Liberation (Remnants of Men)

Chapter 5: Like Dog and Bone

   The journey back home did not seem tiring as he had expected. His blood coursed with so much energy. Perhaps, he felt so alive because he had found enough copper wire that could feed half the population of Rat town for days.

Troy pushed the cart behind Runner. They looked like happy huntsmen who had hit the largest game in the wild. Runner hung his axe to rest on his shoulder and marched towards the little gate like the soldiers of old returning from war.

Troy stopped suddenly, “my legs hurt,” he bent slightly, touching his knees with both hands.

“What? Do you want me to carry you,” Runner laughed, “stop being a milksop and pull the damn cart, we are almost there.”

Runner ran and climbed atop a pile of metal and bricks that had been melted together by the storm to form a hill. He curved his hand over his brow and stared at the small gate in the distance.

“What’s the first thing you would do when we get home?” Troy gazed at him with a smile sitting on his face.

Runner looked down at his black boots and frowned as a toe popped through a hole on the sole. “Get a new shoe to start with. I know we live in dark days but damn it! A guy need some reps, I mean…come on, look at my shoes, no wonder I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“You should be glad you don’t have a girlfriend. Look at Gus the plumb-man. He hit a major jackpot and apparently…fell in love with a redhead. Old fool didn’t know love was a transaction in Rat town. Now, he cleans sewers in the slums.”

Troy pushed the cart forward and then stopped suddenly.

“But Rhiannon, I don’t think she is like that.”

“Here we go again,” Runner said, “Rhiannon, if you like her this much why don’t you tell her how you feel.”

Troy shook his head and smiled.

They pushed further until the small gate was near. Runner ran towards it to make way for Troy and the cart. He reached the door and tried to open it, but it was shut tight. He took a few steps backwards and ran with speed, slamming his shoulder on the door to force it open, but it would not budge.

“Rhiannon was supposed to leave this open for us,” he said to Troy who had caught up with him.

“Let me try,” Troy left the cart and pushed the door to no avail.

Something must have gone wrong. Runner knew this but didn’t want to think much to it. He hoped that Rhiannon was safe, yet that would seem unlikely as she would never leave them stranded no matter what.

There was only one thing to do now and that meant taking the greatest risk he could imagine.

“We take the main gate,” Runner said.

“What,” Troy bellowed, “we might as well strip ourselves naked and stand in the radioactive storm, because Section 5 will have our heads for sneaking into the wasteland.”

“Not if we bribe our way through,”

Troy nodded, “that could work,” he said.

Runner took the lead to act as a scout. It would be better to try and get around without been seen than to bribe a Ranger of Section 5, that would be his plan B. He wasn’t new to the art of stealth and thus crept along the walls.

He gazed at his wrist watch. The storm would not hit any time soon giving him ample time to do what needs to be done. One more step and he jerked to halt, urging Troy to do the same.