our butts and rescued all those people at all.”

  Charlie then picked up “Conveniently there is enough credit in the bank for three people to get the next stage of the rewards.”

  “We don’t even know what those rewards are…”

  “David, look dude. I’m pretty sure we are going to need the edge. Today was pretty good but there is no way that it’s enough. It only really came together because we all had a little extra to throw down with.”

  He continued on a darker note. “Also, don’t think I haven’t seen caution creeping into what we do. Take that Phil guy, he basically wants to stay here where it’s safe until someone comes and rescues us…

  Take my word for it. That position is tempting, I bet there won’t be as many of us out there tomorrow… Plus, I bet that more people will have plans to go out and try to save friends and family.”

  David thought Charlie had made some good points. Plus, he had information about just how badly things were going that he hadn’t shared with anyone. At first that had been due to shock from the Heralds revelation, then it had been the rush to get started. Finally, enough time had passed so that it now felt awkward.

  Now it felt like he couldn’t, because people were moving and happy. The bleak picture the Herald had shared of global events made it clear help wasn’t coming. Or if it did it would arrive, demand to know why they hadn’t rescued enough people and move on to the next crisis.

  They had rescued hundreds, maybe that stacked up favorably against other safe zones, maybe not. He somehow doubted that it was a leading performance that would make them the protagonists in an epic story of human courage.

  He also realized that unclaimed rewards might never be cashed in if the Herald started folding safe zones or diverting resources to where they were more needed because the people were taking their damn rewards.

  Plus, the buzz of making significant gains was alluring.

  “Look, you can assign this to yourself right now. Find out what the reward is and then we can decide if we need more of those rewards or if a bunch of lower tier ones would be better…”

  David wanted more information, he also didn’t want to be the guy who grabbed a big prize at the expense of others. He would have gone into the more cut throat parts of the world of finance instead of being an analyst who, admittedly, helped those ruthless people make the best calls.

  Still, it was a part of his identity that he had even articulated when out drinking with his university buddies after accepting the job offer. He never said it out loud but IF he had been offered one of those jobs, maybe as a trader or hedge fund bro he wasn’t sure he wouldn’t have taken it.

  Right now greed was warring with an ingrained sense of fair play. It would be so easy to get Charlie to give him the reward. Still conflicting with all that was hope for this new community forming around him, and the realization that a few selfish actions could strangle it before it took its first steps.

  He was being offered power, easy power that he didn’t feel he had earned. Tropes of the villain justifying their actions by saying ‘greed is good’ warred with stories where compounding advantages saved the world in the hands of heroes. Maybe he read too many fantasy stories and not enough real-world ethics.

  In the real world hogging other people’s hard-earned rewards wasn’t viewed well. OK, it was in certain circles but they were generally considered the bad guys but ordinary folks like him.

  All of this flashed through David’s mind at speed. It clearly played across his face too. There was an expression of growing understanding on Charlie’s face as he watched this internal war fight out.

  “Look man. I could do that, probably should do that, but I don’t want to...” he trailed off “…you know make the wrong call.”

  David nodded to the younger man. “You did the right thing talking this over. We don’t need to decide right now. Let’s at least take your idea and talk to Camila before we do anything. She would be getting one of the rewards if we do things your way…”

  Charlie nodded reluctantly.

  The feast was a huge success. Grills laden with premium meats sent a heavenly aroma up all around the park while cakes and pies were served with half-melted ice cream. Salads and bread complimented the other food, and the park took on a festive atmosphere like a block party. Copious quantities of beer as well as soft drinks appeared as people who lived here dipped into their stashes to compliment the limited amounts of booze the raiders had picked up.

  Someone started playing music using a speaker system and generator and for a couple of hours everyone forgot what was going on around them as kids played and adults let their worries recede for at least a little while.

  The raid party were treated like heroes and frequently retold stories that took on ever more epic proportions as people broke out and shared harder liquor once the food was largely consumed.

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  Throughout this time David tried to get Camila alone to talk to her, glad that people were willing to give him space.

  He probably should have noticed the number of conversations that broke off as he approached but he was too distracted.

  He never did pin her down and after being deflected for the third time he almost gave up, realizing she was deliberately avoiding him.

  Finally, he resorted to Sarah. Getting her to talk to him was easy. It was almost as though she had been waiting for him to try this angle after watching him fail to pin Camila down.

  “Look, you were a jerk! She’s upset and will forgive you in a couple of days. You just need to take your medicine. My advice. Suffer ostentatiously where she can see…”

  “Sarah, will that really help?” David was exasperated by this point. Too focused on the bombshell Charlie had dropped he was already past what he viewed as a minor thing said in passing.

  Sarah smirked. “I have no idea, but it will be fun to find out, I don’t think any boys have ever tried that angle with her…”

  “Really. Sarah. This is important. Charlie found something out which I need to talk to Camila about. In private. Well, away from most people our group would be fine I guess…”

  Sarah just looked at him, amusement rolling off her. Then she stopped, actually looked at him and then blurted out.

  “Oh crap. You’re completely serious. This isn’t about you telling her to her face her mother is probably dead and shambling around out there.”

  David flinched, reinterpreted by Sarah his words didn’t sound good.

  “Look, I’ll apologize for that too. This is really important and could have some pretty big implications for her.”

  Sarah nodded. “OK, I’ll get her there, but the first words out of your mouth better be an apology or she won’t hear the rest.” She paused “you want everyone there?”

  David thought quickly, if this came out those involved could be seen as acting against the group, stealing even. Finally, he said “Your call. I would prefer just her to start. All I’ll say is that…” He bent and whispered in her ear “if you join you could be implicated…”

  Sarah grinned and batted her eyelashes at him. “Sexy! Well in that case…” David was dimly aware of a group of people, one of the ones he had been bumping into periodically, giving them some space as Sarah took his arm and led him away firmly.

  As they walked, she spoke softly. “I don’t know why the cloak and dagger, but you would make a terrible secret agent!”

  She found a secluded spot where several trees grew close together away from the noise and tables and spoke firmly. “Wait here, out of sight and remember the apology!”

  Then she was gone and David was left to reflect that what had started as Charlie being smart and curious had now started to look more like a conspiracy.

  Their behavior was exactly that of people stabbing the group in the back for personal gain.

  His internal voice sounded suspiciously like Mary, his big sister always lectured him when he was doing something dumb as a kid.

  David stayed hidden until he heard people approaching. He stepped out when he heard Sarah.

  “Now Cammie, you need to promise not to be mad and hear him out!”

  As he stepped out from behind the tree Camila froze before glaring at her friend.

  “I have nothing to say to…”

  Before she could get any further David moved closer. “Look, this is important.”

  A glare from Sarah and he changed tack, launching into an apology.

  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you…”

  Camila just glared at him, only Sarahs grip on her arm stopped her from whirling away.

  “Look, I really, really didn’t want to hurt you. You’re strong, and smart, and I know nothing about you or where you are coming from. So let me share where I was when I said that. I hope you’ll understand.”

  “I’m on the other side of the country from my family. I can’t get to them, and I think about everything. All the time.”

  Camila snorted “Duh” so no revelation there.

  “It’s what I do and it’s how I cope. My Mum and Dad are older, retired. They were in their forties when they had me and they take meds. Every day. Both of them. They do OK most days, on the meds. Hell, I don’t even know what exactly they take. Dad had a heart attack when I was a kid and Ma well Ma just says she is falling apart a bit.”

  Both Sarah and Camila looked shocked at the raw emotion in his voice.

  “I know they probably didn’t make it. That they are probably dead, and I’ll never see them again. I deal with that by accepting it and facing the facts. Facts are Facts. They taught me that. I can’t stop my brain, so I have to be as cold and clear as possible about stuff like that. If I leave myself room to speculate, room to hope, I’ll be a mess. I won’t be able to do anything else but hyper focus on the slim chance they are OK, on how that might work and then on and on.”

  He sucked in a breath. “I didn’t think about how you might take that bluntness. I’m coping by rejecting hope. Part of me had to correct you about the odds, your opinion matters to me, so I can’t convince myself that I’m standing by the facts and remain functional if I don’t correct you. That was a jerk thing to do and I didn’t think about how it would affect you or how you would hear it.”

  David finished taking a deep breath. “All I can do is apologize and promise that I’ll always weigh everything I know and try to do the best I can for you.” Glancing at Sarah he added “and all the others”

  The girls shared a look that told him that last bit had come out too slowly…

  Camila responded. “I get it, now you explain it. It’s so you it isn’t even funny. Let me be clear, it felt like you were killing Mami in front of me. That hurt and I can’t forgive you easily, it’s going to get me riled up every time I think about it.”

  Then she sucked in a deep breath “I also acknowledge that this is the end of the world and we don’t have time for me to be a little Princesa and treat you horribly until I finally forgive you. So, let’s call it a truce. We need to work together.”

  David nodded then he spoke softly. “Look, I don’t want to give you whiplash by moving on too fast but there is something else you need to know, something that could put you at odds with everyone here. Sarah, it’s decision time, you can’t unhear this if I tell you.”

  Both girls stayed and he explained what Charlie had discovered and more importantly how he wanted to use the power nobody knew he had.

  “Well at least he talked it over with you before he did anything… What was that boy thinking, are ALL men socially inept of just the ones I’m hanging out with?”

  Sarah just shook her head. “You’re right, I can’t unhear that but frankly I probably needed to hear it given how bad all of you are a scheming.”

  David looked at her “What? Why is that relevant.”

  At that moment the music cut off and there was a brief whine from the speaker before Phil’s voice spread across the park.

  “All right folks! I hope everyone has had enough to eat and is feeling comfortable? I and the other members of the Leadership Team wanted to take this opportunity to answer your questions as well as laying out the plans for tomorrow and the upcoming days.”

  Sarah spoke softly. “That’s why. I don’t think either of you saw that coming. We had better get back!”

  Camila was much more direct. “That Slimy little toad! I was talking to him while we were unloading and he didn’t mention this, at all! Who are these leaders!”

  David was thinking. This was far too familiar; he had seen similar stitch up jobs at work when someone presented something controversial as a done deal.

  “We need to get back, sit down with Charlie and hear what he has to say…”

  Sarah nodded, Camila looked confused, then looked at Sarah before nodding.

  Silently the three moved back towards the gathering. Now David saw half a dozen people stood up near Phil. Another man in the back operating a sound board.

  Now David was seeing things differently. The small groups of men circling the edge of the crowd were clearly looking for something, or someone.

  Most importantly, similar groups had been falling silent when he walked past since before the feast, only he hadn’t paid any attention.