It was a good point, and he didn’t have answer for that.
“How did life get so complicated?” he asked her, “A few days ago I was just some random guy you were trying to kill. I didn’t know anybody. Didn’t owe anybody. No regrets, no fears. Just survival. Maybe I should have taken your advice and gone with it.”
She nodded in agreement. He could see she didn’t really fit in in Calico, but she would never leave his side. She seemed to have formed a bond of loyalty to him that was even stronger than family.
“Back in Jaytown, why did you give yourself up to save us?” she asked.
He could see she was genuinely curious. He took a deep breath and thought about it for a moment. He had done it without consideration or doubt. He had never stopped to think of the reason why, and then it struck him. That one moment when he realised he had a chance for redemption, even though it was such a small one, but he couldn’t think of how to explain it to her.
The argument seemed to go on for almost an hour before Johnnie finally stepped out of their home and into the centre of the town to address the worried crowds. Their anxiety was understandable. The two people who had led them for all these years were now at each other’s throats, and nobody knew why.
“I am sorry that we kept you all in the dark on this,” he said before walking away.
Lannie appeared soon after. She stepped into the middle of the crowd. Most of the townspeople had gathered. It was clear that she had been crying an awful lot. She peered up towards Zed and looked at him with a bitter disgust, but also sadness. It was the same sadness that he felt when he found out what he had been, and realised there was nothing he could do to take it back.
Lannie looked away. She couldn’t bear to look at him any longer, and he didn’t blame her.
“What’s going on?” yelled someone in the crowd.
She took a deep breath and tried to compose herself as she looked at all of their faces. She didn’t even want to tell them. She didn’t want them to have to share in her grief and hate.
“I am sorry to have to call you all here to hear this. What I have to tell you is no joke, and I wish it were. There is a secret here among us. A terrible and awful secret that cannot be held any longer,” she said, looking up at him again.
He couldn’t tell if that was hatred, or some chance for him jump in and stop her. Either way, he did nothing. He wasn’t going to run and hide from reality anymore.
“This what I think it is?” Rave asked.
Zed nodded.
“Then we will be dead before the day is out. You think they will let you live?”
“You might be okay.”
But they both knew that their fates were intertwined. They had been from the moment they met. They turned their attention back to Lannie to learn what that might be.
“Recently a man returned to us that we used to know, my ex-husband and Johnnie’s brother. We accepted him with open arms and friendship. But I am sorry to tell you that he is not the man we thought he was. My husband, Johnnie’s brother, died a long time ago. That man up there, he is the worst of us all. He is the Boss. The man who has kept us under his thumb all these years; the man that killed over one hundred, and almost killed Johnnie when we dared rise up and try and live as free men and women. That is him!”
There were cries of doubt from the crowd and boos. They didn’t believe it, and they didn’t want to accept it.
“How could he be the Boss?” called Perry, “He’s been a hero since he came here!”
“And does that make up for all that he has done, all those crimes? You know what the Boss did. The people he enslaved, killed, and tortured!”
Perry shook his head.
“I don’t believe it. It can’t be true. That man up there ain’t the Boss and never was!”
A number of others cheered in support.
“Ask him! Go ask him for yourselves!”
Zed was in hearing distance of them all, and a few turned back as if expecting an answer, but he said nothing. Perry made his way through the crowd and stood before him. Zed didn’t want him to speak. He didn’t want to answer the question because he knew he couldn’t lie, and there was no truth they would be willing to accept and go along with. Rave leaned over and whispered in his ear.
“Say no. Tell them anything. She can’t prove it.”
“You know I can’t do that. I am through being him.”
There was silence as everyone in the town waited for him to answer.
“Well?” Perry asked.
He got up, laid down his rifle against the far wall, and turned back to address them. He wanted to word it in such a way that he wouldn’t sound like he was trying to lie or con them, but there seemed no way of doing it. The reality was that he was an awful person, and had been for a long time.
“You know, life ain’t always that simple. Sometimes you don’t even know who or what you are, or why we do the things we do,” he began.
He already knew he was bullshitting them.
“Yes or no?”
He looked down at his feet and sighed. This was going to be a defining moment that would change his life forever, but he had to stand by his convictions and be honest. He looked up at the crowd and their faces as they waited for him to respond.
“Yes!” he responded firmly.
There were a few gasps of astonishment, and others mumbled insults under their breath, but it soon died down.
“But why?” Perry asked.
There was utter silence as they waited for a response.
“Why what?” he asked.
“Why did you do it?”
“Perry, you can ask me any question in the world, and I guarantee you I will answer you with absolute honesty, but you know there is plenty I can’t remember.”
“Why should we trust anything you say?” called another.
“You shouldn’t. I wouldn’t. I have been trying to find answers to the questions you will have right now since I woke up in this world. I wish I had them for you. All I can say is that I don’t remember being that man, and I don’t think I am him anymore. I can’t explain how or why.”
“And yet you came here and let us risk everything?” asked someone else.
“I never asked anything of you. I tried to do my best by you, and when I realised what I was, what I used to be, I left. I didn’t take anything. I didn’t expect anything, and I fully expected to never come back here again. I went looking for Sasha, the last hope I had of finding some happiness. I never could have believed that anyone here would have come to my aid when I was in trouble.”
He could see that Perry and a handful of others were sympathetic to his position, but most just looked at him with disgust, distrust, and hatred. They looked like they wanted to lynch him just like the mob of Braves back in Jaytown did.
“What will you have me do? I am all yours. I am at your mercy. Do what you will, or send me away. All I ever wanted was good for this town, and if that means me leaving, I’ll do it. I did it once. I’ll do it again.”
“Why should we let you off that easy? The Boss killed by son. You killed my son!” a woman screamed at him.
He held up his hands as if to surrender.
“I don’t care what happens to me. Just don’t take it out on anyone else. Rave didn’t know who I was. Nobody did. I told Lannie because I didn’t want to have any secrets anymore. If that costs me my life, then so be it.”
“Kill him!” a voice called out.
He didn’t respond. He did as he had promised. He wasn’t going to fight them, no matter what.
“You’re just gonna lay down and give up?”
“It’s not my decision anymore, Rave.”
Sasha rushed up onto the battlements and to his side.
“Tell me it isn’t true! It can’t be a true. The Boss was a monster. You are not a monster. It can’t be true!” she screamed.
She could see in his eyes that it was. She turned and ran away crying. It was heart wrenching to see, but
he couldn’t go after her.
“What do we do with him?”
“Every one, please, listen!” Lannie yelled, “We are not animals. We will do this right. There is no denying that Zed has done some good, but he cannot be forgiven for what he did before. Not in my eyes, anyway. We are going to have to put this to a vote, and I will accept what you decide, no matter the outcome.”
Johnnie paced slowly up beside Zed as they carried on debating his fate.
“Not you as well, can’t a guy get some peace?”
“You did the right thing. That means a lot.”
“Yeah, and it might just get me hung by the neck, brother.”
“Would that be so bad? Jay would have done far worse.”
“Jay did do far worse, and look at me now. I’m still here.”
Johnnie laughed. They were both trying to make light of the situation rather than have to face how grim and depressing it really was.
“Just promise me nothing will happen to Rave or Sasha. It’s not their fault that I am who I am. They didn’t even know.”
“Of course.”
“We’ve come to a decision!” Lannie pleaded.
The two brothers turned to face her and saw the hatred in her face, but it wasn’t just targeted at Zed. There was silence as everyone waited to hear the judgement she would pass on behalf of the townspeople.
“Zed. We are reasonable people, and we all agree that you have done some good since you arrived here. But you also lied and deceived us. Worse still, you fought against us. You killed and maimed many of our friends, and drove fear into the good people of this town and many more like it. I would like to say we could let you go, but we cannot. We cannot let such a dangerous criminal go free, but neither can we keep you here. We have no choice but to do the humane and decent thing. The town of Calico sentences you to death by firing squad.”
“What?” Johnnie shouted, “What the hell are you thinking!”
“Detain him!” Lannie ordered.
Zed didn’t fight it. He unbuckled his sword belt and handed it to Johnnie.
“Jump over the wall and run. Don’t let them do this,” his brother begged, but Zed shook his head.
“Got to deal with the consequences someday,” he replied.
Two of the townspeople rushed onto the battlement and grabbed hold of him to escort him down into the square.
“Do something!” Rave shouted to Johnnie.
But neither of them could think of any way of stopping it.
Seemingly out of nowhere a horn rang out. It was so loud it was like something off a locomotive. Then another burst came from it. It silenced everyone as Johnnie turned slowly in despair to see what he already knew was coming. He peered out over the walls as the horn blasted out a third time, and his eyes widened at the source.
More than thirty cars and trucks raced towards the town across the open plain. Every single one was packed with Braves, and Jay’s cash truck rode at the head of them.
“Jay, Jay is coming!”
Chapter 25
“He’s coming for us! Everyone to the walls!”
People scattered like the wind as they rushed to gather their weapons and anything else they could find to defend themselves.
“Bring him down here!” Lannie shouted over to the two men holding Zed.
Johnnie was too busy to notice it even happening.
“Johnnie, your brother!” Rave screamed at him.
He looked back to see Zed being led away, and then to the army that was heading their way.
“I haven’t got time. You sort it!”
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Anything, just keep him alive, and give him this,” he said, pushing Zed’s sword into her hands.
She rushed to the edge and jumped down into the camp to try and cut them off. She lost sight of Zed for a moment as she tried to push her way through.
* * *
Johnnie took aim with his rifle on Jay’s vehicle.
“Come on, you bastard, just one good shot, and it’s all over,” he whispered to himself.
His muzzle was resting firmly on the wall for a good shot, and he knew he only had three left. He looked down the sights and rested his finger firmly on the trigger. This was his one chance. But as the vehicle drew nearer he noticed two people lashed to the vehicle on crosses in front of Jay. He recognised them instantly, his son and Frankie. His finger instantly moved from the trigger as he gasped in horror. He had nearly killed his own son. He lifted the gun well out of the way and looked down the line to check no one else was taking a shot.
“Nobody fire at Jay. He has our people!” he shouted in the desperate hope that they would hear and understand.
The cash truck came to a standstill with a few other vehicles, but many others didn’t stop. There would be no negotiation this time. They didn’t come for supplies or people. They came to kill and destroy everything before them.
Two pickups were heading for the wall with a dozen Braves between them, and all carrying grappling hooks. A fire truck followed them, too.
* * *
Rave was still fighting her way through the crowd and came out to find no sign of Zed. She began to panic and ran onwards and took a bend to find one of the townspeople standing before her, the woman who had spoken of her son’s death. She grabbed Rave’s arm and tried to hold her back.
“You can’t stop this. He has to die!”
Rave shook her arm free and pushed her away as she carried on through the crowd. Finally, she saw Zed standing against a wall. Lannie stood beside two men holding crossbows ready for an improvised execution, as if she had planned and made arrangements for it before a decision had even been made. She looked to what was in her hand, Zed’s sword. She drew it out, but stopped, realising she couldn’t harm the two men about to kill Zed. He would never forgive her for it.
“Ah, shit,” she said.
She rushed forwards towards Lannie who only noticed her at the last second. Rave smacked her in the face with the knuckle bow of the sword. As she stumbled, she got behind her, locked one arm, and placed the blade up against her throat.
“Rave! What are you doing? This has to happen. The decision has been made!”
“Fuck that, Zed! I don’t care what this bitch said, you ain’t dying today. I didn’t come all this way to see you put down like some wild animal.”
“He is a wild animal,” Lannie snarled.
“Maybe, but don’t begin to tell me you are any better.”
Sasha rushed to the scene and stopped in shock at what she was seeing.
“Lannie? What are you doing?”
“Trying to carry out the decision this town made.”
“Let her get it done,” said Zed.
“Shut up. I don’t care who said what. We need you. You are about to kill the man who saved my life. The man who is our best hope of getting us through all this.”
She strode up to Lannie and slapped her hard in the face. Rave let go of her and lowered the sword. It was clear to everyone that she was already realising what a mistake she had made, and she looked sheepish for it. Sasha stood tall and firm, and shouted at her as if she had taken over the reins.
“Either get up and fight, or get out of my sight,” she snapped.
Lannie skulked off without another word. She picked up a crossbow and carried on towards the defences alone. Rave sheathed the sword, strove forward, and slammed it into Zed before letting go.
“Stop being a pussy and get up there.”
He looked to Sasha, and she nodded in agreement.
“Go!” Sasha shouted as she pulled a hunting bow off her back and rushed on to the walls herself. Zed buckled his sword belt on and headed to where he had last seen his brother. He rushed up one of the ramps. Johnnie was cutting down at one of the grappling hook ropes with his own sword. He slashed one and then another before a crossbow bolt hit him in the inside left shoulder. He screamed out in pain as he dropped back down inside the wall.
; “Johnnie!” Zed shouted.
He ran towards his brother, but as he did, a Brave reached the top of the wall and tried to clamber over. He leapt forwards and shoved the Brave as he balanced atop the wall, ready to pounce in. He was thrown down and landed back first on the windshield of one of the trucks, causing it to collapse in on the driver.
Zed was relieved to see his brother crawling back for better cover and rushed to his side.
“About time you got in on this,” said Johnnie.
“Blame your wife. She seems to want me dead.”
“Seems like there is a lot of that going round.”
Zed lifted Jay’s arm to check the wound.
“It’s okay, armour took the worst of it. He grabbed the shaft of the bolt and yanked it out. He looked at Zed with a smile as if he was pleased with himself. But an inch and a half of the bolt was covered in blood. It had gone in farther than he was making out.
“I’ve had worse,” he added.
A grappling hook was thrown over the wall and missed Zed’s head by just a few inches before latching on. He took his brother’s sword out of his hand and got up. With one heavy slash, he cut the line. The Brave crashed down into the sand below. He ducked back down and gave the sword back before spotting his Springfield he had left propped there before his makeshift trial. He ran along the wall and picked it up. He instantly felt better.
It was then he realised that along with everything else he had lost in Jaytown was his ammunition bandolier. All he had was the single stripper clip in the weapon. He sighed, now realising how far that would get him.
“Better than nothing, I guess.”
He rose up and took aim at Jay’s truck and instantly came to the same realisation as Johnnie had.
“Ah, Christ!” he screamed as he saw who was being used as human shields.
“Kill Jay and we might end this. I don’t see any other way,” said Johnnie.
“Yeah? Cut off the head of the snake, and it’s all okay? Then why didn’t you kill me?”
“I tried. Trust me.”
“That’s reassuring.”
He smiled; now understanding the bond between him and his brother was back. No matter what they had been through, once again they stood together against a common enemy. He had never felt better since arriving in this new life.
15 Years Later: Wasteland Page 19