For the first time in a long while, Woody felt confused. He was momentarily speechless as he reflected on Roger's words. After Hot Dog and Alexi perished, he'd simply wanted to give up. Feeling crushed by the weight of his foolishness and bravado in Kansas, he literally lost the will to live for awhile. It was Mace, once again, that pulled him to safety once they'd found a new home.
Refusing to allow Woody to simply fade from life, Mace used the skills he'd learned as a big brother to reach him and help him regain his inner strength. Mace knew he couldn't fail another child: He couldn't lose another child. Saving Woody might somehow ease the guilt of Jason's death. After all these years, Jason's death still haunted him.
Their bond changed as Mace's condition worsened. With Jade taking care of Jason and another child on the way, Mace began grooming Woody to take over the camp, making security top priority. As Mace's personality turned darker, so did Woody's, and he emulated his role model, learning techniques that would keep them safe at all costs.
As Mace and Lisa patrolled more and spent more time outside of camp, Mace and Woody's roles started reversing. The camp's safety and security inside the walls became Woody's responsibility, and it gave him his sense of purpose. The more involved he got, the greater his ability and influence. It became his own form of redemption. It was all he ever contemplated.
Returning to the present, Woody stared inquisitively at Roger, recognizing Roger's interpretation as correct. Everything we do is based on fear, he realized. But what other choice do we have? "Stay here," he suddenly said. “I’ll send somebody back for you.” He wanted to think things through on his own.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Kelly said, “We need to figure out how to murder the munchkins. They’re not the cute, whimsical types.”
Peeking out the curtains, Roger said quietly, “Too soon to tell. They’re young. They might come around.”
“Yeah, and we may end up being Mohawk food.”
As Woody led the prisoner and the boys away, Roger let the curtain drop. “Maybe,” he said softly, “and maybe not.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
As soon as Mace left Lisa’s, he spotted Woody walking towards him with the group of boys and prisoner in tow.
“Is the other guy inside?” Woody asked as they came together.
“Yeah, but he, uh, is going to be busy for a little while.”
Woody gave him a strange look.
“It’s all good,” Mace answered. “What do you plan on doing with this guy?” Mace looked Saul over and noticed the fresh bruises on his face.
“I thought we’d go have a talk with him. Find out what he knows.” Several boys groaned. Their hearts were set on an execution.
“We could use the office in the convent,” Mace said.
“Let’s do it.”
Mace couldn’t help but smile as he turned to address Chelsea. She had the lizard back under her shirt. “See ya, Chelse. Why don’t you check out the barn for me?”
Chelsea winked, happy that he'd kept her secret. “Going right now,” she said, as Herman squirmed up and stuck his head out the top of her shirt. She picked up her pace so no one would notice.
Inside the convent office, Saul sat on a chair with his hands bound behind him. Sitting in front of him, Mace’s face was no more than a few inches away.
“You’re lucky you made it this far,” Mace said, his eyes penetrating and dark. “Why did you steal from us?”
Avoiding eye contact, Saul kept his eyes trained on the ground. Sweat dripped down his face. He looked like a man defeated. “We thought you were going to kill us. We didn’t want to steal the bikes. We just wanted to get away.”
From behind Mace, Woody responded. “We gave you the option to leave. You didn’t take it.”
“We didn’t believe you,” Saul answered quietly. Still gazing at the floor, his shirt was soaked with sweat. “We figured we were dead either way.” His lifted his head to make eye contact with Mace. “If you’re gonna kill me, just get it over with.”
“Not so quick,” said Mace. “How did you get out and how did you avoid the mines?”
Saul’s head lulled in front of him. “We waited ‘til there was a guard rotation, then just stuck to the bike tracks. We walked the bikes the first quarter mile.”
Mace felt fire run through his veins. He couldn’t believe it had been that easy to escape. Their camp was made to keep people out though, not in.
“Could I talk to you?” Woody suddenly interjected, addressing Mace.
Mace continued to lock eyes with Saul, feeling the need grow inside. The darkness slowly expanded. “Sure,” he answered as he eyeballed Saul. He slowly rose and turned to face Woody.
“Outside,” Woody said quietly, pointing to the door with his head.
“What’s up?” Mace asked, once they were outside the office.
“I think we should let him go.”
A weird feeling came over Mace. The need to kill grew stronger. “Why would we want to do that?” He felt ready to explode.
“To show we're not tyrants.”
The words bounced around in Mace’s head for a few seconds. They suddenly took on the voice of Father McCann, repeating words spoken before he’d been taken over by the toxin. “A leader without compassion will only become a tyrant.”
Mace felt the hardness in his heart. The words defined him. While no longer technically their leader, they still looked to him for guidance. Like a ripple in a pond, his darkness spread over the entire camp. He suddenly felt like a form of cancer. “Let him go,” Mace said as he tried to ignore the pull. “Give him his horse and possessions and send him on his way. We’re not tyrants.”
“Good. I’m glad you agree. If he tries to come back, we kill him.”
“Let’s go tell him the good news,” Mace said, trying to control the burn inside.
They walked back in the room and Saul closed his eyes.
“We’re going to let you go,” Woody said calmly. “You’ll get your horse back and the possessions you and your partners came with. Don’t ever come back, though. You stole from us. You come back and we’ll have no choice but to finish you off.”
Saul almost broke down at the words. He took a few deep breaths and said, “Could you untie me, please. I think I might just throw up.”
As Saul walked through the front door of their home unescorted, Roger and Kelly both looked over his shoulder.
“You alone?” asked Roger, surprised.
“I’m outta here. If I were you, I’d do the same.”
“They’re letting you go?” questioned Kelly, shooting a glance at Roger. “Maybe we should bail while we can?”
“They’re not going to just let me leave. At least not right now. If you want to go with Saul, I’ll see if I can arrange it.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Kelly said in all seriousness.
“I’ve got two minutes,” answered Saul as he grabbed his things and stuffed them in a pack. “If you’re going to stay, you better be sure. Once I’m gone I’m not coming back.”
“I’m staying,” said Kelly, although the pit in her stomach told her she wasn’t sure if it was the right move.
“Well, good luck to you, then,” said Saul, as he lifted his pack and headed for the front door. “I plan on being far away by nightfall.”
Twenty minutes after Saul left camp under escort, Mace knocked on Roger’s door.
“You let him go,” Roger said, as soon as it opened.
“You surprised? We told you that you could leave if you wanted.” When Roger didn’t respond, Mace questioned him. “Are you sure you still want to stay?”
“Yes,” Roger responded, avoiding Kelly’s sudden glare. “This camp intrigues me. I think we could add some value here.”
“Good,” answered Mace. He felt a slight tingle of hope that this man might somehow save him. “You are now both free to roam the camp. If anyone harasses you, they will have to answer to me.”
“You t
rust us, now?” Roger asked.
“Not even close,” Mace said with a sharp edge. “Just don’t disappoint.”
“Don’t worry. We have no intention to.”
Knowing the price for disappointment, Roger felt his insides twist. Accustomed to living a daily existence just short of despair, he hoped this camp might allow them a reprieve from its crushing jaws. He felt thoroughly exhausted.
Watching Mace depart through the front window, Roger thought about the years they’d spent on the road. Despite all the horrors they’d seen and the devastating losses they'd faced, a seed of hope still refused to die within him. He needed to believe that life could change, that they could somehow still prevail without losing their humanity. Observing all the kids that roamed inside the walls of the Alamo, Roger got momentarily misty. It was here, he thought, if anywhere. Hope lived here.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lining an old crate with hay in the barn, Chelsea still didn’t feel all that comfortable. “What’s going to keep him from flying away?” Herman was perched on her shoulder, his head twitching as he checked out the small wooden stall. The goats bayed in the background and his head twitched around to stare at them. In the corner, Buster rested on his side, his one good eye nodding towards sleep.
“I don’t know,” Maya said, as she surveyed the barn, her arms crossed in contemplation. “There’s plenty of room for him to fly up there,” she said, pointing directly above them towards the loft.
“Ooh, you’re right,” Chelsea said excitedly. “I like the thought of him up there better, anyway. Maybe we can keep him hidden.”
“What are you doing?” A voice startled them from the side. Kelly stood at the entrance of the stall.
Chelsea whipped around, causing Herman to cling tight to avoid getting dislodged. “What are you doing here?” Chelsea answered, perplexed. She grabbed Herman off her shoulder and tucked him behind her back.
“What is that thing?” asked Kelly. She moved towards Chelsea inquisitively.
“Nothing,” Chelsea said as she moved back a step. Herman squirmed in her hand.
“Is that a lizard?” Kelly asked as she tried to look behind her back. Chelsea moved away from her and flung Herman gently in the air. His wings opened and he glided to the other end of the barn where he landed on a beam. Kelly missed the move.
Chelsea produced her empty hand and Kelly said, “What the hell? I know you were just holding something.”
Chelsea didn’t feel she needed to explain. “It’s none of your business. What are you doing here, anyway?”
“I just wanted to see the barn. I heard you talking. What were you doing?”
“You sure ask a lot of questions,” Chelsea said. “If I were you, I wouldn’t be so nosy.”
“What are you hiding? Why won’t you tell me?” Kelly stepped forward. She was almost twice Chelsea’s size.
Chelsea suddenly threw a straight jab, smacking Kelly in the nose. Kelly’s head snapped back. She doubled over, holding her nose. “Ow, what was that for?” A trickle of blood came out.
“You came at me,” Chelsea said calmly. “I was just defending myself.”
“I didn’t do anything!” Kelly declared angrily, wiping the blood with the back of her finger. “What is wrong with you people?” Locked in a stare with Chelsea, she finally said, “I remember you. You used to hide behind your mother. You were just a scared little girl.”
“I’m not scared anymore,” Chelsea said defensively, “and I don’t hide from anything.”
“No, you just punch people when they aren’t expecting it.”
“Are you ready for it now?” Chelsea said as she squared up, ready to punch her again.
Kelly put her hands up in surrender. “Whoa. I’m not looking for a fight. I can’t believe you hit me!” She wiped her nose again and looked at the blood on her finger. “Where did you learn to punch like that, anyway?”
“From Jade. She’s a black belt. I could kick your ass if I wanted.”
“I know how to fight, too. From Roger. He’s a black belt in Taekwando.”
Chelsea studied her for a moment. “You can fight? Why didn’t you hit me back?”
“It was only one punch and I told you, I’m not looking for a fight.”
“What else can you do?”
“I love the front snap kick. Watch.” Kelly lifted her knee to her waist, then quickly extended her foot towards Chelsea. It snapped a few inches from her face.
“Nice, but not so close,” Chelsea said, impressed and annoyed at the same time. “Check this out.”
Chelsea dropped and swept Kelly’s leg out from under her. As soon as Kelly fell to her back, Chelsea’s elbow was positioned over her jaw.
“Good move,” Kelly said from the floor, wanting the demonstrations to end. Chelsea pulled away and Kelly got to her feet, dusting herself off. They sized each other up for a minute before Kelly put out her hand. “I’m Kelly.”
Chelsea shook her hand. “I’m Chelsea, and this is Maya.”
“Can you fight, too?” Kelly asked Maya.
“We all can,” Maya acknowledged proudly.
The kids all considered themselves warriors, embracing the feeling of control it gave them. They knew what death and vulnerability felt like: It's all they'd ever known. Hardening their minds and bodies, they readied themselves for the next battle, knowing it would come soon enough. Despite whatever changes might develop in the world, they would always be the children of the apocalypse.
CHAPTER NINE
Saul rode hard. Leaning into his horse, he kicked it firmly in its sides as it galloped. The wind felt refreshing as it whipped against his skin. Stunned at still being alive, he wanted to put distance between himself and the camp.
Heading towards Austin, the roads remained barren except for long abandoned cars that slowly resembled the changing landscape. Weeds grew through cracks in the asphalt, claiming the rusted heaps as their own. Saul tried to avoid any bodies that lay forgotten near the road. Most were dead infected who finally succumbed to nature’s stalking. With the antidote in his system, he felt confident that he was fully immune from the new infection. Long travels through infected landscapes proved to him its value, but now the lack of backup terrified him. The Plaguers were unpredictable and dangerous.
Their slightly bloodshot eyes usually gave them away if one looked closely enough. That and the sores that tended to develop around the mouth. If all else failed, shoot first and ask questions later. His dead companions taught him the importance of caution. As he thought back on the Mohawk camp, he questioned if their paranoia led directly to their demise. He’d only hooked up with them a few weeks before meeting Roger, Tom, and Kelly. He'd aligned himself with the wrong group. Roger’s group still breathed.
Lost in thought, Saul missed the man watching him pass from inside an abandoned vehicle. The man picked up a Walkie-Talkie from the car seat and said, “Take him, Stephen.”
A quarter-mile down the road the first crackle of gunfire sounded as a bullet hit Saul squarely in the shoulder. The force threw him backwards. Losing control of the reins, he tumbled off the side of the horse and hit the ground hard. The second bullet came shortly thereafter. A perfect head shot. Saul’s journey abruptly ended.
Stephen walked up and used his foot to push Saul over. He took a good look at his face. “Shit,” he said sourly. “It’s Saul.” He spit next to Saul’s head. “That sucks.”
Saul was part of a group that passed through a week earlier warning of Plaguers. The group left a vial of antidote, but no one bothered to use it. They didn’t believe in the new infection. Unfortunately for them, it started taking root a few days after Saul's group left.
The man from the car approached from down the road. “You got him good!” he yelled loudly.
“Yeah, I know, but it was Saul!” Stephen yelled back.
“I know. I saw him pass!”
“What the fuck, Marty? You knew and you told me to shoot him?”
“You n
eeded the practice!” Marty stated with a chuckle as he walked up.
Stephen cracked a smile. “Asshole. It’s not like you’re some perfect shot.”
Holding a rifle by his side, Marty raised it a few inches and put two more slugs into Saul’s body at point blank range. Saul’s body briefly jumped from the impact.
“There. That was a perfect shot.”
Not to be outdone, Stephen lifted the sniper rifle and put a bullet through Saul’s left eye. “Two can play that game, moron.”
“Yeah, well let’s see how you do with a knife!” Marty pulled out a large hunting knife and bent down by the body.
“No, you don’t!” yelled Stephen. “He’s my kill! I get first dibs!”
The men exchanged barbs for a few minutes before Marty backed off.
“Fine! Next time I’m sniper.”
Stephen went to work with his own knife, carving around the skull. He peeled the hair back and removed Saul’s scalp. He then pulled out a boning knife and sawed through the skull. “I get the brains,” he said as he peered up at Marty with a grin. "I love brains."
“Fine with me. Probably got bullet fragments in ‘em now, ya idiot. I want thigh meat, anyway.”
Two days earlier, at the same spot in San Marcos, Texas, a party of seven trespassed down their road. On foot, the trespassers were heavily armed. As Marty watched, though, something felt different about them. He'd radioed Stephen and told him to lower his weapon. Within minutes they'd all been standing around laughing, getting to know each other.
Marty wasn’t sure why he'd spared them. He'd felt a connection. They were now part of their group. Maybe it the same look in the eyes…
CHAPTER TEN
Yvette agreed to watch the boys for an hour. It gave Jade a chance to get in some much-needed exercise. At the training center, she bobbed around a heavy bag, peppering it with jabs before throwing a few strong combinations. She flicked her right leg high at the bag, smacking it at head level. She was twenty minutes into a good session.
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