Enclave

By Thomas Locke

Nearly one hundred years have passed since the Great Crash. What was once America is now a collection of enclaves, governed at the local level and only loosely tied together by the farce of a federal government.

Catawba, one of the largest and most affluent enclaves in the southern region, is relatively stable. It maintains successful business relations with nearby enclaves. But when a new vein of gold is discovered beneath the feet of its citizens, it's only a matter of time before trouble finds them.

Now Catawba's fate depends on an untried young trader named Caleb. Could his plan help secure the enclave's future?

Yet Caleb is keenly aware that if his secret were exposed, he would not live to see another dawn.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Nov 20, 2018
• ISBN: 9781493413980

Book preview

Table of Contents

Cover

Endorsements

Contents

Books by Thomas Locke

Title Page

Copyright Page

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

Sneak Peek of Recruits

1

About the Author

Back Ads

Back Cover

List of Pages

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

79

80

81

82

83

84

85

86

87

88

89

90

91

92

93

94

95

96

97

98

99

100

101

102

103

104

105

106

107

108

109

110

111

112

113

114

115

116

117

118

119

120

121

122

123

124

125

126

127

128

129

130

131

132

133

134

135

136

137

138

139

140

141

142

143

144

145

146

147

148

149

150

151

152

153

154

155

156

157

158

159

160

161

162

163

164

165

166

167

168

169

170

171

172

173

174

175

176

177

178

179

180

181

182

183

184

185

186

187

188

189

190

191

192

193

194

195

196

197

198

199

200

201

202

203

204

205

206

207

208

209

210

211

212

213

214

215

216

217

218

219

220

221

222

223

224

225

226

227

228

229

230

231

232

233

234

235

236

237

238

239

240

241

242

243

244

245

246

247

248

249

250

251

252

253

254

255

256

257

258

259

260

261

262

263

264

265

266

267

268

269

271

273

274

275

276

277

278

279

280

281

282

283

284

285

Praise for Fault Lines

"The pacing is excellent, grabbing readers with danger and excitement right away and keeping the interest throughout. Intriguing and stimulating, Fault Lines is the newest must-read."

RT Book Reviews

Locke combines intense action, credible science fiction, and larger-than-life characters for an enjoyable ride.

Publishers Weekly

Praise for Recruits

"Locke’s newest novel has everything that readers love. Both intelligent and fast-paced, Recruits draws readers in quickly and holds their attention throughout. . . . This is definitely a must-read!"

RT Book Reviews, 4½ stars

"Recruits is an accessible, clean science fiction novel ideal for those looking for titles with heart, thoughtfulness, and family values."

Foreword Reviews

Praise for Renegades

Locke weaves multiple exciting narratives, connecting them in unexpected ways, in this fast-paced novel about war, family, and government secrets.

Booklist

Contents

Cover

Endorsements

Books by Thomas Locke

Title Page

Copyright Page

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

Sneak Peek of Recruits

1

About the Author

Back Ads

Back Cover

Books by Thomas Locke

LEGENDS OF THE REALM

Emissary

Merchant of Alyss

The Golden Vial

FAULT LINES

Fault Lines

Trial Run

Flash Point

RECRUITS

Recruits

Renegades

Enclave

© 2018 by T. Davis Bunn

Published by Revell

a division of Baker Publishing Group

PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.revellbooks.com

Ebook edition created 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

ISBN 978-1-4934-1398-0

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

1

The night was beyond black. The windless air condensed the fog into droplets that clung to every surface. Kevin Ritter was on lead. Behind him, twenty-six refugees were strung out in a terror-stricken line. He could hear the panting whispers, he could sense their fear. He had not been out on the line in six months, maybe longer. He had almost forgotten the coppery taste of such dread, or how every minute stretched into hours. Or the weight of every delay.

Kevin flicked on his pocket light, then flashed it again. Both times the mist glowed like weightless jewels. The woman behind him shivered so hard it fractured her breaths. She probably did not even realize she moaned. Her name was Carla, and she was twenty-two, three years younger than he, and very beautiful. Her boyfriend, Pablo, was next in the line. Kevin disliked knowing their names. But they had both introduced themselves, as if the connection were important. Kevin found it best not to forge such bonds with refugees. When he did, they crowded his dreams. But Carla was different. She reminded Kevin of his ex-fiancée. But Kevin’s love was lost to him now, and there was nothing he could do about it except yearn for all that would never be.

Carla had confided that they were refugees from Richmond and had fled in order to keep her boyfriend safe. Kevin resisted the urge to tell them to turn around, go home, accept whatever was required to live within Richmond’s boundaries. Now they were just another pair of ragged survivors, clutching at the slim hope that Kevin’s team could slip them under the wire, fashion the myth of a new ID, and help them forge a new life in Charlotte Township. That was why Kevin risked his life working with the underground railroad. For people like Carla.

Far in the distance a lamp glowed and disappeared, then a second time. Kevin turned to Carla and said, Wait here for me. Watch for my signal. When you move, keep low and keep silent. Pass it down the line.

What if you don’t make it back?

She was the kind of woman the bounty hunters preyed on. The militia would eat her alive. Which was probably what fueled her terror. Kevin knew there was nothing he could say that would make it all right. So he said again, Stay here and stay quiet.

Like the original underground railroad of three centuries earlier, groups of concerned citizens had secretly banded together to help the helpless. Unlike the earlier version, however, Kevin’s team did not ship their refugees north. According to rumors, the north was in worse shape than here. Their one hope was to sneak the survivors inside. Fashion new identities. Hide them in plain sight. Doctors became janitors. Engineers turned into carpenters. But there was at least the chance to keep their families together and fed.

Kevin crawled down the gutter on his belly. The wet gravel sawed at his elbows and ribs and knees. A hundred and fifty yards farther on, the electrified border fence had been lifted and bound to the next strand, then replaced with a plastic imitation painted to mimic the rust-streaked steel. He waited a long moment, breathing with his mouth open, listening and scouting. He saw no patrols, so he turned back and waved them forward.

No matter how much they warned the refugees, no matter how sternly the parents spoke to their children, twenty-six untrained people were bound to make a lot of noise. Kevin lifted his head above the gutter’s lip and scouted the night. Finally they were crouched behind him, clumped in so tightly he could smell the sweet tea Carla had drunk before leaving their last hiding place. He hissed for silence and listened. Then he aimed his pocket light and flashed twice. Three minutes or an eternity later, the light responded.

Follow me. Stay close. Pass it down the line. Kevin lifted the fake fence and lashed it into place. He then lowered himself back into the moist grit lining the gully and crawled.

The gutter ran down the west side of the border market, a motley assortment of stalls and taverns. Kevin had not made this trip in two years, not since he had been named co-leader of the local underground. He had followed the example of his father, who had led the railroad until his death, by remaining unseen. His father had been a sheriff’s deputy, killed in the line of duty when he stopped highwaymen from robbing a wagonload of refugees. His mother ran the underground now, though only a select few were aware of this fact. Kevin had started serving with the railroad at sixteen.

Their destination was the market’s largest vegetable stall, connected on the far wall to a tavern owned by the same proprietor and reputed to have the best food in the border region. Where the two establishments came together, the owner had erected a small warehouse she used for storing both produce and kegs. The rear wall hung slightly over the gutter, as though the owner had overbuilt by error. Kevin slipped under the ledge, turned on his back, and knocked three times.

The warehouse floor came up, a light shone into his face, and a woman hissed, Who on earth are you?

Emergency replacement. Kevin slipped the paper from his pocket and handed it up.

She gave the drawn symbol a careful inspection. Where’s Clem?

Broke his leg. You should have received word.

I did. But you stay alive by staying vigilant. She handed back the paper, uncocked her pistol, and offered him a hand. So you’re the new Clem.

For this one night.

She watched Kevin emerge, her eyes widening when she saw his size. Big one, ain’t you. You the teacher’s boy?

Yes. That was how his mother was known, for she taught political history at Charlotte University. We’ll make other arrangements tomorrow. But no one else was available, and the shelter is full to the brim with another group due in.

The stallholder grunted her acceptance and waited as Kevin helped the refugees rise into the hold. The woman told Carla and her boyfriend, You two, come help me serve food.

She and her volunteers began handing out steaming plates and mugs. It was the first hot meal most refugees had eaten in days.

When all were served, Kevin asked the proprietor, When do they move out?

Soon as they’ve eaten. You know the destination?

Yes.

Tell me.

Kevin heard the guarded tone and saw the massive six-shooter’s handle protruding from her apron belt. Such suspicion became deeply embedded among long-term workers on the underground. They helped the refugees out of principle. Every day refugees like these were robbed, assaulted, murdered. It was against the Charlotte law to help illegals’ entry. Over time the dread of capture gnawed at them all.

He replied, The uptown shelter. By the old stone church.

Vigilance. That’s the key to waking up tomorrow. She waited while the group ate off tin plates filled with her thick, rich stew. All right, everyone. Gather your belongings and follow me.

Between the tavern and the shop was a narrow alcove used for unloading supplies. A produce truck was parked tail in, the rear flap open, the floorboards removed. The first refugees climbed the wooden steps and balked at what they saw inside.

The woman was ready for this. You’ll be crammed in tight as sardines, but you’ll also be safe. No one will ever think there’s room down there for anything, much less all you lot. And remember, we’ll be halted at least once for inspection. When you hear the brakes, stop breathing. If an infant so much as whimpers, we’re all dead.

After that, the loading went swiftly enough. Packs were used as headrests, and gradually the truck bed became filled with prone bodies, arms clasping the person in front. Kevin remained at the foot of the wooden steps, handing up bundles and infants, urging on the hesitant.

Last in line were the lovely young woman and her boyfriend. At a sign from her, Pablo clambered in first. Carla drew Kevin a step away and said, You have changes coming. None of them are welcome. All of them are vital.

Kevin felt a sense of electric dread at the words. He realized Carla was one of those known as a special, gifted in some unexplained fashion. He also now understood why the couple had been forced to flee. Will I survive?

You and those you are closest to. The young woman showed Kevin a fathomless gaze. But only if you heed my call to flee.

That shocked him utterly. "Your call?"

She nodded. When that happens, you must find safety in the company of those called abominations.

Kevin replied, No one deserves that tag.

And that is why you must survive. Carla stepped toward the truck. Be ready for the change when it comes.

Kevin watched her climb up and fit herself in the overtight space. He had a hundred more questions he wanted to ask, a thousand new fears that would ignite his dark hours. But he stayed silent and helped the tavern owner set the floorboards back in place. They tossed empty burlap bags over the scarred surface, retied the canvas backing, and closed the rear gate.

Areas of uptown had been refitted as massive greenhouses to feed the hungry township. The militia troops manning the inner-city checkpoints would scarcely glance at a produce truck making the pre-dawn run.

Kevin stood watching as the truck rumbled off. Then he locked the storeroom’s outer door and returned to the secret entry point by the far wall.

He dropped into the gully, carefully resealed the floor panel, and started crawling. He tried not to think about Carla and her strange words. For people like that, there was probably no hope of survival. Even if they did survive, Kevin had no way of knowing where they might land, or how to contact them if he wanted to. Which he most definitely did not.

2

The sunset was a brilliant Carolina symphony when Caleb stepped from the house. He nodded a greeting to the seven armed clansmen who circled the garden fence. The men were hardshells, a term from the distant past when their forebears populated the western hills, following codes as hard as local granite. The narrow-faced hillsmen were why the enclave had recently voted against permitting so-called abominations to live among them. Sooner or later Caleb’s closely guarded secret was going to come out. When it did, he would become just another notch on someone’s rifle.

Caleb resembled many of the enclave’s young men, tall and strong. He knew some considered him striking, with his tangle of blond hair and the cleft in his chin and his ice-grey eyes. As he approached the two loaded wagons, the smells enveloped him. The stoppered jugs were nestled in fresh straw that held a meadowy fragrance. The rear of each wagon was crammed with victuals and bedrolls and camping gear and Caleb’s personal effects. The jugs’ contents spiced the air. The first wagon held applejack, the second mostly plum brandy. To Caleb’s mind both fruits had been distorted by the distillation, but the fragrance was pleasant enough. There were also a dozen or so jugs of corn whiskey, and Caleb found that smell revolting.

Those jugs and their contents were nothing but a mask.

Eleven months earlier, Dorsey’s clan had discovered a vein of gold in their mine. Lucky for the enclave and all their futures, Dorsey led the hill clan that was most trusted, most stable, most capable of understanding the risks that the gold carried. Dorsey’s tight-lipped family could also best hold the secret intact. Not just now. For all the years to come.

The region where the Catawba enclave was located, in the Appalachian foothills straddling the North and South Carolina border, had been home to America’s earliest gold mines. Back before the Revolutionary War, back before all the violent events that had made and remade their world, the Catawba mines had supplied the gold that was minted into America’s first money.

Not a dozen people in the entire state were aware of this, of course. But Marsh, Caleb’s father, thrived on such information. He would have taught history at the local community college had he not been so gifted as a trader. Even so, Marsh never lost his passion for learning. Especially about the nation that was now little more than a name and a collection of old myths.

The few people involved all knew the stakes the gold represented. If word ever got out, Charlotte Township would invade, envelop, and put to death their way of life.

Three weeks earlier, Caleb had gone down inside the mine. He and Marsh were the only outsiders granted that privilege. The mine had originally been dug for copper, and the same smelting operation was now used for purifying the gold. The vein itself was a narrow string, scarcely thicker than Caleb’s thumb. But the purity was astonishing.

When Caleb had returned to the realm of sky and fresh air, he had seen the feverish glint reflected in the miners’ faces. Caleb then understood what his father repeated every time the gold was discussed.

No one could ever know.

The door opened behind him, and his father appeared with two hillsmen. Marsh called over, How are things, Son?

Everything’s fine, Pa. The wagons are ready.

Marsh turned to the two bearded men. Gentlemen, our business is concluded.

Both hillsmen wore the same odd getup—dark jackets and trousers, scuffed high-top boots, and collarless shirts. The younger of the two was Harshaw, leader of the enclave’s largest clan. Dorsey’s and Harshaw’s families had been feuding for generations. A single look at Harshaw’s burning gaze was enough to confirm that this man could never know about the wagon’s secret treasure.

I still say we’re giving you too much, Harshaw said.

Dorsey replied, The bargain’s been set in place for months now. And it’s been agreed on unanimously by the Catawba elders.

"I didn’t

Reviews for Enclave

[dfbone_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I fascinating take on a futuristic America. I found the breakdown of civilization to be distressingly believable, but with enough of a fantasy element to make it enjoyable. I could definitely foresee a sequel in the making and look forward to future stories in this timeline.

[becky_l-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” This quote by William Shakespeare comes to mind as I finish Enclave by Thomas Locke(Davis Bunn). Indeed, Kevin and Caleb, two of the major players of this dystopian scenario, are just going about their daily business as we first meet them. Kevin is a deputy by day and “underground railroad” leader at night. Caleb is the untried son of a successful enclave leader, whose group needs to keep their discovery of gold a secret. The two young men are eventually joined together as they try to protect “specials” from the various officials that want this dangerous group destroyed. There is a bit of violence in a novel of this nature, which causes me to recommend it for older audiences. Once I understood the direction of the story, the tension built incrementally until I felt like I was clutching the bottom of my seat as I raced for the ending. I did feel like I was in an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie. What a movie that would be! The end itself is nebulous enough to allow for a sequel.I liked the fact that each person in the group has to figure out his gift and use it for the team to work. This reminds us of the body of Christ. While some gifts seemed more impressive or had more wow-power than others, none could be ignored for the group to accomplish its objective. And what an objective that is! I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and NetGalley. I am not obligated to leave a positive review, and all opinions are my own responsibility.

[jillrey · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The dystopian concept within Enclave felt in part wild west and apocalyptic. However, the lack of scene development and descriptors made it hard to fully visualize events as they unfolded. The character relationships and “adept” abilities redeemed the otherwise quick read, and as the story is left hanging, it seems a sequel may be in our future. *Disclaimer: A review copy of this book was provided by the publisher; all opinions are my own.

[Wendy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This story had me hooked from the first page. Loved it! Thomas Locke (aka Davis Bunn) has a way of keeping the tension high through every book he writes.

[ldvoorberg · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

This story is so horrible I don't know if I should even waste my time writing about all the ways it fails.-the main characters, all heroes, are all men (likely caucasian, because there are references to others as African-American, Hispanic, Latino)-yes, there are a few female characters but they feel like tokens-all the "good people" are generally attractive, speak proper English, and are "liked" by the other characters (I'm not sure why it is so important, but incidental characters who are helpful and on the side of the good guys are "liked" by the main characters -- seriously, the author uses the word like, as in "Kevin liked this guy". Terrible writing)-all the "bad guys" (and they're generally all male except for a few token females) are ugly, badly dressed, and/or speak uneducated English as though they were raised in a rural, non-schooled environment. Oh I wish the world was so neatly divided and it was so simple to distinguish the good people from the bad people.-speaking of neat divisions, while this book would officially fit in a "dystopia" category, as it takes place 300 years in the future, it is more of a utopia. If your perfect world is Wild West meets the Incredibles/X-men. The guns are all rifles and pistols, they use horse & buggy (eventually trucks that never run out of fuel or breakdown), the heroes have literally struck gold, and when they get to their destination (Atlanta...a reference to the city of Atlantis or just Southern pride, I can't tell) it is like they enter the Emerald City of Oz because suddenly there are all of our modern conveniences. --Which is leads to my next critique, for a civilization 300 years in the future NOTHING HAS CHANGED. There is no new technology, they use the one remaining satellite for a GPS phone, but otherwise it is today's stuff or 150 years ago tech. Yes, there is some unexplained "Great Crash" but 300 years gives them a lot of time to re-invent or invent new stuff. No imagination for what this world would look like other than what currently exists (even in the Emerald City/Atlanta. And the racial divisions that exist today still exist in this story. I'm hoping 300 years of procreation blends the population to greatly diminish these lines or at least change the terminology. But not in this world.-the premise of the book is to rescue a main character's love. Groan. The men actually say they feel like warriors, and the girl just knew he'd find her. All the male characters want to get married and have a family and it's so Little House on the Prairie in terms of family values. (Yes, I know this is a Christian publisher but it's very conservative right). The treatment and attitude towards women is enough to make this book terrible. it's not overt, but it is blatant when you open your eyes.-the super powers of the "extras" (my term for the characters who have genetic modifications; they are called specials or mentats in the book, but they get no personalities and many would barely get a credit line beyond "Special #1" if this was a movie), anyways, the superpowers are pulled out so perfectly at the end and so neatly conquer the enemy that it isn't interesting. "it would be helpful to scramble the brains of the guards so they just let us in" "oh, we have someone who can do that" etc. They talk about needing a leader (our heroes) but these people have such great powers, why are they treated like minions who have no brains of their own and couldn't organize themselves without some man who feels specially called to lead them?That's enough. I think this book goes straight to the blue bin. I got it through LibraryThing early reviewers...a few years ago. It took a pandemic for me to actually read it. That in itself is telling.

[nancyno5 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I won this book in exchange for an honest review.Thomas Locke's novel Enclave takes us on a familiar trip set in a post apocalyptic America where the powers that be are out of control and the struggle ordinary citizens have against this oppressive regime. As a backdrop you have a dystopian setting and that is blended in with the heart of the plot which is about American citizens who are different and their quest to find a place where they can be accepted. However, it is not race that sets them apart, but 'special abilities'. Several characters are involved and they are quite clearly defined as was the plot. My only suggestion is that the book was not deep enough. I felt what I was reading was a first draft. Locke could have taken this story and easily doubled the pages. I felt there were many opportunities where sub-plots could have been expanded.Overall it was an enjoyable read, I liked the characters and the overall story.

[bokai_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A good, quick read with no glaring problems. Lest I damn with faint praise here's what I liked about Enclave.It's optimistic and focuses on what good people can do when they work together. Sometimes you just want a little decency in your fiction, and Enclave has that. The writing is smooth and what I would expect of the better sort of straight forward speculative fiction. The plot travels at a decent place and the southern US setting comes through strongly, which gives the story a lot of its flavor. Even though the premise of the story, where a bunch of psychics are being rounded up and have navigate a nearly lawless post-apocalyptic America, creates some problems with power imbalance the book manages to maintain a certain amount of tension. When I was reading it I was wondering to myself if this is supposed to be YA, both because I don't know what qualifies as YA at all anymore and because the story is very simple. It's made simpler by the fact that the main protagonist is capable of determining the intentions of the people around him, which gives him an edge in decision making and removes a sense of anticipation from the reader. This power doesn't give him complete plot armor, but it does make it hard to see how he could slip up. The worldbuilding is okayish. I liked the way the book setup the breakdown of society better than many post apocalpses, but the whole idea of how "specials" were made and what's happening with them is best handwaved.The ending is a bit of an messy action scene but the rest of the book that comes before is a nicely paced, human-level plot that made me care enough read through in a few sittings. I'm curious enough about what will happen next. While the immediate plot is resolved by the end, there's clearly a setup to sequels, and a lot is still left in the air by the last page.

[sgk1776 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When I started this book, I had no idea where it was headed. It was unpredictable and tense and I wanted to find out what would happen. The ending was excellent and I was so happy to see where the author went with the idea.The characters are likable and I grew more attached to them with every page. I know the characters are good when I'm afraid to keep reading because I hope nobody dies in the story.As I read the last few chapters I wanted to stop reading because the story was so intense, but I wasn't able to because I had to find out what happened. It was like being glued to a scary movie scene.The world in this book is believable and imaginative. I was interested to see how people would live their daily lives in that kind of environment. It was familiar yet unfamiliar because it mentioned places I've heard of but showed them in a much different condition. It was futuristic but almost felt historical in some ways.The tone of the book could have been very dark, but instead was full of hope. Although I would classify this book as dystopian, in some ways it felt like a thriller. It was a ride from beginning to end, and I loved it.