After they turned the corner, the surrounding buildings provided shade from the bright sun. Gabrielle climbed the rusting ladder at the dead end they had run into, as Jericho helped Jonah to stand near it. He checked the make shift bandage which was already soaked with blood. Jonah winced as he shifted it.
“You have to go on without me.” He said softly. Jericho ignored his statement, and satisfied the bandage was the best he could do for now, he called up to Gabrielle.
“How’s it look?” He asked.
“Flat!” She called back. “But safe, for now. Let’s go!” She said as she threw her leg back onto the ladder and descended.
“I can’t climb that.” Jonah said as his eyes pleaded.
“I didn’t ask you.” Jericho replied, as he put his arm around him, and shifted his weight towards the ladder. He bent down and wrapped his arm around his thighs, and hoisted him up in the air. “Grab with your good hand.” He said breathlessly as he struggled with the dead weight. Jonah grabbed the highest rung he could reach, and pulled hard, just as Gabrielle reached him from above, and grabbed back of his tunic collar and heaved. As awkward as it was, he moved up the ladder, and found purchase with his feet. “Ready?” Asked Jericho.
“Go.” Answered Gabrielle, and together they heaved him upward again, almost two rungs this time. Again his feet found purchase.
“Hold on.” Jericho said, as he stepped up on the ladder. “Okay. Go.” He said, and they heaved Jonah upward again. In less than a minute, they had him on the roof, as he lay on his back and breathed hard. He felt the warmth on his face, as he stared into the sun.
“You should have left me.” He said quietly.
“Not an option.” Gabrielle said. “We need you.”
“No you don’t.” He rolled to his side, and winced in pain from the movement. “I don’t know where to go from here. I’ve never been out here. Just as far as the door.” He said, and hung his head. He felt as if he had let them down, and now slowed them down. “You don’t need me.” He said dejectedly.
“Jonah.” Gabrielle said softly, as she knelt beside him. “We do need you. And we want you to come with us.”
“But, why? How can I help now?” He asked, as she shook her head.
“I’m not sure…at least not right now. But we still need your help. I know we will. And besides…” She began and then stopped. Jericho spoke up.
“You’re the only one who has helped us.” He said, as she scanned the horizon across the top of the huge roof. “Now get up. We’ve got to get moving.” He said as he offered his hand. Jonah looked up at him for a moment, then reluctantly reached up and grabbed his hand. They had barely taken two steps, when the explosion of a single gunshot echoed behind them, and the now distinct sound of a bullet ricochet whined, as sparks flew from the top of the ladder. Gabrielle led the way, as they began to run as fast as they could away from the ladder. Soon they were at the edge of the roof and eased Jonah down the ladder there to the roof just below, when another bullet zinged off of the roof near Gabrielle’s feet. The shot echoed across the vast roof. She fired even as she looked up, and saw roof shrapnel spray into the air. The figures of their two pursuers dove for safety. She jumped over the side, slid down the ladder, and landed firmly beside the others.
“Let’s go.” She said, as she ran ahead. “Jericho!” She yelled, and pointed as she ran. “Look!” He glanced in the direction that she pointed and saw it as well. It was from a different perspective than they had ever seen it before, but it was the factory, there was no mistake about it.
“Wait.” He said, and she slowed long enough for them to catch up. “We can’t go that way.” He said. “It leads back to the village.” Jonah pointed to the far right.
“Over there.” He said. “Another ladder.” They quickly made their way towards the side. A bullet dug into the tar right in front of Gabrielle. She sidestepped, and turned and fired back at the figure crouched by the ladder. It dove to the rooftop. The ladder sparked, and debris fell from the where it was attached. As she watched, a second figure peeked over the top, a gun in hand. She had fired at the wrong one, she thought as she fired another shot in their direction. Again the ladder sparked, high up this time, and debris flew from the wall in the explosion, as the ladder was jarred askew. The armed figure had disappeared momentarily as she came to a stop at the ladder where Jericho and Jonah stood.
“Go! Go! Go!” She said, as she pushed Jericho towards the ladder that led down.
“Look.” He said as he pointed down. She pushed him again, and then saw what he saw. It was another building below, but much different than any building she had seen before. Longer. Narrower. Lower. And it seemed to be surrounded by water, with just a wide walkway that separated it from the land. As she looked from it to the horizon, that was all she could see. Water. As far as the eye could see. Beautiful, blue water.
“It’s a cargo ship.” Said Jonah, excitedly. “I’ve heard about them. Rumors really. I never thought they actually existed. “Come on.” He said. He didn’t wait for them to answer, and began to try and climb down himself. Gabrielle grabbed his tunic as he began to descend, and slowly began to help him go down. She kept pace with him as she helped him down. Another gunshot rang out, but no bullet hit. Jericho turned back toward the ladder, and saw the figure on the higher roof dive for cover. The other figure still lay on the ground, motionless. He jumped over the side, and began to rapidly climb down. He jumped the last few feet, and landed beside Jonah, who seemed to be more mobile now.
“This way.” Jonah said, as he began to run towards the walkway that led to the ship. Suddenly a machine rolled out of a building nearby. It pushed a small skid ahead of it loaded with a drum. It shot across the walkway and into the opening of the ship. As they came to the edge of the walkway, Jonah did not hesitate. He ran across and into the ship. Gabrielle followed, and disappeared inside. Jericho stopped halfway across. He felt something. Something important. He reacted and spun around. He squeezed the trigger before he even realized that he had fired. Even from high up on the edge of the building, the explosion was loud. He saw fire and smoke spit from the man’s hand in virtually ever direction, and heard his scream, as the figure suddenly disappeared from view. Jericho turned and ran inside, just as the doors to the ship slid shut behind him.
“Charles!” Roger screamed, as he writhed in pain on the hot roof top. He held his mangled bloody hand. “Charles!” He yelled again, just as Charles ran up to him.
“You’re hurt, sir.” He said, with concern.
“Yes! You idiot!” He yelled. “I am damn well hurt!” He slapped him with his good hand. Charles turned away from the impact. His cheek remained white and he left his head turned, as he fought to control his own anger. “Now help me!” Screamed Roger. Slowly, Charles turned his head back, and saw the bent and burnt pieces of what had been Roger’s Dessert Eagle as it lay on the roof. He tore a piece of his tunic loose and began to bandage his bloody hand, but Roger pulled away. He kept low, and edged to the side of the building. He cautiously peeked over the side, and could not believe what he saw. The walkway withdrew into the ship. “Damn it!”
“It must be time for the shipment, sir.” Charles offered.
“Now? Really, now? Of all times?” He was distraught as he watched the huge ship began to slowly move away from its berth. “Can we make it stop?” He asked, hopefully of Charles, who shook his head. “We can’t let them get away!” He yelled.
“Sir?”
“What?” Roger said, as he turned angrily away from the view of the ship as it moved further away.
“We can’t make it stop…”
“Well? What?”
“But we might be able to stop it.” Blood still ran from his scalp wound. He held his injured hand tightly with his good hand. The bandage quickly became soaked a deep red. Roger’s expression went from that of a question, to realization, and then he smiled slightly.
“Yes.
” He said, as he turned back towards the sea, and watched as the ship continued to move farther away. “We might be able to, at that.”
Chapter 40
Immortal Page 39