placed her behind Grunt. She touched Snickers' forehead. Grunt didn’t glance back or slow.
CHAPTER TWENTY
WILL
Rhiannon turned to run off after the group that had snatched Snickers. There was no way to follow; Will was pinned on this side of the river. They’d only made it this far, this fast, because Big had vehicles parked near by where Snickers and Rhiannon had gone in the river. The river was a far more direct, and quicker, route to the city than the roads.
“All right then.” He turned to rally the group of eight, including One Ear and Buddy, who had followed him here. “We keep on moving upriver.”
Big stepped up beside him and patted B.B.’s head. She was still staring alertly after Rhiannon and Snickers. Stupid stood a ways back.
“They ain’t going to kill them,” Big said.
“There’s worse things than dying,” Will retorted as he lowered the binoculars to side-glance at Big.
“Yup, I figure they both been through worse things already. But now they got you,” Big continued. ”You can’t sneak in to the city, Tex.”
“If… if the city is where they’re going.”
“Clarence and I know ‘em,” Big said. “That red paint shit is hard to miss. They see themselves as sort of freedom fighters, ‘cept they ain’t actually on our side.”
“Doesn’t concern me,” Will replied. He couldn’t stand more yammering. Rhiannon, Snickers, danger: end of discussion. “I'll go alone,” he said. ”You have no obligation, Big.”
Big snorted and pointed westward, deep into the valley. “You ain’t going to easily find her in there without help or without major guns.” As dusk deepened, clusters of lights glowed in derelict skyscrapers that punctuated the cityscape. They, whoever they were, had electricity. “First, it’s a big place. Second, I hear they got some sort of a civil war going on,” Big persisted.
“Where‘d you hear that, Big?” Will sighed.
“People just have a way of talking around me, Tex,” Big grinned and glanced back at Stupid, who now held One Ear and Buddy on their knees. Both hostages looked very roughed up. Stupid prompted One Ear with an ass kick.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s them with the red paint,” One Ear spat. “Worse than us by far. They got no reason. We’re rebuilding humanity. We got rules. The girl means nothing to them.”
“Then why take Rhiannon and Snickers?” Will’s voice actually shook with anger. One Ear didn’t answer, until Stupid’s kick prompted him again.
“It don’t get more famous than Rhiannon Wells, unless the Queen of England was immune, and who’d want to fuck her?” One Ear blurted.
Will turned his back and felt anger burn through to his clenched fists. She was just a damn prize!
Then Big, real quiet, laid it out for him. “This is them I talked about, Tex. Them who take our women in raids. All women — hell, any person — has a right to decide who, where, and when.”
“And what exactly do you suggest, Big?” If he needed their help to rescue Rhiannon and Snickers, he might as well know the fallout cost now.
“Guns, big guns, people who can use them, and you. I got a feeling you got lots of good ideas on offensive play. I figure we just stop ‘em.” Will didn’t respond so Big continued. ”I know you think what we were before don’t matter, that it’s how we behave in the present that counts. You taught me that, Tex, though I had to think about it for a bit. But we do each got skills, put enough of us together and we have a… a…”
“Community?” Stupid suggested.
“Yes, I was going to say family, but that’s better, Clarence,” Big agreed, then concluded, “You lead, we go.”
“Just to clarify. You want me to help you build an army, lead you to war with these Rebuild Humanity guys, and you’ll help me find and rescue the girls.”
“That about covers it,” Big grinned.
“And, just because somehow you’ve figured out I played pro football, some time ago, you think I’m
CHAPTER TWENTY
WILL
Rhiannon turned to run off after the group that had snatched Snickers. There was no way to follow; Will was pinned on this side of the river. They’d only made it this far, this fast, because Big had vehicles parked near by where Snickers and Rhiannon had gone in the river. The river was a far more direct, and quicker, route to the city than the roads.
“All right then.” He turned to rally the group of eight, including One Ear and Buddy, who had followed him here. “We keep on moving upriver.”
Big stepped up beside him and patted B.B.’s head. She was still staring alertly after Rhiannon and Snickers. Stupid stood a ways back.
“They ain’t going to kill them,” Big said.
“There’s worse things than dying,” Will retorted as he lowered the binoculars to side-glance at Big.
“Yup, I figure they both been through worse things already. But now they got you,” Big continued. ”You can’t sneak in to the city, Tex.”
“If… if the city is where they’re going.”
“Clarence and I know ‘em,” Big said. “That red paint shit is hard to miss. They see themselves as sort of freedom fighters, ‘cept they ain’t actually on our side.”
“Doesn’t concern me,” Will replied. He couldn’t stand more yammering. Rhiannon, Snickers, danger: end of discussion. “I'll go alone,” he said. ”You have no obligation, Big.”
Big snorted and pointed westward, deep into the valley. “You ain’t going to easily find her in there without help or without major guns.” As dusk deepened, clusters of lights glowed in derelict skyscrapers that punctuated the cityscape. They, whoever they were, had electricity. “First, it’s a big place. Second, I hear they got some sort of a civil war going on,” Big persisted.
“Where‘d you hear that, Big?” Will sighed.
“People just have a way of talking around me, Tex,” Big grinned and glanced back at Stupid, who now held One Ear and Buddy on their knees. Both hostages looked very roughed up. Stupid prompted One Ear with an ass kick.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s them with the red paint,” One Ear spat. “Worse than us by far. They got no reason. We’re rebuilding humanity. We got rules. The girl means nothing to them.”
“Then why take Rhiannon and Snickers?” Will’s voice actually shook with anger. One Ear didn’t answer, until Stupid’s kick prompted him again.
“It don’t get more famous than Rhiannon Wells, unless the Queen of England was immune, and who’d want to fuck her?” One Ear blurted.
Will turned his back and felt anger burn through to his clenched fists. She was just a damn prize!
Then Big, real quiet, laid it out for him. “This is them I talked about, Tex. Them who take our women in raids. All women — hell, any person — has a right to decide who, where, and when.”
“And what exactly do you suggest, Big?” If he needed their help to rescue Rhiannon and Snickers, he might as well know the fallout cost now.
“Guns, big guns, people who can use them, and you. I got a feeling you got lots of good ideas on offensive play. I figure we just stop ‘em.” Will didn’t respond so Big continued. ”I know you think what we were before don’t matter, that it’s how we behave in the present that counts. You taught me that, Tex, though I had to think about it for a bit. But we do each got skills, put enough of us together and we have a… a…”
“Community?” Stupid suggested.
“Yes, I was going to say family, but that’s better, Clarence,” Big agreed, then concluded, “You lead, we go.”
“Just to clarify. You want me to help you build an army, lead you to war with these Rebuild Humanity guys, and you’ll help me find and rescue the girls.”
“That about covers it,” Big grinned.
“And, just because somehow you’ve figured out I played pro football, some time ago, you think I’m
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