because there ain't no other way this is gonna end."
He kept going forward and raised his right hand slowly and in plain view.
"What are you doing?" demanded the jumpy looking man.
"It's okay. I just want to show you something. I am not going for a weapon, you can see that," he said, stopping for a moment as if to wait for approval.
"Ain't nothing you got to show me that is gonna change my mind!"
"Then it won't do any harm, will it?" he replied calmly.
He reached in slowly and drew out a single photo. He turned it round to show the guard.
"Lannie, do you know her?"
He could see immediately in his face that the name meant something. He stepped a little closer so he could see her face on the photo.
"You do, don't you?"
"Ye...yeah, I suppose I do."
"She means an awful lot to me, and I am going to her whether you like it or not. But I can sure tell you she won't be too happy if you fill me full of buckshot."
The man groaned. "But I have..."
"I know, I know. You aren't allowed to let people pass. But I am not here to rob you. I don't want anything from you or your town. I just want to know Lannie is safe and to see her with my own eyes. I am not trying to trick you."
He could see he didn’t want to shoot him. He wasn't a violent man at heart.
"I can't take you there. I have to stay here a while longer."
"All right, then tell us where to go."
He still looked uneasy, but it was obvious that he was going to help them, one way or the other. He huffed one last time and finally pointed to a narrow path at his back.
"Just head on up. Tell them Frankie sent you, and that I'm watching TV."
"What?" Rave asked.
But Zed didn't argue with the man. He only hoped they were being sent with the right code; the one that would get them entry, and not the one that would get them shot. They would have to take the chance.
"Just don't raise any kind of trouble or it'll be on me."
Zed smiled.
"You see, Rave, there are some good people left."
They carried on past Frankie, and as soon as they were far enough away, Rave did not hesitate to comment on him.
"Useless, he ain't stopping anyone."
"You think that gun was even loaded?"
"Probably not."
"I guess nobody ever wants to take the chance?"
She grunted in approval.
They followed a narrow trail that got steeper as it rose between two large rocks, and finally they reached civilisation. A wooden shack at first, but nobody insight. They could hear voices up ahead. It struck both of them as more than a little strange that there was so little attention to guarding what they had. The area around them opened up into a communal area. Shacks were built on each side, many in such a regimented and machine like manner they were clearly something from before this life began. Others were more rudimentary affairs.
A number of people went back and forth, but Zed's eyes were fixated on just one, a woman carrying a bundle of firewood. He recognised her instantly. She looked barely any older than the photo he had in his pocket. She soon noticed his gaze and stopped dead. She seemed to stop breathing for a moment before she dropped the logs at her feet.
"It can't be? Zed?"
He nodded. She approached with a little hesitation.
"Johnnie said you were dead."
He just stood there, rooted on the spot, for he didn't have any answers. Finally, as she drew nearer, she leapt at him and threw her arms around him. She began to weep, but that relief soon turned to anger, and she pushed away.
"Where have you been all these years? Why did you leave us?"
He shook his head as he tried to find his words.
"I...I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" she quivered as she wept.
She slapped him and kept hitting him, but he didn't respond.
"Do you know what you put me through? You weren't even here for your daughter when she was dying."
That hit him even harder. She looked into his eyes for a moment and was not surprised to see no remorse, and yet that was not his intention. He was too shocked to find a
He kept going forward and raised his right hand slowly and in plain view.
"What are you doing?" demanded the jumpy looking man.
"It's okay. I just want to show you something. I am not going for a weapon, you can see that," he said, stopping for a moment as if to wait for approval.
"Ain't nothing you got to show me that is gonna change my mind!"
"Then it won't do any harm, will it?" he replied calmly.
He reached in slowly and drew out a single photo. He turned it round to show the guard.
"Lannie, do you know her?"
He could see immediately in his face that the name meant something. He stepped a little closer so he could see her face on the photo.
"You do, don't you?"
"Ye...yeah, I suppose I do."
"She means an awful lot to me, and I am going to her whether you like it or not. But I can sure tell you she won't be too happy if you fill me full of buckshot."
The man groaned. "But I have..."
"I know, I know. You aren't allowed to let people pass. But I am not here to rob you. I don't want anything from you or your town. I just want to know Lannie is safe and to see her with my own eyes. I am not trying to trick you."
He could see he didn’t want to shoot him. He wasn't a violent man at heart.
"I can't take you there. I have to stay here a while longer."
"All right, then tell us where to go."
He still looked uneasy, but it was obvious that he was going to help them, one way or the other. He huffed one last time and finally pointed to a narrow path at his back.
"Just head on up. Tell them Frankie sent you, and that I'm watching TV."
"What?" Rave asked.
But Zed didn't argue with the man. He only hoped they were being sent with the right code; the one that would get them entry, and not the one that would get them shot. They would have to take the chance.
"Just don't raise any kind of trouble or it'll be on me."
Zed smiled.
"You see, Rave, there are some good people left."
They carried on past Frankie, and as soon as they were far enough away, Rave did not hesitate to comment on him.
"Useless, he ain't stopping anyone."
"You think that gun was even loaded?"
"Probably not."
"I guess nobody ever wants to take the chance?"
She grunted in approval.
They followed a narrow trail that got steeper as it rose between two large rocks, and finally they reached civilisation. A wooden shack at first, but nobody insight. They could hear voices up ahead. It struck both of them as more than a little strange that there was so little attention to guarding what they had. The area around them opened up into a communal area. Shacks were built on each side, many in such a regimented and machine like manner they were clearly something from before this life began. Others were more rudimentary affairs.
A number of people went back and forth, but Zed's eyes were fixated on just one, a woman carrying a bundle of firewood. He recognised her instantly. She looked barely any older than the photo he had in his pocket. She soon noticed his gaze and stopped dead. She seemed to stop breathing for a moment before she dropped the logs at her feet.
"It can't be? Zed?"
He nodded. She approached with a little hesitation.
"Johnnie said you were dead."
He just stood there, rooted on the spot, for he didn't have any answers. Finally, as she drew nearer, she leapt at him and threw her arms around him. She began to weep, but that relief soon turned to anger, and she pushed away.
"Where have you been all these years? Why did you leave us?"
He shook his head as he tried to find his words.
"I...I don't remember."
"You don't remember?" she quivered as she wept.
She slapped him and kept hitting him, but he didn't respond.
"Do you know what you put me through? You weren't even here for your daughter when she was dying."
That hit him even harder. She looked into his eyes for a moment and was not surprised to see no remorse, and yet that was not his intention. He was too shocked to find a
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