As I Walk These Broken Roads (9 page)

* * *

Last night
’
s whiskey wasn
’
t sitting right, and the flies made it worse. Verizon swatted at them, swaying in the heat. His partner was still standing perfectly still. He couldn
’
t hold it any longer.
“
Dude… I
’
m sorry.
”

“
Just be cool about it.
”

“
But I fucked up, man – that Wentworth guy–
”

“
Just shut up for now – it
’
s cool! – but we
’
re in the middle of things now. Don
’
t want the locals to get all upset.
”

“
Yeah, I guess.
”
He leaned back against the cargo, and tried to ignore the buzzing. Something made his head snap up.
“
Hey, what the hell was that?
”

* * *

Falcon drove

The wheel trembled in his hands. Every divet, every gouge – the field spoke its language to him. A sudden rut, he jerked his wheel to the left. Next to him one of
Sheik’
s
soldiers laughed merrily, the discharge of his rifle banged against his ears and washed over his skin.

Falcon just drove. Steady, in formation… witnessing every death.

The cattle screamed.

* * *

“
What was what?
”

The echo of distant rifle fire
reached
them, followed by the bellows of dying cattle.

“
That!
”

“
Oh, shit–
”

They darted away from the caravan, taking up firing positions. He found a rusted out hulk, while Verizon ducked behind a crumbled wall. They trained their weapons in the direction of the clamour – without looking he knew every movement of his partner.

“
You see
‘
em?
”

“
All I see is shit!
”

The western fields were a mess o
f shifting wheat stalks and soy
, and the dark shadows cast by the locals. There was movement – running – but Billy couldn
’
t
make out any targets.

A crack as Verizon
’
s weapon spat – Billy still couldn
’
t see anything – another shot - Verizon was being aggressive with his ammo.

“
What the fuck do you see?
”

No response. His partner couldn
’
t hear him over the rifle. Billy finally drew a bead on something moving fast – what the hell was it, a vehicle? – when Verzion shouted.
“
Shit, Billy! Rifle down! Rifle down!
”

“
Covering ya
’
Veri!
”
Whatever it was, he started firing.
Crack! Crack!
He hoped it wasn
’
t one of the cattle. Either way it hadn
’
t stopped moving.
Crack! Crack!

Focus, damnit, focus! He was a good shot – he just needed to relax.

The field in front of him was a mess. The automobile he took cover behind stank of rust, and the building across the street offered nothing but a pair of slits on either side looking to the field beyond. Dark figures shifted across both gaps – he didn
’
t know who to focus on.

Instinct pulled his finger off the trigger as an old woman darted across his field of vision.

His aim reasserted itself, with each squeeze a bullet tore downrange, and a round slid up the magazine. An approaching wave of black shapes was materializing. Ice gripped his heart – there were too many of them.

“
Verizon – spent mag – cover me!
”
He rolled onto his side – all around him it seemed like people were screaming – he reached down to his belt – shit, no, other side – he grabbed a fresh magazine, while glancing over to his partner–

It took a second to recognize the shredded remains. A round had caught his partner in the eye – the dark lanky hair was spread open by a red cone of gristle, running all the way dow
n the body. He took a breath; n
othing to be done but remember the image. Magazine loaded, he rolled backwards, running behind City Hall. The smell of gasoline fumes had reached him.

* * *

With exact motions, Falcon stepped off of the quad, following in the wake of his
‘
brothers.
’

Where was the camaraderie? A pathetic slew of men, women, and children scattered in their wake. A large one – a giant with a blue face – darted out of one of the buildings. He landed a haymaker on one of the younger Hellhounds, but his
partner
was right behind him – he struck the giant with the butt of his rifle, then flipped the weapon around against the fallen foe. The giant jerked as the bullet tore through him.

Falcon trudged on.

A sudden instinct took over – there was a shadow in front of him – he dropped down to one knee, feeling the echo of a rifle round flying over his head. In front of him a dangerous man – no blue on his face. A shock of green hair, an enemy sliding around the corner of a building. Later he
’
d remember three sharp taps – his pistol disgorged, and his opponent fell.

“
Hahaha! Good work, Falcon!
”

Was that the camaraderie?

He rose slowly. The threat was gone. Ignoring the chaos, he popped open his revolver
’
s housing and reloaded the three spent rounds.

What was he doing here?

Raxx finished processing in a split second; then he reacted.

He hit the brakes hard and jerked the wheel, skidding the truck to a halt at the side of the road.  Behind his sunglasses he was seething. He killed the engine, got out, and slammed the door behind him.  He walked to the front of the vehicle and lit a cigar, leaning back against the grill.

After a couple of seconds Wentworth lowered his pistol. He holstered the weapon and exited the veh
icle.
“
Uh, Raxx–
”

“
You thought I was going to kill you?  For a fucking bounty?  And you pulled a gun on me? Jesus Christ! What do you think I am?  I knew you were cold but – trick you into coming out here so that I could shoot you?  What
’
s the matter with you?
”

Wentworth
’
s head snapped, and he glared at the Mechanic while considering his response. The man didn
’
t seem to be lying. His arms were crossed, and he was glaring into the distance.

“
You wouldn
’
t have been the first.
”

“
Hey, I don
’
t know what kind of
storm
’
s
been following you, but the way I see it you just called me a murdering piece of shit.  Your
history
– your paranoia – ain
’
t my fucking problem!
”

He needed time to think.
“
Paranoia
’
s the reason I
’
m still alive.  Why the hell is your holster undone?
”

“
What?  Look, the goddamned thing just came undone, alright?  Here, I
’
m doing it up.  And if you
’
d bothered to look the action
’
s not even cocked back, goddamnit!
”

“And what about that speech you gave me? About how you’re out here to earn your next meal?”

“My next... fuck you!”

“
Well fuck you, too
!
”
Wentworth threw
out
his arms – in relief or anger, he wasn
’
t sure, it just exploded out of him. He lit his own cigarette and
leaned against the truck, facing away
.

The
y
finished their smokes and flicked them to the ground.  Then they each lit up another one.

The minutes began to drag. The tension was leaking out of his back and his cheeks began to cool. He took a deep breath and spoke.

“
Listen
– Raxx, I
’
m sorry.  I misjudged.
”

“
Yeah, fine.
”

He took in a deep breath. “Raxx – I mean it. I’ve had a lot of close calls.  It makes a guy nervous.  But I overreacted.  I’m sorry.” He flicked at his cigarette’s filter, and sighed. “And that’s the weirdest response I’ve ever seen from a man with a gun in his face.” He reached out his hand. “Will you accept my apology?”

The Mechanic looked at him for a moment, doubtfully, then slowly took his hand and shook it,
“
Alright.  I can
’
t say I understand; but I
’
ll try not to take it the wrong way.
”

Wentworth nodded and looked up into the late-morning sun,
“
So if you
’
re not planning to kill me, what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?
”

Raxx stared at the ground, thinking for a second.
“
Let
’
s keep moving and I
’
ll tell you.
”
The two of them got back into the vehicle and Raxx
turned over
the
engine
.  Once they were moving at a good clip he started speaking
“
Like I was saying, rumours about you have reached the people who run Blackstock, the Seniors and the Councilman.  They
’
re nervous that trouble is going to follow you and show up on their doorstep.  That sort of thing has happened before, I
’
ve heard.  So they
’
ve enlisted me, since they know we
’
ve been talking, to try and get rid of you.

“
What I
’
m supposed to do is get you to leave town as soon as your bike is fixed without pissing you off in the process,
”
he glanced over for a second.
“
You might be an asshole but you
’
re not the sort of monster that they
’
re scared of.  I tried to talk to them, but,
”
he exhaled.
“
They wouldn
’
t listen.  Man . . . that
’
s what I took you out to tell you.  It pissed me off. They wanted me to lie to you. That
’
s why I wanted to drive.

“
You
say you
’
re
sorry for pulling a gun on me? Well, I
’
m sorry to be saying this to you. But there
’
s nothing I can do about it.
”

Wentworth looked out the window at the scenery passing by. He thought for a while before speaking.
“
I don
’
t blame them. You gotta take care of your own
”

The old loneliness swept over him.  He looked over at Raxx,
“
I enjoyed our conversations.  Shame it had to end like this. I appreciate everything – especially getting my bike back in working order.  Too bad we couldn
’
t have shared a few more pints. But it
’
s about time for me to
be
mov
ing
on
,
anyway.
”
He sighed,
“
Let
’
s turn back around so that you can get my bike fixed and I can get out of everybody
’
s hair. And you can tell the Town Seniors that I
’
ll be leaving quietly.
”

“
Sorry man.
”

“
Don
’
t worry about it
.
”

Raxx jerked the truck around, gunning the ignition to lose traction in the back tires and
drift through the U-turn
.  The sun had risen to its zenith during the ride, and there was nothing left to say between them.  The friendship was a still birth.

Wentworth lit up another smoke. He was used to being the stranger in a city full of cold faces.  The highway stretched on further for him than it did for Raxx. The faded lines ticked off the seconds of his life.

Where was he was going to go next? If he was still being followed – and if they
’
d heard of him in Blackstock then that was a definite possibility – then asking for directions to the nearest town would be a mistake. It would leave a trail for them to pick up on.  Better to take Raxx
’
s comments about civilization
‘
back west
’
and head for the setting sun.
Eventually
he
’
d find it.

Or it would find him.

Raxx remained silent as they drove, staring at the road in front of them.

It was
Wentworth
who first
noticed something on the horizon.
“
Say,
”
he said,
“
Is that smoke?
”

“
Where?
”

“
Two fingers left of the highway.
”

Raxx leaned forward and peered out the window,
“
Yeah, I think it is – too much for the coal flue. Might just be a grass fire – they happen this time of year. Shouldn
’
t be anything to worry about though.
”

They continued driving, but as they approached the smoke
was getting
thicker.  A black column was rising and spreading out across the sky.

Wentworth took another drag on his cigarette. 
“
That grassfire must be huge.  Look at it all.  Are you sure the city
’
s okay?
”

“
The city should be fine, but I
’
m not sure about the farm fields.  They have burn lines to protect them, but that
’
s a lot of smoke.  It could be bad.
”
 
He spoke with a measured indifference but the wrinkle on his brow betrayed an underlying anxiety.

As they neared they could make out multiple sources for the smoke, twisting up into one.
“
It
’
s a lot thicker than you
’
d expect for a grassfire…
”
said Raxx.

Wentworth nodded. He thought twice about flicking his current cigarette, and decided to crush it against his boot first.  He moved to roll up his window when Raxx spoke.

“
Wait a second.
”
 
He waited, not sure what the Mechanic wanted,
“
Do you smell that?
”

He sniffed the air, and looked over at Raxx.

“
What is that?
”
asked the Mechanic.

Wentworth looked forward again. He didn
’
t really want to answer.

“
Meat.
”

Raxx bent over the steering column and revved up the throttle. He stared intently at the road ahead as if it could tell him what lay over the next hill.  His hand found its way down to his hip and squeezed the revolver secured there.  Wentworth took his rifle from the back, and adjusted it so that the butt was just under his armpit, letting it lay across his lap at a forty-five degree angle.  He readied it with a precise motion, pulling back firmly on the cocking handle and letting it slam forward. His thumb flicked nervously at the safety.

“
Just for the record,
”
said Wentworth,
“
whatever this is – it isn
’
t
my storm
.
They wouldn’t have done anything to the town.
”

Raxx nodded, intent on driving.

The truck finally crested the hill, and the town lay stretched out before them.  Raxx slowed the vehicle and stopping just past Landfalls, nosing onto the Main Street.  They stepped out of the tru
ck slowly, weapons in hand, held loosely.

They wouldn
’
t need them. The town was empty.

There had been no movement as they
’
d driven in, and the only sound was the crackling of fire. The thatch was lit up, igniting the tar roofs of the older buildings.  It smelt obscen
e
.

An undercurrent of plastics filled the air with a carbonated rancidity. But as they walked towards the wreckage it got worse; meat, body odour, feces, and gunpowder wove their tendrils across the earth, filling them with a light-headed euphoria which sapped the strength from their limbs.

Wentworth was the first to see a body.  A trail of blood led from the street to one of the buildings, as if the victim had been dragged or had crawled to the illusion of safety.  The victim – either a child or a small woman – had died curled up in the doorway.  The building must have ignited afterwards, or maybe they just hadn
’
t noticed the fire in their haze of pain.  The roof of the building had collapsed and from the chest up the body had been caught in the inferno; it was the source, or at least a source, of the sweet, burnt smell.  The skin had charred black, and the arms had been thrown up above the head as the heat
tightened
the tendons. The lower half was unharmed.  Wentworth could make out flower designs on the sandals she
’
d been wearing.

Raxx was seized by a violent nausea.  His first heave flew horizontally across the street before he could grab
a nearby cart
for support and expel the rest onto the ground.  Wentworth looked behind and caught a glimpse of Landfalls
, unharmed
.  A sudden pang went through him.

“
I thought I
’
d left this kind of shit behind.
”
 
The internal turmoil he
’
d been feeling for days stepped up a notch and he began to feel dizzy – confused emotions swirled around in his chest, and his face flushed.

Raxx regained his composure, and looked over at Wentworth.  His face was pale, but his eyes were dancing with hurt and anger. 
“
These were good people.  This shouldn
’
t have happened.  This was a quiet area…
”
his eyes dropped to the ground, darted to the feed store – Wentworth remembered that a guy named Bill owned it – then back to the ground again, and around to other buildings while he took a moment to steel himself. He looked back up at Wentworth, panting. 
“
Goddamnit!
”
He yelled, pacing now.

Wentworth reached out a hand but didn
’
t know what to say. He opened his mouth and closed it. Emotions swirled around.  For a second he though he heard a gunshot, but it was just memory.  Along with it came a flash of anger – then all the emotions began to fade.

“
I
’
m going after whoever did this!
”
said Raxx, eyes ablaze,
“
Listen, I – I could use a guy with your skills with me.  You know what you
’
re doing, you showed me that the other day when we were getting your bike, plus there
’
s your reputation…”
 
He shook his head and looked down.

Neither of them spoke.

“
But this isn
’
t your fight.
”
He was whispering to himself.
“
It
’
s not even mine, not really.
”
He stared out at the fire, and slowly fell into a sitting position. His pistol listed for a second, then clattered down against the ancient asphalt.

The emotions conflagrated within him
, into a perfect moment of silence
.

“
Raxx
;
”

The
M
echanic
looked back at him. The blank slate had returned, staring at him and ticking. There was no logic to this situation.

Wentworth strode over and crouched next to
the man
.