The Last Colony

Part 19

Mark got out his blanket from the truck bed, then curled up in the back seat of the truck. The silence unsettled him for a little while, until the blanket finally warmed up to his body heat. Dosing on and off, he got as much sleep as his body allowed him. Then a bright light shined over the truck in the night. Slowly Mark sat up to peek out the window. Along the road they had been driving on earlier, a motorcycle drove by. Mark waited to see if it would stop or come back. It didn't. Swallowing nervously, he released the breath he had been holding. Forcing himself to lay back down after a few minutes, he tried to fall asleep again. This time it was much harder to do. He wasn't sure that he liked the idea of meeting new people. There was strength in numbers... but humans tended to turn on each other more often than not. Mark was just settling down, when someone knocked on the door by his head. Mark jerked upright, his hand dropping to Becky across the floorboards.

Recognizing that it was Zero, he popped the lock and let him open it. Zero opened the door but sat into a low crouch. He looked worried and that set Mark's blood racing. If he wasn't awake before, he was now. Zero gestured in the direction of the road, asking him in a discreet whisper. "Did you see the bike?" Mark nodded, whispering back. "Ya. But he left. Hasn't come back. We should be safe." Zero raised an eyebrow, before retorting gently. "What? That is the sixth time the same bike as come through." Mark blinked a bit shocked. He must have slept through the first few times. He must have been more tired than he thought. Mark shrugged casually, asking him. "What do think? Should we risk moving?" Zero shook his head, anxiously saying. "No. It will only draw attention to us. I think he's a scout. He might be patrolling for possible hoards." Mark glanced back at the road, questioning softly. "What makes you say that it's the same guy? It's so dark." Zero snorted, mumbling out dryly. "The bike. Same weird model. It's electric and barely makes a sound."

Mark shot Zero a curious glance. He knew Zero was a mechanic... but still. To recognize a bike with that much detail. Zero pointed to his night vision goggles, adding honestly. "Don't look at me like that. I can see in the dark and... I tried to steal a bike like that a few months ago. Sue me." Mark rolled his eyes, saying nothing at first. As the thought crept up on him though, he told Zero. "You say it's electric? Then he must be from somewhere close by in order to charge it, right?" Zero nodded, mumbling out. "That's what I'm worried about. I think they heard our trucks earlier and are-" Mark cut him off to finish. "They're looking for us." Zero nodded, slipping in calmly. "To run a patrol at night... They are either desperate for supplies or they are looking for recruits." Mark stiffened, whispering back a bit harshly. "Why would they want recruits?" Zero blinked at him with sarcasm, before uttering out casually. "Depends on who they are. They could be cannibals. People trying to rebuild. Gangs looking to expand territory. All the above. Who knows? Everyday brings a new type of threat."

Mark couldn't deny that. Both of them flinched as the light came back. Zero wedged himself into the truck across the floorboard, closing the door enough for it to barely be considered closed. In silence, they both peeked out the window. The bike slowed on the road and the rider brought something to his mouth. Zero lowered his goggles to get a better look, whispering to him casually. "A walkie. Shit... He must know that these trucks aren't normally here." Mark pulled the blanket off himself, firmly asking. "If he comes closer... We need to act." Zero nodded in agreement, pulling his machete from the sheath on his thigh. The rider switched off the light to his bike, the soft hum of his bike drawing closer. Zero started creeping back slowly, uttering out under his breath. "He's going for the RV." Zero silently opened the door, staying low as he snuck out and headed around the back of the RV. Snatching up Becky, Mark exited the truck and carefully walked around into sight of the RV door.

Holding Becky at the ready, he saw the man click on a flashlight and shine it into the RV window. Mark cleared his throat, instantly drawing the man's attention to him. Wincing at the blinding light from the flashlight, Mark gruffly asked the man defensively. "What are you doing?" The man's voice was muffled a bit by his helmet, but he raised his free hand to show him a gun and snapped out. "On your knees! Drop your weapon! How many are with you?!" Mark didn't comply. Instead, he snapped out darkly. "I asked you first." The man faced Mark more aggressively, retorting back. "I gave you an order!" Mark squeezed the handle of Becky, debating about complying. When Zero stepped soundlessly from the shadows and sliced the backs of the man's Achilles tendons. Mark's heart leapt from his chest at the man's bloodcurdling scream. Zero calmly walked around the man with a weird predator look on his face. The man aimed the gun at Zero, but Zero suck his machete into the joint of the man's gun arm.