The answer to that question became apparent when Roger looked around. The volunteers here were swamped with injured people. They didn’t have time to waste on what was likely a lost cause. He shook his head and started to walk away before a young woman approached him.
“Do you know him?” she asked Roger.
“I do. Is he going to be okay?”
“The honest answer is I doubt it. He’s not bleeding anymore, but an infection will kill him soon if we don’t get him some antibiotics, and as you know, that kind of thing is kept on the inside.”
“How long does he have?”
“I’m no doctor. I only know a little, but I’ve seen things like this before. If he doesn’t get some kind of treatment in the next twenty-four hours, then there’s no way he’ll make it.”
Roger nodded and hurried away. He knew the truth now. They were on a tight clock, but there was no way he wasn’t going to succeed. He had to save Travis. Roger quickly said his goodbyes to Sarah, allowed Veronica and Lee to do the same, and hurried them along. Then they got back into the truck and headed for Raines again.
“Why did we have to leave so soon?” Veronica asked.
“Because Travis needs medicine. Without it, he won’t live much longer. Everything he needs to survive is inside those city walls, so we’re going to get in there, no matter what it takes,” Roger said with fierce determination.
He didn’t have a plan at the time, but as they got closer, Roger came up with a rough one. The addition Alex and Sarah had made was perfectly secure. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion could destroy it, but the original part of Raines was a different story. He had read in the library about when it was constructed. Back then, the people were hurried, and their supplies were limited. It was still secure, but the western wall was made of less sturdy material. Add that with the fact that the walls were old, and Roger thought that it might be better to make an entrance, rather than try to open the gate. It wouldn’t be easy, but he knew just how to do it. In every outsider settlement, there was always a black market where you could get goods that citizens weren’t supposed to have. If that were true of Raines, then somewhere in the city explosives would be available. The only problem would be finding someone who would be willing to give them up. Normally, that would be impossible, but given the desperation of the situation, Roger thought that he could convince even a criminal to do the right thing.
When they got back to Alex, Roger noticed that he looked troubled. He smiled when he saw Veronica and Lee, but Roger could see through him. He had known this man for a long time. He had seen Alex at his worst and at his best. Right about now, it looked like Alex was hurting.
“What happened while we were gone?” Roger asked in concern.
“Aiden killed all of our council members. He was only supposed to kill one, but he went further. They were good people, Roger. Maybe I really should give myself up if it’ll save lives,” Alex said with the hint of doubt.
“That’s ridiculous, Dad! He’ll want more than just you. Aiden wants ten thousand slaves and our supplies,” Veronica said.
“She’s right. We just have to relax and get through this,” Lee said.
“What about Sarah and Travis?” Alex asked, pushing the council tragedy aside for a moment.
Roger told him that Sarah was fine, but then he told him the bad news about Travis. Alex sighed and grimaced, knowing they were no closer to getting inside than they had been an hour ago. Travis was going to die, and it appeared that they were powerless to stop it. Thankfully, Roger had a plan, though. He quickly told Alex how he thought they could get inside the city if they could find some explosives and plant them in just the right place.
For the first time, everyone seemed to have hope. Alex sent some men to spread the word. Anyone who could provide them with explosives would become a rich man when all of this was over. That news alone would be enough to bring them what they needed. Outsiders all grew up poor, and when you never have enough, money is truly the ultimate motivator above all else.
It took another hour, and once again, they heard a gunshot from the other side of the gate. They waited in horror to learn who had been killed now. Finally, they heard Aiden’s voice come over the intercom.
“Rebecca James was a wife and mother of two. I want you to know her children watched as she died, and it’s your fault, Alex. You could have ended this hours ago, but we’re still here playing this useless game.”
“Give me some time, you son of a bitch! I’m coming for you,” Alex said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Aiden responded with what sounded like amusement. Alex could just picture him smiling smugly behind that gate. He didn’t know that war would be upon him soon enough, though.
“S . . . sir, I th . . . think we . . .” a boy stuttered to Alex as he ran up.
“There’s no need to be nervous. Just call me Alex. I’m one of you,” Alex responded, calming his nerves somewhat.
“We found the explosives you need. My brother and a few others are bringing them.”
“That’s amazing. What is your name?”
“William.”
Alex smiled, remembering his own brother Will. Then he told William exactly what he wanted to hear. “At the end of this, you and your brother are going to be very wealthy men and be known as heroes for helping us get in there.”
William nodded, and on cue, his brother, along with eight other men all carrying everything they could, walked up. Alex was confident that they had more than enough explosives. He led them to the west side of the old part of Raines’s indoor city with Roger and the others following close behind. Then they set up the explosives and made sure everything was in just the right place. All in all, it had only taken around thirty minutes to set up. That meant they still had some time before another person would be killed.
“Gather everyone here quickly. We’re about to end this,” Alex said as he turned toward the men who had been helping carry the explosives.
They rushed off, and then Alex turned toward the wall. In a few minutes, a hole would be blown in it that would lead to only more death. This was truly it, however. They were going to end this once and for all, and after that, there would be no more trade. Raines had all they needed made right there. Sure, they might get the occasional thing from Norak, a place they knew they could trust, but the goal shouldn’t be to make shaky allies whose morals might not add up to anything. It should be to make Raines into a fully self-sustained society. Alex and Sarah had thought they were done ruling, but now he saw the truth. This city still needed them. Maybe it always would, and until it was done with them, he was going to be exactly what Raines needed.
After twenty minutes, everyone had assembled. Alex knew they didn’t have much time, but these men needed to hear a few words first. They had to know this was the end. After today, they wouldn’t have to fight anymore, and only bright days awaited. That was the message he had to convey.
“This is the end of the line for all of us. We’ll fight today, and many of us will die. Remember what you’re fighting for, though. This fight will decide what your children’s futures will be. Will Raines exist after today, or will it be forgotten as we’re conquered? You get to decide, and the choice is simple. Fight and make a better future for all of us. If we win and you make it through this, I swear you will live to see days like nothing you ever imagined. Every one of you will be insiders with more than you need.
“Now, don’t mistake what I’m saying. There will still be work, and there will still be pain in this world, but there will also be a future where peace and plenty for everyone exists. I know it sounds like a pipe dream, especially when you’ve spent your whole lives on the outside where every day is a struggle to survive, but I’m living proof that anything is possible, and I’m promising you on my honor that after this fight is won we’ll make Raines into what it was always supposed to be. Are you with me?” Alex asked.
A resounding cheer was all he needed to hear to know that these men
and women were ready to fight for their future. He turned and nodded to Roger who had been given a switch that would set off the explosives. At that point, every person turned toward the gate with their guns drawn. Alex smiled, knowing he would finally get to show Aiden exactly who he had messed with. Then Alex said “now,” and explosives went off with a thunderous roar. Dust, smoke, and ash went everywhere, but as they cleared and gave way to sight, Alex could see it. There was a hole in the wall roughly big enough to fit two men in at a time. They had their opening. Now all that was left was to take back their city!
Chapter 25
Legacy
They rushed through the opening, and as the dust and smoke gave way to sight, Alex found that they had almost completely surprised their enemies. Only two stray guards, likely patrolling the neighborhood in that area, were standing there. They turned to run away, knowing they were outnumbered, but Alex and the others didn’t give them that chance. They fired, and half a dozen bullets ripped into the guards, sending them to the ground immediately. Alex didn’t have to look twice to know they were dead. They were the first of many, and for the first time in a while, killing didn’t sound so bad to him. Sure, Alex took no joy in hurting others, but these men had taken his city, killed his friends, and followed a man who had almost stolen his family from him. If ever there were a group of people that Alex could kill without losing a moment of sleep, it was these men.
“Your group should go left, and yours should head right,” Alex commanded to a couple of fighters who seemed to have fallen into a leadership role during all of this.
There wasn’t really a rank in this army, given that it was only a group of civilians a few days ago, but some were clearly more respected than others. The first among them being Floyd Kacey, a man who had been somewhat of a revolutionary who encouraged the outsiders to petition for better lives while Alex and Sarah were running things. Back then, they had been doing all they could for outsiders, so Floyd was quite the thorn in their side from an image standpoint, but overall, even Alex had respected him. He was good with his words, and he had truly only been trying to help. Even better, he had a large frame and a deep voice that commanded respect. He had the intelligence, as well as trust to command.
The second was a young woman named Tricia Walker. Alex didn’t know much about her, but the younger generation seemed to hang on her every word. He guessed that she would be pretty to most men with long golden hair and a petite frame, although at his age women from her generation looked like little more than girls to him. There was a mark that did cut through her beauty on her face, however. It was a scar that covered her left cheek. Alex would have guessed it was a knife wound. That might have been more telling than anything. If you got caught stealing in the old neighborhoods, you had two choices. You could give a hand or take a cut to the face, a mark that would label you forever as a thief. The choice was always clear, but why had she stolen? Was she like Roger, a street kid with no choice, or had there been more to it? With the way the poor youth followed her, he guessed that her thievery was for a bigger cause.
Thieves and revolutionaries . . . what kind of army did we build, Alex wondered and couldn’t help unconsciously smiling. It didn’t feel like it had been that long ago when he had been a young man with revolutionary dreams who would have stolen from just about anyone if it gave him a better life. Times had changed, but one thing hadn’t. Raines was a tough city full of survivors, and on this evening, they would finally prove it.
“Where do we go, Dad?” Lee asked, snapping him out of his temporary thoughts of the past.
“You’ll come with me. You, too, Veronica and Roger,” Alex said and signaled for them and a few others to follow him.
“Where are we going?” Roger asked.
“To the gate. I’m going to face Aiden, and then this is going to be over.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”
Before Alex could answer, they heard a shot cry out, and one of their men hit the ground as a bullet went through his shoulder. Four men were across the street, and they were armed with semiautomatic rifles. Alex and the others quickly ducked behind a store and caught their breaths. They periodically glanced out and fired at their enemies, taking down three of them fairly quickly, but the last man did something that he thought would change everything. Some civilians had been pinned there since the fighting began, and when a woman tried to escape by running passed him, he grabbed her and put a gun to her head. Alex stepped out to see her crying and begging for her life. Her potential killer only smiled, thinking he had escaped his inevitable death. This man doesn’t know who he’s dealing with, Alex thought and grinned.
“Lay down your gun, and I won’t . . .” the man managed to say before Alex had drawn his gun and fired a shot that ripped through his head, sending the final enemy back to the ground in a bloody heap.
The woman, looking like she might die from fright, finally nodded to Alex gratefully and scampered away, as did the other civilians, although he didn’t have any idea where they would go. At this point, there was fighting all over the city. Alex wanted to protect them, but he knew that wasn’t possible, so the next best thing was giving them a fighting chance.
“Nowhere is safe anymore. Don’t simply run. Pick up any guns you see and fight back. It might mean the difference between living and dying,” Alex told them.
The citizens reluctantly picked up the guns and walked away. He didn’t feel confident that they would know how to kill, though. That was the only way he and Sarah had failed the insiders. They made them feel too safe, so they never learned to fight. They put the outside world in the back of their minds and pretended it didn’t even exist.
“I didn’t know you could still shoot that way,” Roger commented as he walked up behind him.
“I’m slower than I used to be, and I might not be as strong, but you never lose the ability to shoot. We’re almost there. Is everyone ready?” Alex asked before noticing the man who had been hit. His shoulder was bleeding badly. It seemed likely that something important had been nicked.
“Get him out of here and to our doctors,” Alex commanded another man who complied immediately. Then he continued. “If there are no more injuries, then we should head straight for the gate. I suspect we’ll be in for quite a fight there. Is everyone ready?”
They were, and Alex led them on, taking street after street back on the way. They lost several men, but surprisingly, they picked up a few on the way, too. Not all insiders were frozen in their fear. A few picked up guns, followed them, and even gave their lives for the cause.
Finally, they made it to the gate. Alex had never seen Aiden before, but he didn’t have to in order to know who the commander of this army was. Just as the shooting between the two sides began, he spied him. Aiden was a tall skinny man with dark hair and piercing eyes with an expression that spoke of both amusement and complete control. Even now, with his forces being directly assaulted, he had no fear in his eyes. It was as if he knew he would win somehow. That arrogance would be his undoing if Alex had anything to say about it.
“Dad, get back here!” Veronica shouted and tugged on Alex. He moved into cover with her and refocused.
“What were you looking at?” she asked with wide eyes.
“Aiden. I’m going to kill him.”
“Not if one of those people kill you first.”
“You don’t have to worry about me. Just keep yourself safe, okay?”
“Of course.”
“Good. I love you,” Alex said and stepped out of cover.
He fired two shots, which both landed in a New Vegas soldier right next to Aiden, and then he bolted into the street and behind an abandoned car. He slid behind it just in time as the pavement where he had been was pelted with bullets. His temporary distraction had given an opening to the others who popped out of cover and fired away, cutting down dozens of their enemies. It wasn’t a matter of if they were going to win anymore. It was simply an issue of when it was going to happen
.
As the shots from the other side started to thin, Alex glanced out from behind the car. He saw no more than a dozen soldiers left. There was a problem, however. Where was Aiden? Alex didn’t see his corpse lying on the ground, and he didn’t see him barking orders to his remaining men. What this meant he had no way of knowing, but Alex hated unknowns, especially on the battlefield. Suddenly, it all became clear where Aiden had gone when the shots ceased, and Alex heard a familiar voice.
“This is over now! I have your daughter, and I won’t hesitate to kill her if you and your men don’t leave now,” Aiden said with a gun to the back of Veronica’s head. He had slipped away when the fighting turned bad and snuck up behind the same home where she had been hiding. She had never seen it coming, and in truth, neither had Aiden. It was the perfect opportunity to turn the tide for a man who had only been running away.
Alex didn’t know what to do. It would be unreasonable to ask his people to lay down their guns and surrender for one life, but that was exactly what he wanted to do. Alex wanted to save her with all of him, but he was pretty far away, and this wasn’t some stranger’s life at stake. His hand was shaking, and he didn’t know if he could hit his mark and save his daughter. This would require a different strategy if he were going to win this fight.
“Everyone, keep your guns,” Alex commanded and threw his to the ground. Then he started marching toward Aiden and Veronica.
“What are you doing?” Aiden asked, now uneasy.
“I’m making a trade, me for her.”
“And why would I do that?”
“Look around. You’re surrounded by men who wouldn’t lay their guns down even if I told them to. You’re going to die. All that’s left is to decide what kind of meaning your life will have. I helped kill Jim Leland, a legendary leader who was more infamous than anyone in this city. It took fifteen years before that secret came out, but by the time it did, Raines’s people loved Sarah and me enough that they understood why we had done it. I also killed Charles Boyd, a man who could have been the next great leader of every settlement. He certainly bested us at first. I’m respected, and I have a legendary story that’ll make me be remembered for a long time.
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