Free 15 Years Later: Wasteland by Nick S. Thomas Page B

that was when it struck him, somebody was that close to him. His eyes opened, and Red was leaning over him with his hand in his inside pocket reaching for the photos. He felt the cool steel of a blade at his throat in readiness to end his life.
    He snapped his head forward and headbutted Red. The blade cut just a little into his neck as the man recoiled backwards. He grabbed the blade and snapped it out of his hands, turning the tables on him.
    "I'm sorry," said Red as he felt the blade touch his skin.
    "What have I ever done to you that you would want to kill me?"
    He noticed some movement out of the corner of his eye. It was Rave, standing over him with the hatchet in her hand ready to end his life without a word. Zed knew exactly why he wanted him dead. He was a problem their town didn't need. He turned the knife around and handed it back to Red who couldn't believe what he was seeing. Nobody needed to say a word. They understood one another. He got up, nodded, and left looking rather sheepish.
    "You could have killed him for that. You should have."
    Zed only shook his head.
    "Come on, let's get some sleep."
     

Chapter 9
     
    The sunrise caused them to wake early and quickly. They were both eager to leave the town, and within a few minutes were on their feet and carrying everything they owned. As they approached the gate where the two bikes and bodies lay, both knew what they had to do. They lashed a body over the back of each mudguard as best they could and climbed onto the bikes in readiness to leave.
    "They're fools to let us have these," said Rave.
    "No, they are smart to stay out of this," he replied.
    The gates were pulled open in readiness, and Zed took one last look into the town. Val stood watching them, and only a handful of others. They seemed eager for them to leave. He started the bike and was about to pull away when he heard a voice cry.
    "Wait!"
    He looked back to see Red hurrying towards them. Curiosity made him stay.
    "I am sorry about last night. I thought you meant us harm."
    He nodded.
    "Yeah, I get that, and I get why. But not all folks are out to kill you. If it were that way, what's the point in living anymore?"
    Red nodded in acknowledgement.
    "The man in that photos. I'd tell you to not go looking for him, but I know you won't listen."
    Zed shook his head.
    "Some say he went North."
    "And you believe that?"
    "I do. I knew him."
    "And you liked him?"
    Red nodded. "He was a good man, but we can't talk about him no more."
    "Because of the Boss?"
    Red nodded again. Zed took in a deep breath and sighed. He got a sense he was getting himself into an awful lot of trouble, but he had to keep trying to find answers.
    "Maybe losing your memory is a blessing. Why not just leave Johnnie and those photos, and start a new life while you still can?"
    "You know I can't."
    He started the bike and rode off out of the gates with Rave by his side. They carried on with their journey on the path they had started before Jay's people arrived. It led them through a long canyon pass before finally becoming open ground, an almost desert like plain for miles, with the only cover far in the distance. He stopped for just a moment to think.
    "You want to ditch these guys here?"
    He shook his head.
    "No, it's too close to town. I don't want them to suffer for what we have done."
    "I’ve never met anyone like you."
    He looked back at the bodies on their bikes and noticed goggles around their necks. He pulled them off, wiped a little blood off one of the lenses, and slipped them on as she did the same.
    "You knew those two, didn't you?"
    "Yes."
    "But you didn't hesitate to kill them?"
    "No. They'd have tried to kill me, and they're assholes, anyway."
    "All right, we're heading North. When we get to that rock outcrop up ahead, that's where we’ll ditch these assholes."
    He put down the power and sped off into the distance. It was only as they got up to speed that he began to wonder how much gas they had. The town they had come