The Water Wars - Cameron Stracher [30]
The way the pirates squeezed their supplies into the trucks was like a feat of magic. Not only were there weapons and explosives, but cans of food, fabric, blankets, clothing, shoes, electrical parts, tools, spare tires, oxygen, medicine, carbon blocks, nails, salt, chlorine, and iodine. There were even boxes of real beer which Ulysses would not let us near because, he claimed, it was worth more than everything else combined. In short they had all they needed for a prolonged journey or extended siege. “Be prepared,” said Ulysses. “That’s our motto.”
It seemed to be a silly motto, but Ulysses looked deadly serious as he hauled boxes into the back of the truck. The sweat shone on his brow despite the morning chill, and muscles flexed beneath his shirt. I tried to lift a box to help, but it was too heavy, so I occupied myself by gathering the small things the pirates had overlooked. Cheetah followed me everywhere I went, and I quickly learned to distinguish her from her sister, because Cheetah’s fur had flecks of black mixed in with the gold, she was smaller than Pooch, and her left ear flopped to one side. She even let me pet her and growled contentedly. It was hard to believe this was the same animal that had pursued us on the road, and it made me wonder whether I had been wrong to fear her at all.
Will wandered off to watch two pirates repair an axle, and before long he was scampering beneath the wheels and following their directions.
By noon the trucks were reorganized in an arrangement known only to the pirates. Nothing looked different, yet everything was in a new place. Ulysses gave the signal, and the men climbed into their vehicles. Will joined me in the front seat of the truck. Cheetah and Pooch squeezed into the small compartment behind us.
“The men are getting ready for a battle,” said Will.
“How do you know?”
“They told me.”
I didn’t believe it, although Will seemed sure. When I asked Ulysses, he just grunted. “Pirates are always prepared for battle,” he said. He wouldn’t say anything more.
“Didn’t you notice?” said Will. “Their tankers are empty. They’re going to steal what they can’t buy.”
“Pirates don’t steal,” said Ulysses. “We make offers people can’t refuse.”
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“It means they steal,” said Will.
Ulysses smiled.
If there was going to be a battle, I didn’t want to be in the middle of it. The Minnesotans—or whomever the pirates were meeting—would not give up their water without a fight. Although I didn’t understand the politics, I was certain the pirates couldn’t just drive into a republic, pay off the border guards, steal water, and drive out again. But that’s exactly what it appeared they were doing.
And what did it all have to do with Kai? If they were following him with empty tankers, he must be somewhere near water—maybe even the secret river. But that meant he was in the hands of the Minnesotans, which didn’t make much sense. Surely the Minnesotans didn’t need another driller; they got enough water from the Canadians and still had access to underground lakes. Crossing the border to kidnap two people was an international violation and an act of war. I couldn’t imagine why the Minnesotans would take that risk. Suddenly I was very scared.
I found Will’s hand and gripped it tightly. He squeezed back, and for a while that was all I needed.
By late afternoon the landscape had changed. Where there had been dust, dirt, and debris, there were now the faintest signs of civilization: a concrete bunker with smoke rising from a chimney; an electric car that wasn’t rusted or broken; roads that were nearly smooth; and the most telling sign of all—patches of green.
“They’re growing,” said Will, his voice hushed and awestruck.
Except for photos of Basin and the occasional hardy plant or backyard scrub, we rarely saw anything green that