Memories of Life

5. The Final Kill.

The smell of burning vehicles, cries of children, and screams of mothers filled the bush. The lead vehicle was still smouldering, its cab crushed by a giant tree. Behind it a row of vehicles once full of families was now barely visible under the orange flames and acrid black smoke, that plumed into the air above. Consumed by the explosion of the command vehicles fuel pod.

Mia felt the cold chain around her neck tighten while being dragged past the devastation. Her right hand hung limp beside her, partially amputated by one of the Rouges blades. She had plunged her own blade into a mans chest, only to be struck by another who entered the melee before she could withdraw it, hacking through it. Though the pain of seeing so many of her people gone, and the burning shell where Cooper had been, masked anything she felt in her hand.

Her captor pulled hard again on the chain, choking her. He was a tall, thin, deathly pale man with tattoo's, wearing brown leather pants and a green poncho, with the machete that took her hand hanging from his hip. He led her towards the head of the convoy, and it was then Mia realised how many Rouge's there had been. Their dead greatly outnumbered the dead of her own people. Many were terribly mutilated by the ATV's fifty calibre gun that had strafed their positions with fire at the end, before falling silent overwhelmed by the attacker's. Of the Rouges that survived now stood silently on the high side of the cutting watching as she passed by. While they did not speak, Mia could see by the looks on their faces that worse was to come.

Just past the crushed lead vehicle Mia saw the survivors huddled together on their knees, each with a chain around their necks, held by their new masters. Behind them stood dozens more Rouges dressed similarly to the one leading her, with a man in front of them all. He was tall, and wore weathered black leather pants, covered partially by a brown coat that hung halfway down his thigh. His long black hair was tied behind his head in a plat like his goatee, and as she was lead closer to him she noticed scars on his face, broken by two expressionless down turned eyes.

"This is the last of e'm Minister." The pale man said, wrenching on the chain pulling Mia forward, and crashing to the ground.

Coughing Mia grabbed the chain with her functional hand to relieve the tension. Then looking up she saw Angela and her children huddled together whimpering. Beside them was Sunni, Pru, Sharni, and Kwan, with their children, and behind them were others still, who she could not see. Mia felt a great surge of fear that she had not experienced in many years, and longed to cry out to them - but she refused to let them see it. Rising to her knees, she straightened her back, and in a show of futile defiance hissed. "What do you filthy! – Fucks – want!".

The tall mans eye's looked down upon her, and he stepped forward removing a large curved sword from another man behind him. "Quiet bitch! Or I'll remove your other hand." He roared pointing the sword at Mia. Even under his coat she could tell he was powerfully built and would probably kill her with one blow, but she refused look away.

"Now" The Minister said, modulating his deep roar into a sickly sweet voice continuing to stare at Mia. "How many do we have Warden?"

An older shorter man approached from the group behind. His hair was grey but his build was also powerful like the Minister's. "Twenty-two children and eight women." He responded, also fixing his eye's on Mia with a half smile in the corner of his mouth. "But I believe that two children have escaped Minster."

Mia could not hide the look of panic on her face, when the one called Warden informed the Minister of her children.

"I saw this bitch helping them escape." The pale man added.

"Then we will find them" The Minister purred with surety. "But first!" He cried turning to his comrades. "We must deal with the man who killed so many of our bothers. Including my own blood brother. General."