Molly - Part 4

Chapter 29

It had been long since Molly had seen such a gathering of the city's own. And while before a general depression might have weighed heavily upon them, the men, women, and children which had come here did not seem afraid. Their eyes were lit with anticipation; another divide in the norm.

"What are they doing?" Teddy asked, peering through the mesh.

A shout, from afar. Men filtered in, different then those gathered, carrying with them guns, with three white slash marks painted on each of their backs. And from the fold of the city appeared another of its players, hidden before, now revealed, his great metal frame looming over the procession.

"Bask in his glory!" Bobby King howled. "Praise God!"

They clapped, shouted--a woman went to her knees.

"How can they be so blind?"

Some of the sun caught Teddy's face.

"They're desperate, Molly."

"We need to get closer. Maybe I can talk to him."

"That worked out well last time."

Molly smiled. "Shut up."

They shimmied out of the nest, an abandoned revolutionaries alcove, rising up and using the shadows of the apartments to mask their approach. Molly barely thought about the pattern, too embedded in its form.

"Help me!"

She stumbled into the street, looking around wildly then speeding over to Molly and Teddy. She seemed like a vagrant, tears running down her face.

She fell into Molly's arms.

"They took me. They raped me. I tried to get away but they found me."

"Do you know where the nearest revolutionary base is?" said Molly.

She nodded quickly. "I got food there once."

"Go. Keep to the shadows. I wish I could go with you; I wish I could send my friend with you, but I'm going to need him. Know that these people are not people at all but monsters, and in the end if there is anything like justice in this world or the next I believe that they will burn in hell for all eternity for what they have done."

"Why is it so terrible?" the woman wept.

The world? People? Molly didn't know what the woman referred to, and really she didn't care.

"Go."

The woman fled, running and disappearing into the mist.

Teddy waited for her. As rigid as a pole, his gaze tethered to the christians.

***

Thomas snorted, then laughed, reeling back as Christian finished his story. Gathered around that pathetic fire.

"And then she started crying, and I was like damn bitch, if you didn't want this you shouldn't have been here!"

Laughter. It stung his ears a little, but Thomas didn't care. He got up to take a piss, halting as he spotted a woman standing in front of the camp.

"What the fuck is this?"

They got up, Christian raising his pistol then smiling.

"More food."

They approached, laughing, calling her whatever they felt like. They owned the city and would soon take the world--this is what Bobby King promised them.

"You better run, cunt!" Christian laughed, waving his gun in the air. "That's a nice gun you got there, but you're outnumbered."

His head lit up as he fell to the side. They looked up all at once, at the smoke rising from the emitter as the coolants were set off.