Parchman
that the Professor was alive and well andrunning the newly reformed prison with IsaacMendez. ‘Expect the unexpected,’ he thought to himself recollecting Sansom’s words. He didn’t plan to spend long there, but he owed Sansom a visit to thankhim for helping them on their journey.‘Just up there,’ Logan pointed toMax. ‘It’s a warehouse.’As they turned the corner to the warehouse Logan could see that the hugemetal door had been destroyed. ‘
Savages
,’ he thought to himself.
With the jeep slowing to a stop he jumped out with his revolver drawn.‘Logan,’ shouted Max, but he was already headed for the Warehouse.
When the rest of them caught up to him Logan’s arms were hanging by hisside and no longer in an attack stance. He was frozen.
‘What the Hell’ said Max looking into the warehouse.
The warehouse had been decimated and everyone inside had been killed. Logan walked forward and picked up a teddy bear off the floor and lookedtowards the tent it had come from. He looked inside and then ran over tothe entrance and retched.
Max and the rest of the boys walked through the warehouse moving anybodies from where they lay back into the tents and into the survivor’smakeshifthomes. ‘What did this?’ said Scott. ‘Surely not the Savages?’
‘Look on the floor Scott,’ said Max. ‘Bullets. From what you’ve told meabout the Savages they don’t carry weapons and they only kill for food.Whoever did this has a serious amount of ammunition. Look around,nothing has been taken. Whoever did this did it for practice.’
‘The CommanderGeneral,’ said Logan angrily.
‘We don’t know that for sure Logan,’ said Max. ‘This is the work of ahundred men, maybe more. Many more than the General had with him.’
Then a noise from somewhere in the back of the Warehouse startled them. The group sprang into action lifting their weapons and heading towardswhere the noise came from. ‘It’s coming from Sansom’s room,’ said Seth.
A familiar figure appeared at the door and Logan dropped his weapon torush to the man’s aid. ‘Sansom, you’re ok,’ he said.
Sansom slumped into his arms and to the floor, blood oozing from hismouth. ‘Afraid not my friend,’ said Sansom, moving his long coat to oneside and revealing two bullet wounds to his stomach.
‘What happened?’ said Logan.
‘An army happened,’ said the dying man. ‘There were hundreds of them,all with serious fire power. After they broke through the doors they saidthey were here to help. But they said they needed all of the men from ourgroup to help them first. We refused of course, and that’s when theyopened fire on everyone. We tried to fight back but they had us pinneddown and on the back foot. We gave it everything, but it just wasn’tenough. They were professionals.’
Logan looked a knowing look at Max. It had to be the CommanderGeneral.
‘We’ve got a first aid kit. We can help,’ said Scott hopefully to anyonewho would listen. Seth put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.
‘When did this happen?’ said Logan.
‘An hour ago, maybe two. I overheard them saying that they were goinginto battle. The only place with more people than us and supplies to feedan army is the prison,’ said Sansom.
‘If that’s true then they could already be there. We need to get there andwarnthem,’ replied Logan.
‘You’re joking?’ said Max seriously. ‘There’s six of us and at least onehundred of them, that we know of. Anyone in that prison is as good asdead.’
Logan stood up. ‘We have friends in that prison. We don’t know they areheading there, but if they arewe need to let them know what’s coming.’
‘Logan, we don’t know what’s coming either. It’s madness,’ said Max,stepping up to Logan almost toe to toe.
‘Stop,’ said Sansom. ‘Stop fighting each other. If they are headed to theprison then who is to say you and your community aren’t next. These menare evil. They will stop at nothing to get what they want. The Savages killfor survival, but these men kill because they can. A little power is a dangerous thing and this leader of the army has lots of it and is preparedto use it. If you have a chanceto warn them then you need to do it.’
‘He’s right,’ said Xander. ‘We were heading to the prison to ask
them
forhelp. We can’t turn our back on them now.’
Max looked at Logan, then down at Sansom. ‘OK.’
Logan knelt back down to Sansom. ‘What about you?’
But Sansom had gone. Logan’s head dropped and he passed his hand overthe man’s face closing his eyes for the last time.
It took all of their strength tolift Sansom’s body and put it back in his room. Bodies of children lay around him where he had tried to protectthem to the end. Using sheets they covered the bodies.
As night started to draw in they fixed the warehouse door as best as theycould to ensure no one else would disrupt this sacred mausoleum.
‘Logan,’ said Scott. ‘One thing is bugging me. All these bodies and thedoor wide open.’
‘Yes?’ replied Logan.
‘Well wouldn’t you have expected to see at least one of those Savagestrying to get in? Free lunch so to speak.’
Logan looked around. Scott wasn’t wrong. Where were all the Savages?
Although it had been light when they got there it was now getting dusky,yet it was quiet everywhere as if everyone else has just got up and left.
‘Maybe they heard all the shooting and just left?’ Logan offeredunconvincingly. ‘Either way, we need to get back on the road,’ he said
They started to board the jeep nervously and constantly looking aroundbut there wasnothing. ‘Parchman then?’ he looked at Max.
A couple of hours later they arrived not far from their destination.