by Kip Nelson
He still was screaming when Mack placed a hand on his shoulder and hauled him away. Breathing heavily, Tristan looked down at Peter's bloodied face, and then down at his own hands, stained scarlet. Mack was saying something, but Tristan only could hear the furious beating of his own heart.
Chapter Forty-One
After that fight things became more settled. The Lost Children were no longer lost, and had found a safe home. Mack walked over and spoke with Tash and the council. Their people were happier than they had been in a long time, and being reunited with their children made them look better. The other members of the community had a reunion of their own and greeted Mack with great gusto, hugging him and slapping him on the back. A great feast was planned later for everyone to celebrate as they had been through a great deal, and now that it was over it was time for them to relax. Maggie comforted Tristan, who was watching from across the crowd as Sharon spoke with her mother, who then hugged her.
Mack took Grace and Maggie up to Peter, who was whimpering and coughing up blood. Hank was standing over him.
“I'm no doctor, but I think he'll be okay. What are we going to do with him?” he asked. Mack glanced at Maggie and Grace.
“I've been thinking about that. Maggie, you remember when I asked you to think about the ways we can implement the law? I think we need to take that seriously. For now, we need to keep Peter confined, and we'll talk with the others about him later,” Mack said. Maggie and Grace nodded.
“There's going to be a lot to do, but I know we can do this together. But Grace, first of all, I think there's someone you need to go see,” he said.
Grace nodded and a wide smile adorned her face. She ran to the infirmary, while Mack followed behind, being slowed by many people who wished to talk to him, and he wasn't going to refuse anyone an audience. Maggie went back to Tristan, and the two of them went off together to talk.
As Mack walked by, he noticed many of the children didn't have any parents, and his heart went out to them. He arrived at the infirmary to see Luis and Grace locked in a tight embrace on the bed. He was about to greet Luis, but then saw his condition and raised an eyebrow. Freddie drew a makeshift curtain in front of the bed to give them some privacy.
“It's good to see you, Mack,” he said, and shook Mack's hand warmly. Saul was there, too, and he gave Mack a strong hug.
“It was touch and go there for a moment,” Mack said.
“Listen, we've managed to reunite a lot of families, but there are some kids out there who don't have anyone. I wondered if you'd be able to go out there and talk with them, maybe schedule some regular therapy sessions. I'm sure the rest will need them as well, but right now I don't want those kids feeling like they don't belong.” Freddie nodded and left immediately, while Saul went with him, too, saying he wanted to help.
Mack left the infirmary and watched them. The kids seemed to be transfixed by Saul, and Saul later would joke that it was because he reminded them of Santa Claus. Mack was pleased to see that Saul had found some kind of happiness. It wasn't the exact way Mack had imagined Saul's time here working out, but many of the younger kids curled up against Saul as Freddie spoke with them earnestly, and Mack knew everything was going to be alright.
In just a few short hours, things were looking up for the community. Mindy was tending to Hank's wounds, and as Mack caught his eye, he gave the preacher a knowing smile. There still was much to work on, but Mack was optimistic about the future of the community, especially as the new allies seemed to be enthusiastic about joining them permanently. Tash and her people already had promised they would stay. They were making friends eagerly, and while the council still was on the fence, Mack sensed that they, too, would make a new home in this community. As he walked through the park, he noticed the leaves were turning from a deep green to brown. It was a reminder that, no matter what happened to them, the world would keep on turning, and it brought Mack a sense of comfort. It had been a long summer, but fall was approaching, and following that would be winter. There still was much to do as winter would provide its own challenges, and there still were more threats out in the city, of that he was sure. But for now, he was able to revel in the fact that they all were safe and happy and healthy, and long may it continue.
That evening, after they all had had a chance to reflect on the events of the day, they gathered outside City Hall for the great feast. Mack was glad to have had the opportunity to change his clothes and wash the grime off himself, but he found he didn't like spending too much time alone. As he walked out he enjoyed seeing everyone together. Hank and Mindy were standing near each other, entertaining Tash with some stories. Saul was sitting around playing with the young kids. From what Mack could see, he was a bear and they were trying to take him down.
It pleased Mack to know that, despite everything they had been through, the kids still were able to play, although in some ways the whole thing was a game to them. It would be harder on the older children, and they all had despondent looks on their faces as they sat with their parents. It would be hard for them to get back to a place where they all could understand and trust each another, and it would take time, but ultimately it would be good for everyone. He nodded to Sharon, and walked over to her, thanking her for saving his life. She was sitting with Deborah in silence. Mack placed a hand on Deborah's shoulder and saw a flash of relief in her misty eyes. Freddie was chatting with some people from the other communities and looked to be in his element, while Grace and Luis were sitting apart from everyone, looking up at the stars. Mack couldn't help but smile at how happy they all looked. Maggie and Tristan were talking with some of the other reunited families, no doubt giving them advice from their own experience. They all were eating and drinking happily, and Mack got himself a plate of food, feeling lucky that he was a part of this.
As more people became aware of his presence, they started to applaud him. It wasn't something Mack was used to, or had expected, and he was somewhat sheepish. They started to call for a toast, and this request was met with whoops of delight and encouragement. Mack could not refuse them.
“Thank you all for that lovely welcome. It's been a hell of day,” he said, and laughter rippled through the crowd.
“First of all, I'd like to welcome those of you who are new here. I'm sure word has spread anyway because it's impossible to keep a secret here,” Mack said with a twinkle in his eyes.
“I have extended an invitation for our new friends to stay with us permanently, and I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say that I hope they all accept. We've been through a lot, each and every one of us, and the world has changed us in so many ways. I know there are some times when it's difficult to go on and to see a way out of the darkness, but I hope that today proves why we have to fight. My time in this world started with one person, Grace, and as time has gone by all of you have come into my life, and I consider you a family. We have faced a great deal together, and we have lost many people because of it.” Then his tone and expression turned solemn. “But I want to make sure they did not die in vain. They all died because they believed in us, and believed in a better tomorrow. We are here to make that tomorrow a reality. It's going to be a lot of hard work, and it won't be easy. There will be challenges, some of which we can't even imagine, but I know we can make it as long as we stick together.
“I hope this is the last blood spilled, although I'm pragmatic enough to know that it probably won't be. But today we saw that love can triumph over everything, and even when we feel as though we've lost everything, we still have each other. So, I would like to propose a toast to us.” He raised his glass and everyone raised theirs in turn, echoing the sentiment as they drank. Mack then slipped back into the crowd, and Maggie sauntered up to him.
“So, looks like you're the leader here, whether you like it or not,” she teased. He smiled at her and asked how Tristan was doing.
“He's okay,” she replied, “but how are you? I mean, with all these reunions going on does it make you want to move on an
d look for Anna?”
“I've been thinking about it, but how can I leave these people like this?” he said, and the conflict was evident on his face. Maggie offered him a sympathetic smile. Mack pulled out the photo and looked at it, just as Deborah was coming up to talk to Maggie, but she was distracted by the picture. She asked who it was.
“My wife,” Mack said, “but she's a long way from here,” as he showed her the picture. A strange look came upon Deborah's face, and she staggered back.
“This can't be possible,” she said, and called over Hugo and Alison. Mack wondered what was happening but they all wore the same shocked faces.
“This is Anna,” Deborah said, “our Anna, the one who has been out on patrol.” In an instant, Mack was racing toward a horse.
The thought of his wife being so close filled him with so many mixed feelings, including guilt that he hadn't sensed her before. Everyone told him to wait and that it was too dangerous to go out into the city at night, but nothing was going to stop him. Daisy offered to escort him back to the camp where, hopefully, Anna was waiting for them. They rode at top speed, Mack with his eyes forward, never taking his mind off his wife, who had been so close all this time. His heart beat furiously, almost as quickly as the horses thundering through the streets. Beady eyes of predators gleamed in the dim light, but Mack did not care about anything other than Anna. Daisy tried talking with him, but she had to spend all her effort just keeping up with Mack. They rode at breakneck speed until they reached the other camp. Mack called out her name, but the only people there were the ones who had been left behind.
“Boy, are we glad to see you,” they said, picking themselves up, but Mack had no time for pleasantries. He grabbed them by the scruff of their necks and asked about Anna with a wild look in his eyes. They were about to fight back when Daisy calmed them down and explained the situation.
“No, she hasn't been back, nobody has,” they said. Mack was distraught and paced the ground.
“Where did she go?” he yelled. “Tell me!”
“We don't know. She never said where she went, she just...went. That was part of her charm, I guess. All I know is she went that way,” Daisy said, and Mack jumped on his horse to find her.
“Mack, wait! You can't go out there now, not in this darkness. Even if she's out there, you'll never find her,” but he already was gone. Daisy shook her head and jumped on her horse as well. Then she told the men to wait there in case Anna did come back, and that as soon as she and Mack returned, they all would be heading back to the settlement.
Mack strained his eyes through the darkness, looking everywhere for her, even sniffing the air to see if he could trace her scent. He called out her name, not caring that it alerted predators to his presence. For the first time since the apocalypse began he had lost his focus and control. If there was one weakness he had it was Anna, and he didn't care about anything other than finding her. Given that he had no idea where she was, he went by sheer instinct alone. He hoped that would lead him to her, but for a seemingly endless period of time he looked for her to no avail. Whenever he heard a noise that could have been her it was just some rodent, and he ended up chasing shadows. Tears filled his eyes as the thought that he had come so close only to miss her broke his heart. What if she had been here and she had died alone, all because he was too late? He wasn't sure if he could handle that. So, he kept on searching and praying, turning the horse this way and that as they flew through the city, trying to hold onto that last shred of hope that had carried him through this world so far.
Then he saw her. He wasn't sure at first, but he peered into the darkness, and some instinct told him it was Anna. He had spent so much time being close with her, looking at her, thinking about her, that her form had been etched into his soul and he knew it even though it was cloaked in darkness. He jumped down from his horse and made his way over the grass to where she was lying, buried in a bush, only her face and blonde hair visible. She was coated in dirt, and as he drew closer he could see that she had forged a splint out of some wood, but blood had stained her clothes and she looked weak.
There were claw marks near her where she had dragged herself. His gaze followed them to see the lion’s carcass. Mack’s heart was filled with pride and fear and shame that his wife had been able to take down such a mighty beast by herself, but that he hadn’t been there to fight alongside her. Somehow, she had managed to hold on to life thus far, and now he was here to bring her back from the brink of death. He leaned down and cradled her body in his, drew her close to him. It almost still seemed like a dream, but the undeniable reality was that he was holding his wife.
“Oh, Anna,” he said, burying his face into her chest, breathing in her scent.
She stirred and her eyes cracked open. They looked at each other and then he saw the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She smiled. Then her eyes closed and her body went limp as she lost consciousness. Mack carried her back to the horse, vowing they never would be apart again.
Find out what happens in part six! Coming Soon!
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