The Decay

Chapter 8 - On The Road

8

Mike approached the main gate. He could feel his heart starting to beat faster. Now that he knew what kind of man the stranger was, he no longer felt safe. As the gate opened, he swallowed hard before stepping inside the now familiar town.

The man whose name was John stood up against a wall, cigarette in mouth. “I see you're back,”,he said. Mike remained silent for a second, thinking of how to reply. “Yes. And I have something for you,” said Mike, trying to keep a neutral facial expression. He proceeded to pull out the small green box from his backpack and handed it over to John. “Isn't it pretty?” asked John. He examined the box briefly before handing the gun over. “Enjoy it,” said John. As he was about to leave, Mike said, “Wait.” John turned around. “What is it?” he asked. Mike hadn't planned on saying that. He thought of what to say next. “I uhh... How will I be able to contact you?” “And why would you need to?” asked John. “Maybe you could give me some other job. I'm interested,” replied Mike, trying not to sound hesitant.

John gave him a curious look and walked away. “If I need you, I'll contact you.”

Mike examined his new weapon. The intricate design on the handle gave it a better grip. It seemed new too. He loaded a fresh mag into it and put the safety on. It was midnight now. It was quieter, with people leaving the outside area. Mike headed back towards the tent to get some more rest before heading out to Stonegate Town.

As he lied down on his mattress, all he could think about was Anita. She seemed to know so much about so many things. And she was good at shooting too, no doubt about that one. Mike smiled to himself thinking about how he had disarmed her temporarily. He didn't know when he was going to meet her again, but he looked forward to it.

Mike woke to a ringing bell. A wake up call. He exited the tent and headed towards the Jolly Hopper. As he entered, he saw Sam sitting alone at a table to his right. “Ah, Sam, good morning!” said Mike, waving. “If it isn't Mike,” said Sam, laughing. He beckoned Mike over to his table. “Come here, boy. I have something to tell you,” he said. Mike grabbed a chair and sat down opposite him. Sam leaned in closely, “You're leaving for Stonegate town soon. Before you go, I want you to take this.” Sam took out a small silver coin and handed it to Mike. He took a look at it, examining both sides, with a confused look on his face. “I... thanks. What is it?” he asked. “A good luck charm. Keep it on you at all times, you never know when it might prove useful,” said Sam, winking. “I will Sam. Thanks.” Mike stood up and walked up to the counter. “A cheese sandwich, please.”

After finishing his food, Mike went back to the common tent and collected all his belongings. His next stop was at the sheriff's office. Jack looked up as he entered. “Mike, what can I do for you?” he asked. “I'm just here to say goodbye. And thank you. For everything,” said Mike. Jack put out his hand. Mike shook it. “Good luck Mike. You're good. Be careful and you'll do just fine,” he said. Mike smiled, nodded and left the tent. There was one last person he had to visit before leaving.

Mike entered Giovanni's tent. “Good morning,”, said Mike. Giovanni looked at Mike, then smiled. “Good morning, Mike. I was expecting you, try these on,”, he said, gesturing towards some clothes on a stand. Mike tried on the shirt, trousers and vest. The trousers were made out of cotton and were dark grey in colour. The white linen shirt fit Mike perfectly, and the leather vest felt great. A perfect fit. “Excellent! A truly perfect fit,” said Giovanni, a broad smile on his face. “You did a great job,”, said Mike. He pulled out his purse and counted out 20 gold coins. “Here you go, thanks again,”, he said. “My pleasure, Mike. Best of luck!” With that, Mike was finally ready to travel to Stonegate town.

As he was walking, he heard a noise behind him. Mike pulled out his pistol and aimed in the direction of the sound. Nothing. He had been walking for a little over an hour. He was starting to get tired. The sun shined bright in the sky and was almost directly on top of him. Not a single cloud and no shade. He wiped the sweat off his brow with his left sleeve. Suddenly, he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. A rodent. With a quick side step, he turned to face it and, dodging as it launched at him, he quickly grabbed his knife and threw it. It hit perfectly as the rodent fell over. Mike went over to the carcass and retrieved the knife. No need to cut meat from it like he had used to do. The town was less than two hours away now. He opened his backpack and pulled out his water bottle. It was almost empty. He took a sip of the lukewarm water and put the bottle back into the backpack.

Another hour and a half passed. He sat down to rest his feet. His water finished a while ago and he was getting thirsty. He had removed his vest a while back. So warm. He couldn't recall the last time he had felt this warm. A gunshot got him quickly on his feet. He drew his gun and moved behind cover. Another gunshot. It seemed far away and not directed at him. He moved swiftly, remaining close to cover at all times in case more shots were fired. He passed along the side of the road, around a bend to the left. He stopped, eyes widening.

In front of him was a huge building. Repairs had been made with scrap metal, but it was still the most complex building Mike had ever seen. There were two large fields tattered with grass before the building itself. A large fence had been erected in front of the fields, making them a sort of courtyard. Two large tents were present here, one on each side, presumably barracks. Platforms had been put up on the inside of the perimeter as make-shift watchtowers. A large, imposing gate was the only way in or out of the perimeter.

As for the building itself, much had been repaired. There were several entrances into different blocks, each with a large overhead sign. The building was divided into two large blocks, one on each side, and a smaller block between them. Behind this block was a much larger one. On the latter, a tower stood high; an excellent observation point.

As he moved closer, he saw two dead men near the perimeter. Probably the work of a sniper. Mike put his arms up and walked towards the main gate.