After the Blast: Chapter Two

They finally meet others, but not in the way they want...

     Zeke, Mitchell, and Jordan had been walking for days now without so much as a sound except the crunch of debris beneath their feet and the stolid talk that would come up about the city they once knew. Zeke found out a lot about Jordan, someone he wasn't very fond of until the bombing.

     Jordan had served as one of the scientists that had worked on the first nuclear bomb. He had begun the job excited that he would be creating weapons for the allies to use in the war. However, when they had theorized how much destruction this bomb could actually make, he began to have second thoughts about his position. When the scientists were finally ready to test the bomb, Jordan had called in sick, complaining of vomiting and stomach viruses. When he heard of the bombs being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, heard about the people that had been affected by the radiation poisoning so much that their skin was virtually peeling off, he was in shock and horror. Had he helped in the making of such a horrible device as to kill people not only instantly, but slowly as well? Needless to say, he retired from his career early and got a career in the business of sales analysis.

     Zeke was amazed at the story Jordan had told, and he realized something that had been nagging at him since they first surfaced, that had now been answered: They would die sooner than everyone else in the country. They had been exposed to radiation poisoning, they would develop cancer, they would die. It may take a longer time than others that had been affected by the fallout sooner, but surely enough they would die from the radioactivity.

     They were looking for shelter, it was twilight, the sun would be going down, and the guys felt very uneasy about coutinuing the journey in the night. They never knew what would be around that corner or behind that piece of rubble, so they were searching for a place to camp, when Mitchell spotted a standing building.

     It looked like it had been looted very recently, because the holes that had been punched into the wall of the building seemed very new, the rubble surrounding them not disintegrated like everything else around them. This seemed the perfect place to camp. Since they were uneasy about using the front entrance (you never knew who might be lurking beyond the door) they used one of the makeshift entrances instead.

     They walked into what appeared to be a gun shop, the walls lined with rifles, shotguns, machine guns, ammo, and pistols. Also, attachments like silencers and laser sights were also avaliable there. Zeke thought this would be the appropriate time to gather up the guys for a very serious talk about a very serious matter.

     "Look, guys," Zeke started out, "we have just stumbled upon one of the most precious places in the whole world. This could be our salvation, these tools that can be used for good and evil alike. There are people out there, I know there are, but they are not all on our side. There may come a time when you may have to raise the barrel of a gun to another human being and take his life to save your own. Now, I do not demand this of you, but I just need to know that in a time of need I can count on you to save my life, and that you can count on me to save yours."

     "We're behind you 100%. If the need arises, we will take up arms against anyone that may oppose us," stated Mitchell valiantly, followed by the solemn yet confident nod of Jordan. Zeke realized that they were behind him until the end, and he appreciated them for that. They spread out in the store, looking for weapons that might be convenient for them.

     Both Mitchell and Jorday took out Berettas, handling them with care, as if the were the key to life in the wasteland that they were in, which was quite possible. Seeing as Zeke had more experience with weapons than the other two (he had served in the now-ended Iraq War) he took two .357 magnum revolvers, took two silencers (which they do make), loaded the weapons, and put them into his waistband. He then took a backpace from one of the walls and stuffed it with boxes of ammunition, along with a gun cleaning kit, just in case. He told the others to do the same, and they did without hesitation.

     Suddenly, the crew heard a noise. They all raised their weapons in the directions they believed the sound had come from. They didn't know what to expect, someone that was willing to point out the way to the neearest form of rescue, or someone that was maniac and ready to kill at a moment's notice. They found out very quickly, and someone jumped from behind one the the display cases with a gun drawn. Reacting fast, Zeke took one of the revolvers from his waistband and fired one shot from each of the guns in quick succession. The bullets hit their target, and that target sprawled on the ground as if dead.

     Zeke and the others approched the figure with guns drawn, just in case he sprang up and began to attack. The bullet holes formed in the man's back were obvious, for he was lying facedown on the floor. Wit a quick tap of his foot, Zeke confirmed that the assailant was in fact dead. They turned the body over to find a horrifying sight: the person they killed was Terrence.

     The reality of what had happened hit Zeke like a wrecking ball. He had just killed one of his own, even though they had an argument, he was still one of theirs. He couldn't believe what he had just done.

     Mitchell looked over at him and whispered, "There won't be any harder times than this, I can guarentee that." With a solemn head bow, the guys found a comfortable position somewhere in the store and drifted off to sleep.