Part 25 (1/2)
Sarah turned from the smoke and looked into the courtyard. Logan was tied to the post. He dangled from his restraints and made no effort to stand. He was battered and bruised, partly at her own hand, but his eyes still shone a peaceful blue.
She walked slowly down a set of stairs and up to the restrained con man. She stopped in front of him and crossed her arms.
He tried to smile at her, but its effect was weakened by missing teeth and bleeding lips. He must have read the disgust in her eyes; he stopped smiling and looked at the ground.
”I'm sorry I let you down, Sarah.”
Another kick. One more scratch. That would serve him right. She reared back to strike him again, and then she stopped. He looked as if he had suffered enough. Blood ran down his lips. His left eye was all but swollen shut. His wrists bled from the restraints, and the town had yet to get their hands on him.
”How could you?” It started soft and sad and grew to rage. ”How could you? How could you?”
”I had no choice, Sarah.”
”Oh, no? How about not convincing a town of innocent people to open their hearts to you while you open their gates to be murdered and herded into slavery? Maybe that was an option you hadn't really explored.”
”They have my son, Sarah.” He still wouldn't look at her.
Sarah was shocked. ”Your son?”
”Yes. They've got him.” Logan looked back at her. ”They were going to kill him, Sarah. What could I do? What would you do?”
Sarah's mouth hung open, words were difficult. ”I ...” She trailed off, trying to shake the disbelief from her mind.
”He's eight. He lost his mother when the world blew up.” Logan began to weep. ”He only has me. We only have each other.”
Sarah rushed to him and cradled his face in her hand. She had no children, no siblings, even, but she had lost her mother. She could feel the pain of the child as the memories came rus.h.i.+ng back.
”Please, Sarah. I have to get back to him.”
She embraced him.
”If the major truly is dead, then it's over. I'm free. And I can go get him. I can get him and we can leave, together. He and I can be together again.”
Sarah began to sob as well, ”I can't. You know I can't.”
”This life is over for me. I can start clean. Maybe I can even make amends.”
She hit him in the chest; the strike wasn't hard. Her rage was gone. ”You can't do this to me, you b.a.s.t.a.r.d.”
”Sarah, please. Help me to be with my son. He's only eight and he needs me. He needs a father.”
”No. I won't let you go.”
”Don't punish him for my sins, for the love of G.o.d.” Tears streamed from his eyes. ”I have to live with what I've done. That is more punishment than any man deserves. But please, don't let my son suffer.”
She looked in his eyes. She could see the suffering in the penetrating blue gaze. Sarah stood and stomped away.
Chewy saw them first. Her ears perked and she let out a single bark. It was low and loud and brought the unnoticed silence to everyone's attention. Chewy stood and began to wag her tail, which in turn shook the entire dog.
The blue and white, and now charred, pickup crept down the road towards the town; its bed was filled with cheering children. Several more rode on the hood; they screamed with excitement.
Carl honked when he saw the spectators on the wall. The horn was weak and worn from the damage, but each blast of the horn sounded long and joyous to the awaiting crowd. Carl waved from the window and flashed the one working headlight.
Cheers exploded from those along the walls as the reality dawned on them that the threat to their town had been defeated. They hollered and rushed down the fortification stairs to move the truck. It had barely revealed an opening when Erica rushed out to meet the truck.
There must have been a dozen children in the bed and she searched each of their faces for her sister.
A smile grew on her face as she identified children from Vita Nova. She smiled and kissed each face she knew while scanning the throng of toddlers and preteens for her sister, Rebecca.
The crowd surrounded the truck and Carl was forced to stop. The people greeted the children and all but pulled Carl from the driver's seat to congratulate him.
Erica's joy dissipated as she realized that neither her sister nor Jerry were in the truck. She began to push people out of the way; she stared in the eyes of every child. She tried to ask about her sister, but her questions could not be heard over the roaring crowd.
She stopped and stood. The truck rolled past her into the town with the praise chorus following at its side.
Erica felt a warm muzzle on her hand and absentmindedly stroked Chewy's head.
Chewy barked again and darted off, forgetting all about the attention she had been getting.
”Chewy,” Erica shouted after her and made a grab for the dog's collar. Chewy didn't stop.
Erica watched the dog run off and disappear behind a cl.u.s.ter of trees. It was only a moment later that the dog began to walk back.
The mighty mastiff was at the heel of the post-apocalyptic nomadic warrior. Behind him was a ma.s.s of almost one hundred people. In his arms was Rebecca.
THIRTY-FIVE.
Erica squealed and began to cry as she grabbed the young child from Jerry's arms. She held her so tight that the seven-year-old began to squirm.
”You're crus.h.i.+ng me, Erica.”
Erica eased up, but only a little. ”Did they hurt you?”
”No. Mrs. Thompson kept me safe.”
Erica began to look at the other faces in the crowd. They smiled when they saw her. The captives from Vita Nova grabbed onto Erica. They all a.s.sumed that anyone not on the trailer with them had been killed. They flooded her with questions about loved ones left behind.
Smiles turned to tears as Erica was forced to shatter the hope that had been restored by her presence. She hugged whom she could as each relived the ma.s.sacre of their home. She did what she could to offer comfort, but she soon felt overwhelmed. Panic welled up in her as she looked around frantically for Jerry. She held Rebecca close and found comfort only in her hugs.
Through the crowd of people she saw Jerry walking to his motor coach. Chewy was at his heel. He opened the door and stepped inside.