The Way Back (Book 2): The Way Back, Part II

by Giancioppo, Danny

  “They did… awful things… We put an end to it,” he said.

  “How?” Abraham sought clarification. “What did you do?” Luke grimaced, and after some pause, took a heavy breath.

  “We… One of us shot Jack, got him in the stomach. I took the gun from his hand, and blew his head off. The others were all terrified, so we took what we wanted from them and left; they were all a couple years younger than us, so they didn’t make it long after, I’m guessing.”

  “Oh my lord…” Jonah muttered in shock. Even Abraham seemed to be taken by surprise at Luke’s description.

  “That was the first couple days,” Luke went on. “We got to New York, and had to outrun a Goliath in the city, make it back to the Bronx, only to have it crush our wagon, horses, and supplies.”

  “You outran a Goliath?” Jonah asked in disbelief. “That’s incredible!”

  “It certainly is…” Abraham agreed. “Almost a form of divine judgement, you could say.”

  “I… if you want,” Luke waved off. “We found a car, and we drove. Somewhere along the way we got stopped by a maniac on a bridge; an ex-soldier that lost his mind. He agreed to a standoff with one of my people, and if he lost, the soldier would kill all of us, throw us off the bridge.”

  “But he won, clearly,” Abraham commented. “How did your friend outshoot a soldier?”

  “He didn’t,” Luke said. “He cheated. He ran behind him while they were taking paces, and stabbed him in the throat.” Jonah and Abraham looked at each other, in what Luke assumed was a mix of discomfort and shock. “Then he curb-stomped his head, and killed him,” Luke said. “After that, we got to a town in–”

  Luke stopped, as he realized something. The town, in Indiana. He was unsure of the name, but other than the hole, Abraham’s description was a perfect match. If Luke let on that they were there, God only knew what kind of batshit crazy theories he would come up with. He decided to keep it quiet, just to be safe.

  “I don’t remember where,” Luke continued. “Maybe halfway there. We were in an empty house when a Pack came and chased us down. You ever see or hear of the holes, where the bodies all went?”

  “I heard of them, but I’ve never seen one myself,” Abraham replied. Luke supposed the hole there must have been made after Abraham went back.

  “I’ve seen one or two, why? Were you by one?” Jonah said.

  “Big one; a mile diameter, and filled with bodies. We ran through it, but got split up; one of my people got a bad head injury, but luckily we were able to tend to it.”

  “Where did you meet back up?” Jonah asked. “How did you manage to do that?”

  “How did you manage to outrun a Pack?” Abraham added.

  “Luck? A dark, stormy night, mixed with bullets, adrenaline, and a pit of bodies for them to feast on… Something to do with all that, I’d imagine,” Luke said. “Anyway, we met back up in Illinois somewhere, and found another car.”

  “What, you just met back up on the road or something?” Jonah questioned further. Luke didn’t want to bring Cyrus into this; who knew what Abraham might want to do to or with his group if he found out they existed.

  “Yeah, we just followed the same path we were on before, and ran back into each other. Signs and signals along the way, things like that,” Luke insisted. “Then…Then we got home, and uh…” Luke stopped himself again, extending his chin in protest, and shaking his head.

  Jonah and Abraham looked at him sorrowfully, but neither of them seemed to know what to say. Clearly, the subject was still a sore one for Luke; he was showing more emotion than his face ever tended to. Eventually, Jonah spoke up.

  “So… what happened after that?” he pressed.

  “We got into a fight, everyone yelling and swinging at each other. I got a Chirper stuck in my head, because I just… wasn’t paying attention,” Luke stopped. The rest of their journey he spent most of in solitude, slowly getting a grip on reality back to him, and for a long time stepping down as the leader of the group, but they didn’t need to hear about that either.

  “But you got it out, and what, you were just… back to normal?” Jonah inquired, fascinated.

  “No, not for a long time. I had night terrors; the visions came in recently…That’s where we are now,” Luke finished.

  “That we are,” Abraham said, standing up and pacing around the room excitedly. “This is brilliant! I was uncertain before, but now? There’s no question about it!”

  “About what?” Luke asked, glancing at Jonah, who closed his eyes and sighed through only his expression.

  “That you were meant to come here, Luke! To assist us in getting one step closer to enlightenment. At the very least, you have some role to play in God’s plan. How else would you explain surviving all that? You went through what would have killed almost anyone else four times over at least. There’s bound to be a reason behind why you didn’t; why all of you didn’t!”

  Luke immediately became on edge, not wanting the others in any way getting roped into this, so he tried his best to quickly swerve around the idea.

  “Probably not,” he said. “Maybe me, but they listened to me the whole way through, so I doubt there’s anything about them you’d need. After all, one of them did recently fall to a major injury…”

  “Survived a major injury, though! We got word a couple days ago that he made it back safely, and you were nowhere around. That still seems pretty special, if you ask me.”

  “Well, we had a deal. I stay, you leave them alone. So I have to ask that you stop trying to bring them into this,” Luke said. Abraham stared at him, and Jonah looked too, he a bit more nervously.

  “Okay, fair enough,” Abraham finally agreed. “Still though Luke, you are something special; you must be.”

  “Must is a strong choice of words,” Luke said.

  “Jonah, tell me you see what I’m saying here?” Abraham asked his brother. Jonah got up, and searched for the proper words to say.

  “I…I do think it’s surprising that you’ve made it this far, especially if back then you were only nineteen,” he replied. “But, I… that said, you were with a group, and a good one by the sounds of it–”

  “They have nothing to do with it,” Luke said. “Believe me, we only made it because of me. If I wasn’t there, then they would have died a long time ago.” That was beyond untrue, and it killed Luke to even lie about such a thing.

  Not only was it purely them who kept each other alive, they far and away kept Luke alive. If he had lost any of them, he’d surely have collapsed a long, long time ago himself. Nonetheless, these two did not get to know that.

  “Believe me when I tell you, they have very little that’s special about them, and even their base-level survival skills– base-level life skills– are shotty at best,” he said.

  “Alright, if you say so,” Jonah backed off. “We’ll drop it. I uh… I think we’ve gotten all we need for now, right Abe?”

  “Oh, most definitely,” Abraham agreed. “Luke, you can go; feel free to get to know the people here, as I’m sure they’d all love to get a chance to talk with you.”

  “Yeah, sure., Luke muttered, making his way out the door.

  “Give them a chance Luke!” Abraham called out to him. “After all, we’re giving you one!”

  Luke was unsure what that was supposed to mean, but in the moment he didn't really care. He just wanted to be alone. To just sit and think, maybe talk to Emily, and to just… hope that the others were doing alright back at home.

  Day 2009

  “The Plan”

  "What do you mean you’re headed to my camp?” Snow asked. Nolan stared her down with a pained confidence. He knew this was something that he simply had to do. It was Luke, for Christ’s sake. He’d do it for any of them, but Luke was something else entirely.

  “I mean I have to go there, real quick,” Nolan repeated. “Luke is there, and I have to go get him. I need to bring him back home with us. I know you don’t really like any of the oth
ers, but I need you to behave for them, for me, while I’m gone.”

  “But…But you won’t come back!” Snow insisted. “That place is scary, and they don’t treat strangers very nicely.”

  “Well, how so?” Nolan asked. “What do they do?”

  “They hang people up on these big ‘T’s, and sometimes they even set them on fire,” Snow explained. Nolan’s eyes grew large, he hadn’t expected that; Jeremy said these people were religious, but that was a bit of a stretch. “And…And when they don’t do that, they just shoot and cut people to death,” she continued. “There’s a lot of them, more than you.”

  “How many more?” Nolan pressed.

  “Lots. Like, hundreds,” Snow said. Nolan was nervous, but he had to keep in mind that Snow was a child, so maybe her perception of numbers– or just of the number of people in the camp– was more extravagant than it was in reality.

  “Well… I’m sure I can figure out my way through without getting too beat up,” Nolan joked, chuckling as he did. Snow however remained fearful, shaking her head.

  “We almost didn’t get out, you’ll never be able to get in. Not alone,” she argued. “Take me with you, I can help!”

  “Absolutely not,” Nolan said, staring her directly in the eyes. “You’re never going back there, ever. I’m not risking letting them take you.”

  “Is this because of yesterday, because I already said I’m sorry!” Snow apologized once again. “I’m sorry for being so bad! I’m sorry it made me such a bad person! I’ll never forget it!” Nolan knelt down to her eye-level, and put his hands on her arms.

  “Snow, you’re not a bad person for being hungry. It was nothing, really,” he told her.

  “But…But I thought if you do something bad, and it’s your fault, it stays with you…? That’s what sinning is, isn’t it?”

  “I… No, Snow,” Nolan said. “You aren’t defined by what you’ve done, you’re defined by what you do, you understand?” She shook her head, and he chuckled. “Look, who you are in the present– in the right now– that’s who you are, always, and that means you’re always changing. You can’t hate yourself for things you did in the past, you can only ever try to be good– be better– in the moment. That’s what makes you who you are. And you are a good person, especially right now.”

  She smiled, but quickly thereafter reminded herself of the problem at hand, which Nolan had really hoped she’d forget.

  “Then…Then why do you have to go!?” Snow protested.

  “Because…Because Luke is my brother, Snow, and I need to protect him. I need to save him,” Nolan said. Snow just looked confused.

  “You don’t look like brothers,” she said, finding Nolan’s statement hard to believe. Nolan smirked, and sat down on the bed next to her.

  “Well, we’re not brothers by blood,” he said, “but I mean just by our relationship.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense,” Snow said. Nolan smiled again; he appreciated her bluntness.

  “Did you have any siblings?” Nolan asked. Snow shook her head. “Well, do you get how you do anything for family?” She nodded at that. “Right, well you do that because you love them. And you love them because they’re always there for you. They help you, make you laugh, sometimes make you upset, and they teach you things. They’re always there for you, no matter what, and you just… you love them. You have a bond that’s something more than friendship. It’s the same thing with all of us guys, and especially with Luke and I; I’ve known him since I was younger than you, and he’s always been there for me. So I need to be there for him now.”

  “But what if you don’t come back! What if neither of you come back!” she protested.

  “We will,” Nolan said, seeing her eyes start to well up. “Hey. We will. I promise, Snow, you’re not going to lose us; you’re never going to be alone.”

  “But…But why do you have to do it alone?” she asked. Nolan frowned, and tried to think of a reason that would make the most sense to her. She was too young to understand the restless guilt he wrestled with over Luke and everything that seemed to happen to them.

  It wasn’t a valid feeling, he knew that, but regardless he felt it. It was a flaw. An error in his code. Something that, for the life of him, he just couldn’t shake away. So he had to do this, and he had to do it alone, because maybe then he wouldn’t hate himself so much for what he’d done.

  Just then, Cody knocked on Snow’s bedroom door, where she and Nolan were, and seconds after receiving no response from Nolan, he opened it. He was wearing clothes like he was ready to travel outside, which Nolan at first didn’t understand.

  “Hey, Derry wants to show us all the plow,” he said, motioning behind him. Nolan nodded, and got up from Snow’s bed. She got up too, and quickly followed him out, giving Cody a perplexed glance, which he just shook off.

  They made their way out, Snow awkwardly wrapped up in a coat too big for her and held in Nolan’s arms, and stood next to all the others, who were staring at the van, now with new attachments.

  “This is it!” Derrick announced proudly, looking at all the others for their reactions and thoughts.

  “This… is it?” Adam asked, expecting more.

  “This is what you worked for days on?” Jeremy asked confusedly, holding his stump with his hand.

  “Yeah! Why, what’s wrong with it?” Derrick said defensively.

  “Well it’s…it’s kinda shitty, man,” Chris explained, motioning to it.

  The plow was made of mostly rusted metal, and just barely fit the entire front of the van, with maybe an inch or so on each side unprotected from snow. It was about three and a half feet tall, and granted, seemed to be stably connected to the van, but still… it looked ugly.

  Jeremy was trying to sketch it in his notebook, but as had been the case for a few days now, he was struggling to put anything in there with one hand. He currently had it pressed up against a raised knee, trying to keep it steady with balance alone, and it was not working out. It fell to the ground, and he sighed, picking it up and handing it to Chris.

  “Will you sketch it down for me?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I got you,” Chris said softly, drawing the van and plow as best he could.

  “Well, does it work?” Cody asked. “Like will it, what is it… will it cut through the snow?”

  “Cut might be a little too strong a word, but it’ll get the job done,” Derrick insisted. “I know it doesn’t look like the greatest plow in the world, but it will get us from A to B a hell of a lot easier than without it.”

  “It better, I don’t know how else I’m gonna make a speedy exit out of Gilead,” Nolan said. Everyone slowly turned to face him, no one quite understanding what he just said, or more appropriately, why.

  “Excuse me?” Jeremy asked.

  “You’re gonna make a speedy exit?” Adam reiterated. “What makes you think it’s going to just be you?”

  “It has to be,” Nolan said, looking surprised at everyone else. “Adam you need to run this place, Cody needs to watch after Snow, Derry needs to pack up food and supplies if we need to leave, and Jeremy’s got one goddamn arm.”

  “Okay, one: go shit in your hat,” Jeremy said. “I will still beat the shit out of you, no-handed. And two: what about Chris?”

  “And why do you think I need to ‘run this place?’” Adam asked. “We don’t have anyone that ‘runs this place,’ we just live here.”

  “And why the hell am I on stocking duty!?” Derrick protested.

  “Guys, we are not arguing over this,” Nolan ordered. “I’m going, and I’m going alone.”

  Jeremy immediately saw what was happening here. It was the same sort of thing that happened back when they were kids, when he, Nolan, and Derrick were all in the cabin. Nolan was trying to take on the leadership role while Luke was gone.

  Granted, yes, he had taken care of Luke the most during the past four some-odd years, but still, now that he was gone, Nolan was trying to lead the charge, and do
the things that Luke would do. Including, apparently, the stupid and rash things Luke would do.

  “Nolan, stop,” Jeremy called out, taking a bold step toward him.

  “Stop what?” Nolan questioned, confused.

  “Stop trying to be Luke,” Jeremy said. Nolan gave him a strange look, and the others all shared a similar expression of puzzlement.

  “Wh…What are you talking about?” Nolan asked again.

  “Every time Luke gets separated from us, you try to take his spot and be the fearless leader that does anything and everything to save his friends, and lead the charge.”

  “I don’t–” Nolan tried to say.

  “And I get it,” Jeremy interrupted, “Luke is a guy to be admired, but he’s also a total goddamn dumbass. He goes into shit without thinking, just like you are now, and look where he is because of that! I know you want to save him, I know what he means to you– he means a whole damn lot to us too– but you going alone is idiotic.”

  “It’s not idiotic, it’s safe,” Nolan argued. “I don’t want you guys to be in da–”

  “Who’s gonna run the car while you’re getting Luke?” Derrick butt in. “Or are you planning on busting through their walls and having him jump through the damn window?”

  “I’m not–”

  “What about who’s going to watch your back? Make sure you don’t get your ass handed to you?” Adam asked.

  “Or keep a lookout for anyone watching you guys from a safe distance?” Chris asked. “Your eye in the sky?”

  “Or be a way for you to get in there in the first place?” Jeremy asked.

  “And who’s going to watch Snow when she inevitably sneaks on board anyway, and needs to be protected?” Cody asked.

  Nolan looked at Snow, and she smiled at Cody, then glaring at Nolan with a firm nod. Nolan looked back to the guys and shook his head.

  “But what if something goes wrong?” he asked nervously. “Then we’re all dead.”

  “Then at least we all died together,” Chris said, stepping forward and putting his hand on Nolan’s shoulder. “Hell of a lot better than dying alone.”