Free Behind Our Walls by Chad A. Clark Page A

happened.
    "It's not your fault." She tried to say the words, but wasn't sure if Corrine heard her.
    "He saved me." This was something Rowen hadn't told her. "He stepped in front of a bullet." She said more after this but it was drowned out in a fresh volley of crying.
    "Did he say anything to you before..." Sophie didn't want to ask, afraid to hear the answer and hated herself for her reluctance. Corrine understood the question without needing further explanation.
    Her tears seemed to glisten as the light reflected softly off of them. "He said your name. That was all." Corrine looked up at her through her tears. "I'm sorry. I didn't get to him soon enough and I'm sorry for how we've been treating you."
    "Corrine, you don't—"
    "We blamed you for Mom and Adam dying. I was mad because I didn't think you understood and Dad and I bonded over that. I know it wasn't right to push you away. All you've been trying to do is protect us and all we've done is get bitchy and snippy with you. I'm sorry."
    Sophie bent down and kissed her on the forehead. Corrine reached up and hugged her neck fiercely, pulling the two of them together.
    "We need each other," Sophie said and could feel Corrine nodding against her neck.
    It was the closest that she ever remembered feeling to her sister. Even before the end of the world, she could still identify an undercurrent of resentment that she directed at Corrine. Their parents both worked in demanding fields and had not been expecting another child. Sophie had given up so much in order to help with Corrine that she never really got to have a life of her own.
    All of that was different now. She needed to leave all of it behind and it was the moment of forgiveness between them that finally gave her the strength to do that. Corrine smiled and nodded, as if she had shared the unspoken thought as well.
    From outside the tent, she began to hear the noise of people running, yelling at each other in panicked voices, calling out with indistinct commands and questions.
    "Hold on, I'll check," Sophie said as she stood and retreated to the entrance to the tent. Rowen stood there, looking concerned but Lot was gone. She thought she spotted him off by one of the RVs.
    "What's going on?" Sophie asked but as soon as she voiced the question, she heard it. The noise rolled down at them from the hills above, from the town where the group had just been ambushed. It was a sound that sent a chill all the way down to her toes as she tried to take in a breath and steady herself.
    The sound of all terrain vehicles.

-21-
     
     
    Sophie was again amazed at the sheer speed at which everyone could move if the need arose. She had turned her back for less than a minute, but the tent had already been broken down and two people were helping Corrine to her feet and guiding her towards the RV.
    "Go!" Rowen called out. "We'll take care of everything else. You need to stay with your sister."
    Sophie wanted to argue, but she had to admit that it was where she wanted to be. She nodded her thanks and chased after Corrine, taking over for her helpers and walked her up the stairs.
    "It's going to be all right," she said as she pulled a light blanket over Corrine. Her sister nodded, with a sleepy expression on her face and already halfway to passing out. Sophie stroked a hand along her cheek and smoothed out Corrine's hair until she was breathing deeply, oblivious to anything going on around them.
    It was probably for the best. Sophie reached over and pulled open the blind on the nearby window. She could see two ATV's break out from the tree-line, just as they started to roll out. One of the bikes had two men on it and the other sported just the one driver. Sophie swiveled around in her seat and looked out the over-sized rear window to see them pulling out onto the road and speeding up to take pursuit.
    Rowen and Lot walked along the center aisle, Lot pointing at something underneath one of the bench seats. Lot pulled out a long lock box and