by Kip Nelson
As his eyes scanned the crowd, he saw many people nodding as they, too, remembered the people they had lost. “But as I look at you, all I see is a new beginning. I see a chance for this place to be a monument to those we have lost. All we must do is draw strength from each other, and trust in ourselves. We each have choices to make, and sometimes they can seem overwhelming. Emotions have run high and we can feel scared and angry at the world, but the fact is we are still here. We are the ones who get to choose our destiny. I still am going to serve God as best I can, and I hope to serve you as well. For now, let us bow our heads in prayer and remember those we have lost.”
Everyone bowed their heads, moved by Hank's sermon. Silence fell over the hall as memories passed over each other and sorrow enveloped them all. Mack and the others were standing toward the back of the room, and while everyone was quiet Mack noticed Maggie slipping away. After a few moments, he decided to follow her. Everyone else was too busy paying their respects to notice them leaving, as the two had been standing right by the open door.
Mack looked around until he saw Maggie's figure leading a horse to the armory. He shook his head as he jogged to her spot, finding her grabbing guns and about to leap onto the horse’s back.
“I don't think Hank will appreciate you leaving like that,” he said. Maggie, startled to see him, looked at him and her face fell before it hardened into a determined expression.
“He'll get over it,” she said bluntly.
“Where are you going?” Mack asked. Maggie considered the question.
“To find someone special,” she said.
“I'm going with you.”
Maggie laughed. “You don't always have to play the hero, Mack, and I know what I'm doing. Stay here and help these people. They need it more than me.”
“No, you can't go out into that city alone. You've heard what's out there. If you get caught or captured--”
“I won't. Mack, please, it's alright. I have to do this by myself.”
“But that's the thing, Maggie. You don't. I know if I was back home looking for Anna, I'd want all the help I could get. I know you're afraid to trust anyone because of what happened at the prison, and maybe you're afraid of letting people trust you, but that's not the way we have to do things in this world. That's not what Hank was talking about. We must trust each other and work together. That's the only way forward. That's what the point of all this is, and if you think I'm going to let a friend go out there by themselves, you're wrong. This isn't me trying to be a hero, this is just me offering help. Now, I either can come with you, or I can shout for the others to come out and try stopping you. Which is it going to be?”
“Damn you,” Maggie said as she shifted up the horse, allowing space for Mack to get on. He straddled the horse and wrapped his hands around Maggie's waist. It was uncomfortable, and they barely had any space left, what with the gun slung around Maggie's back.
“Where are we going?” Mack asked.
“Out there,” Maggie replied in a steely voice, and with that she directed the horse through the barrier and the two of them were outside the settlement.
Chapter Fifteen
After the sermon, Grace felt herself uplifted spiritually. It was something she hadn't experienced before. It was a strange feeling, but a good one, and she was glad she had attended. As she looked around at her friends, she saw they had calm looks on their faces as well, as did many other people. It seemed as though Hank had the magic touch to cleanse them of their despair and gloom, at least for a little while. When Hank descended the stage, he was mobbed by people who wanted to thank him and talk with him. Grace knew he would be busy for a while, and then she noticed Mack and Maggie had disappeared. Her eyes met Luis’, and she knew he had come to the same realization. They walked over to each other and shared their astonishment that the two of them would have left so early.
“Maybe they just wanted to get some air?” Grace asked.
“I think we've had plenty of air,” Luis replied as the two of them left the building and walked outside. They looked in various places for Mack and Maggie, but they were nowhere to be found. As they walked and peered into different buildings they talked, and realized they hadn't had a proper conversation for too long.
“That was a heck of a sermon,” Luis said.
“Yeah, he's a really good speaker.”
“Who did you think of, when he asked us to remember those we had lost?”
“Billy, mostly. Just wondering why some people live and some people die. Do you think there's some great meaning or plan behind things, or do you think it's just random?”
“I don't know. I never gave much thought to those things. Didn't seem to affect my life that much. Figured I'd be alive or dead anyway, but if there was a great plan for my life, then whoever came up with it didn't have much in the way of an imagination. I don't know, I guess I always thought there was something out there, but I couldn't say for sure. What about yourself?”
“I never thought there was. I was so involved with the virtual world I didn't pay much attention to the real one. Now that all this has happened, there's been an emptiness inside me, and it feels as though it's just waiting to be filled by something. What Hank said made sense. I don't know for sure if I'm a believer yet, but I'm leaning that way. It feels strange. I don't know if I should give into it or not. I mean, is it what I really want or am I just trying to make sense of what's happening to the world?”
“There's room for yourself to grow. It's not as though believing is going to hurt you. Maybe it's one of those things where it's always been with you, but it's only had a chance to come out now. Religion and faith mean different things to different people. My parents were Catholics and they had a lot of rituals. They took me to church every Sunday, but as soon as I was old enough I stopped going because it wasn't for me. I've always thought it's a personal thing. If you have a relationship with God or some other deity, then that's your own business and how you express it is up to you. I don't think it should be something you're afraid of, though. You saw Hank tonight. I think one of the reasons he's so confident and calm is because he has that faith to see him through. Sometimes I wish I had it, to be honest. It might make the mornings a little brighter, and the nights a little less dark.”
“I suppose so...” she said, although she still had questions and doubts, and she knew they would not be easy to deal with.
“It's only something you can answer anyway. So, since we haven't found Mack or Maggie yet, what do you reckon...they're off getting to know each other a little better?” he said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. Grace scoffed.
“No way. I don't believe Mack sees any other women in that way anymore. He's too devoted to Anna. That's been his driving force ever since we crashed, and he still looks at her picture before he goes to sleep every night. I still remember when we first crashed. He wouldn't tell me about her at first, but then he did, and at the time he had seemed so strong and so confident. That was the first time he felt like a real person to me. He loves her, it's as simple as that.”
“I hope he finds her one day. I dread to think what will happen if he doesn't.”
“Me, too,” Grace said, and for a few moments they walked on in silence, hating to think of that fate befalling someone who meant so much to them.
“It'll be interesting, though, one day, if we're still around, to meet her, to meet the woman who captured Mack's heart,” Luis said.
“If she's anything like him, she'll be out there,” Grace said.
“It's tough, being in love in this kind of world,” Luis said.
“Do you still think of Margaret?”
“Yeah,” Luis said, sighing, “a lot actually. I wonder if it was right of me to leave her, or maybe I should have tried convincing her to come with me. I don't know, I just find it funny that even now I'm crap with girls. I guess some things remain a constant.”
“You're not that bad,” Grace said.
“No?”
“N
o,” she replied, but wouldn't elaborate further.
“I guess it's hard when we're moving around so much. You don't get any chance to settle.”
“Can I ask you a question?” Grace said, chewing her bottom lip. She stopped walking.
“Yeah, sure, anything.”
“How come you don't look at me like you used to?” she asked, tilting her head up to look at him with those wide eyes. She thought back to their first few days together, when they had been by the river and Luis had been unable to take his eyes off her.
“I didn't think you were interested, and I didn't want to come off as a creep.”
“It wasn't that. I'm just...I'm not used to this sort of thing,” she said, stepping closer to him, suddenly feeling a need to be close to him, to feel his warmth. Luis gulped.
“It's not like I've had many girls either...”
“I've never been kissed, Luis,” she said, and there was a yearning in her eyes that told him there was no more need for words.
He reached one hand up to stroke her cheek and then pulled her into him. She rose on her tiptoes and her soft lips met his. Her eyes closed and her body swam with all kinds of new sensations, and as they broke away they both were smiling.
Later that night, Grace and Luis gave up their search for Mack and Maggie and left it until the morning. They hoped the two of them would return from wherever they had gone. The community was sleeping peacefully, feeling good after Hank's sermon. However, the people of another faction had other ideas, and the settlement was under attack yet again. This time they did not try raiding anything, they merely stayed out by the barriers and caused a ruckus, hurling things at the barriers, trying to weaken them.
People ran out to try steering them away with gunfire. It worked eventually, but still left people feeling down as, yet again, their settlement was under attack by those around them. Bob was furious as he marched around the barrier with his hands folded behind his back and a face like thunder, muttering to himself that something had to be done. They were under attack from all sides and, eventually, something had to give. He was determined not to let it be them.
Chapter Sixteen
“They're coming after us because they see us as the weakest faction. They think we're here for the taking, easy pickings. They just come at us, night after night. Eventually, something is going to give. We can't hold out forever, pretending everything is going to be okay. I'm tired of standing by and seeing everyone here being left frightened by those who want to do us harm. I know some of you think I am saying this out of anger, and maybe that is partly true, but I genuinely believe the best chance we have of making it through this alive is to take the fight out there to the others. We must show them we're a force to be reckoned with.
“I was in that building with all of you when the preacher said those fancy words and they struck my heart, too. I've seen too many good people die, not just in this world, but in the one before it, too. We can't let that happen again. He was right. We're in this together. We must help each other and trust each other. You've all trusted me to lead this settlement and I hope you can trust me now.
“I know it's scary. I'm scared, too. None of us know what is going to happen, but I can guarantee if we keep doing nothing they're going to take us apart a little at a time. But if we make a stand, maybe, just maybe, we can send them a message. I wish we could live in peace, but maybe that will have to come later. The preacher spoke of the future, and that our destinies are in our own hands. I firmly believe that, and the world that we're rebuilding depends on the decisions we make in the here and now. But I can't go to war on my own. If I'm going to do this, then I'm going to need your help. We're going to have to do this together,” he said. Grace found his words haunting, but as she looked around, she saw more people nodding and agreeing with him.
After the attack and the speech, everyone went back to bed, but sleep was not easy to come by. Grace asked the others if they had seen Mack or Maggie, but none of them had. They, too, began to worry, wondering if perhaps somebody had managed to sneak into the settlement and kidnap them, although nothing like that had happened before. When the morning sun rose, Grace knew it was up to her to confront Bob, for the philosophy he was espousing contradicted the values Mack had instilled in them all, those of communication and cooperation. The others agreed with her, especially Luis, but they didn't envy her task of talking with Bob.
“Are you sure this is the right play?” Freddie asked. “We've only just come here. Do you really think we should be shaking up things this much?”
“If we stand by and do nothing, then we are no better than those who attack this settlement,” Hank said.
“That man twisted my words last night to try rallying people to his cause. I do not take kindly to that. When I said we should work together, I meant all of us. I wonder if he actually has tried to open negotiations with the other factions? Perhaps that is one of the questions you should put to him,” he suggested. Grace was glad to see she had Hank's backing.
“Freddie's right. You're entering dangerous territory. Bob could claim you're trying to undermine his leadership. If you're not careful, we all could end up being banished. He strikes me as the type to do exactly that,” Saul said.
Grace weighed all their words, but she knew she couldn't resist acting because of fear. “Hank's right. If we don't do something, we're going to regret it. I know if Mack was here he'd stand up for what he believes in, and we have to do the same.”
So, with that decided she strode to City Hall, trying to quell the nerves in her stomach. She clenched her fists by her side, digging her nails into her palms to try distracting herself with pain. They all marched right into his office. He looked irked by their presence.
“I really should start making it a point to tell people they have to make an appointment before they come see me. I have a settlement to run, and I don't have time to deal with everyone coming in here to talk about their petty problems. Now, tell me what you want, and then get out,” he said. Grace swallowed and tried keeping her voice even as she spoke.
“We've come to talk to you about your plans. It's not right. You're going to lead these people into a battle they might not be able to win. You're risking everything when you don't need to.”
“Don't need to? You've only been here a few days. The rest of us have been here since this began. We've had to deal with people attacking us and threatening our way of life multiple times a week. Do you know how difficult it is to sleep when you know that at any moment somebody could come in and slit your throat? Do you know how disheartening it is to break your back gathering supplies knowing that somebody else is going to come in and take them by force?”
“All I know is fighting doesn't have to be the only way. That's probably what led to this whole thing in the first place. And when has fighting ever led to anything good in the whole history of civilization? Have you even tried talking with them to see what they want? To see if there's any way to strike a deal with them?”
“With those animals?” Bob laughed loudly. ”You're out of your mind.”
“You have to at least try before innocent people lose their lives! That's what Mack has taught us.”
“Oh yes, Mack, and where exactly is he?” Bob said, his eyes gleaming with a condescending look.
“He'll be back,” Grace said through gritted teeth, “and when he does, he'll say the same thing as me. You've done a good job of leading this place, but starting a war isn't going to do anyone any good.”
“She's right,” Hank said. ”You missed the point of my sermon. We should be trying to form relationships with people and use kindness. Maybe if we gave the other factions some of our supplies willingly, they wouldn't feel the need to take them. There is still a place for charity in this world.”
“Charity? Give our supplies to those thieves? Now I know you must be mad,” Bob said, vehemently shaking his head.
“I've seen this behavior before, and it's never led anywhere good. If you're going t
o go through with this, you're going to be sending a lot of people to their graves, and we're going to fight you all the way,” Grace said.
“You can do as you wish, my dear, but these people have suffered. Who are they more likely to follow? Someone who has taken care of them ever since this began? Or some girl who pokes her nose where it doesn't belong? They're used to following my orders, and they're tired of being attacked. Of course they're going to obey my commands. They're my people, not yours. The sooner you get used to that idea, the better off you'll be. Now get out of my sight before I have to call someone here to remove you by force.”
Grace almost was trembling with anger, but she felt a hand on her shoulder, pulling her away before she could say anything she really would regret.
Meanwhile, Maggie and Mack were riding through the city. They had spent the whole night riding and hadn't rested the entire time.
“You know your way around,” Mack said, impressed.
“This was my home, my area,” she said and Mack noticed the hint of sadness in her voice.
He looked around at the desolate, abandoned buildings and imagined how she must have been feeling to see everything she knew in such a state. Riding a horse was much more efficient than walking, and Mack found himself wishing he had been able to make use of them more often in his adventures. It certainly would have made their journey to the city easier. He also was keeping a careful eye out on their surroundings as he was unsure what the city held within its murky depths, only that it almost certainly was dangerous. It seemed as though most people had gathered into the factions Bob had described, but he was sure there still would be some isolated groups seeking an opportunity to get more supplies or guns. So, he had to make sure he was ready.