Road West

I looked ahead for a curve, left or right didn't matter. It looked like a tweak right a few miles ahead.

"Steph I need you to drop the remaining three cans of smoke on every second count like two, four and six, count normal, don't rush and we go at the start of the next curve. I'll say go. Okay?"

"Yep got it. You say go and I count one-drop, three-drop, five-drop. That's what you want John?"

"Yep. Standby, I need them closer, come on. Closer. Bit more. That'll do. Great. Fifteen to go Steph."

"Five... and go." First was away then the second and then the last. I'd entered low on the curve, turned easily and drove to the top or outside of the curve, drove the right hand side of the vehicle up on the wall to a forty degree angle and drove back towards the smoke. Three seconds maybe.

It didn't matter, I needed as many of the riders to see me heading back into the smoke. I was counting on their lightning fast reflexes to do what they would do without their brains telling them not to do it.

I was rewarded as the first three broke through the smoke and saw me on the high side going back the way I'd come.

Instantaneously their reflexes did what I hoped, all three slid their bikes around to give chase just as the next bunch at speed broke through the smoke. We never saw the result. When we broke into the clear between the two clouds some of the riders saw us and tried to turn then. They were collected by the next bikes coming through.

There's always one dumb arse though. One guy went to the highline where we were but he wasn't right out by the wall. He must have wondered what it was coming toward him. If he'd ducked he would have been fine. But no. He put his head up to get a better look. The last thing he saw was part of a roll cage. I wore a bit of. Moisture.

Steph had to ask, "John! What the hell was that?"

"Yeah Steph. You really don't wanna know."

No one else came out of the black. We did a straight run up and out to the country, linked with our Hippo and drove home. To what we didn't know but for us, our war thankfully was over for now. If only.

--- --- --- ---

We were told to return to Menzies temporarily and await further orders. There was a bit of despondency but nobody wanted to talk about it.

Steph came over and cuddled in, "John, somethings wrong. I can feel it. They're all up about how the mission went but they're finding it hard to look me in the eye. And where's Art?" I shrugged my shoulders. What Steph said was noticeable. We were getting stone walled.

I found the radio operator evidently the road to the property was no more. The beserk retreated but it was thought they decided to try a plan 'b'. Part of that was to attack the property. Somebody called somebody and the road got destroyed. That was all she said she knew but she wasn't convincing. I'd had enough.

"Steph, mount up. We're going home."

I could read relief on the faces of those prepared to look our way. And in some faces I read pity. I'd seen that before, knew what it meant. The bad feeling got worse.

Constantines' Hippo was parked where the road to the property should have started. Another of his Hippo's straddled the bridge on the main road and the crew was spread out along the riverbank. There were destroyed berserk vehicles and dismembered bodies spread from arsehole to breakfast along the road. We had to work around to the back of 'Beth' to find Art, Constantine and two of his team, an acrid burnt smell hung in the air.

The guys acknowledged with a nod and half smile but both Constantine and Art were head down staring at the ground. If I didn't know better I'd say they'd been ... nah, couldn't be. I looked for that one face. Shit.

Steph spoke quietly, "Art, Uncle Connie. What's going on?" no reply. no pitiful look. I stood and slowly moved to stand behind her. "Art. Constantine. What... wait. Where's Jig? Art, where's Jigger. Uncle Con, Connie. Wheres, wheres Jigger?" Arts head was down and he slowly shook it side to side. Constantine couldn't or wouldn't talk to his god daughter.

"Arthur. Uncle please. Fuck you. Where's Jigger?" Dazed, She turned trying to find me, "John. Why won't they tell me? Where Jig is. Why won't you help me? John, why won't they..."

That was it! I grabbed and hugged her to me, "Shh, we'll get through this."

She knew. My mother had this saying about the heart not wanting to hear what the heart doesn't want to hear. She knew, just didn't or couldn't accept. "John?"

I pulled her closer, "Steph honey, Jigs gone. He's gone babe."

Raw, primal and unrestrained. From the depths of despair. Chilling. I watched the guards. One, his eyes closed his face, a tight mask with a grimace. The other turned away, I watched a shiver go up his spine.

Emotion may be something I try to cut out of my life but I don't expect that of others. You allow them to let it all out and comfort them. The best you can.

A lot later as she clung desperately she spoke, "You know Jig and me, we became brother and sister to each other John?"

"I did know. He was so proud of the fact too. Until he told me, I never knew how much he loved and cared for you and the reason. He knew you felt the same way about him."

"When did he tell you all this John?"

"The night before you came home. Actually he was lecturing me at the time." I noticed there was a snort and chuckle, "He was serious about it too." When I looked around Art and Constantine had perked up a little bit. Constantines' two guards were listening in without being too obvious about it.

Steph snuggled up closer, "So what else did he tell you, sorry lecture you about?"

"I never realised what this world put you two through. I never knew you were scared to death after every one was taken. That you hoped and prayed for Art and me to return. That you both helped each other through. That took strength I can't even comprehend. Thankfully you had Constantine around."

Now everyone was sitting listening to the two of us talk. Steph told me about those grim days. The looks and expressions on the faces of the men as she talked about things familiar to their own stories.

The brothers said that the healing starts when the first words are spoken. Maybe that's what this is.

--- --- --- ---

I didn't want to hear how Jig had gone. Not tonight. I wanted to bathe and wrap myself around Steph, sleep. Art decided he was doing similar with Miss Fortune. Constantine was going home but one Hippo and crew would overnight with us. I think Constantines godfatherly instinct may had kicked in.

It was mid afternoon but the rush had left our bodies. We shared a bath. We'd been apart for three years but when we looked at each other naked. The passion hadn't died, but tonight the energy levels were far too low.

She wound her body around me, made me wrap my arms around her back. In a half doze I'd try to release her, let her relax to sleep normally but it bought on a gentle little moan that lasted until I cuddled her back in.

Nightmares though, waking with cold sweats and heart beating fast, wide-eyed peering into the dark for the dangerous unknown. Steph had them through the night. I'd pull her close to me, "Shhh. It's alright. Go back to sleep." That would be her reality now.

Morning saw the next challenge. I woke up with Stephanie perusing my face with her finger tip, I felt it before I'd opened my eyes. When I did she was still intently watching her finger trace. She stopped, ducking her head down far enough she could look me in the eyes, "I love you John Worth."

"I love you Stephanie Crick."

She kissed, We kissed. We cuddled, close. We even played and explored each other's bits but that was it. And we both knew why. The sound of a Hippo approaching the house brought us back to reality.

Constantine and Art were both relaxed when we walked out to greet them but Constantine was eager to start.

Art realised when the retreating berserk turned left and east bound they may head to our place. He radioed Jig. He used the interdictor to go to the jetty and blow up the road. Some berserk were on the road when it blew. That would've sent the rest on a feeding frenzy, I'd put money on it.

Art's second call was to Constantine. Art told Constantine to disengage with the berserk heading south and get to our place. Constantines' second Hippo was closer and gave chase. The fight was one sided, the beserk bikes couldn't enter the property. A few did a runner but the Hippo made short work of them.

The Hippo team thought the fight was over but as the APC closed to the bridge the commander saw berserk with a bazooka working along the river bank towards the jetty. There was an interdictor and one male person on the jetty.

One of the offenders shot the person on the jetty. The victim immediately fell on the far side of the vehicle. The commander shot both offenders; however the bazooka operator managed to fire his weapon.

The bazooka round struck the aircraft fuel dump adjacent to the jetty. It exploded, destroying the dump, the interdictor and the jetty. The fire from the explosion set undergrowth on fire so no investigation of the scene at that time was made.

After the fire was quelled the remains of the submerged interdictor and jetty were visible but no further action could be taken as the tide going out in the estuary at the time was too swift for further safe investigation.

The male victim shot by the berserk offenders was positively identified by the commander and two crewmembers of the APC as Wayne 'Jigger' Kelly.

Constantine admitted they apprehended and interrogated two injured Berserk who admitted that a team was put together specifically targeting our property. Their spies had seen the flight testing.

--- --- --- ---

Arthur and Stephanie struggled with Jigs death. Art was spending more time with Miss Fortune but less time at work. I told him not to worry about that. It'd balance itself out.

Art and Steph, myself and our three workers hauled the remains of Jiggers' interdictor out of the river. It sits down where the jetty used to be. For a while they would all spend their spare time finding bits and pieces until I put a stop to it. It was turning into a morbid fascination and we needed less of that.

Three things kinda woke Steph and me up. Near the end of the second week Steph came into the workshop with a curious look on her face, "John wheres 'Diana'?"

I didn't know. It never occurred to me she was even missing. I'd seen two of our vehicles and I'd forgotten one was the spare for the attack. Our young people knew, "She went with the boat mum."

"S'cuse me."

"Jigger told us to load 'Diana' on the boat 'cos she was goin' north with him and Alison mum. We all helped load her. Alison stowed her while Jig blew the road."

"Oh my god John. Alison. She went with the boat. She doesn't know about Jig."

We'd completely forgotten Alison. It hurt Steph that that happened. Art and I felt exactly the same. Alison had become an important part of our team and she loved the shit out of Jigger. We agreed the funk we'd got ourselves in had to end. And It did. Right then.

We never knew Jigger and Alison had plans to head north but the young ones said it would only be to get the others situated. They planned to return with the brothers.

Steph had another question for the young ones, "You called me mum. Why?"

"Cos' you are our mum now. Mum."

"Yeh. You are our mum."

"So. Johns' your dad now?"

"Nah. No. Johns, John. But you are our mum."

"Yeh. You are our mum."

Steph is happy but her want to do anything else has disappeared. I'm not about to push her to change.

I know all too well it takes time to find your feet again. And yeah we're both working on that. She let it slip that living only for today and staring death in the face may not be for her.

I whole-heartedly agree.

Constantine and his team's reputation has soared. He has the respect of everybody who knows the story.

He seems to spend an inordinate amount of time at our place complaining about the lack of god-grandchildren.

We don't know about that, it's not us. It's this world. It's no where right enough for us to do that. Yet.

It's got nothing to do with a lack of sex either, that's off the charts and we're quickly making up for the three years we were apart.

I think we're annoying our young ones. They're getting sick of telling us to 'put some clothes on' or 'you can't do that there, we have to eat off of that'. Irrespective Steph is still mum.

Constantine continues to build Hippos and took over manufacture of our vehicle which has a name now, pit viper.

Alan Gale wanted Stephanie back at 'J' but she said no. He threatened her with arrest so she went to Judge Golding and filed her resignation with him, he may have been coerced to a degree by Stephs godfather. As a small appeasement to Alan I told him to keep the pit viper used during the attack on the chemical plant.

Steph's rough edge and blasé nature she was starting to develop has disappeared

We spent a lot of time talking, from my side it was overdue. I told her I never saw her as the next best choice to Diana. I told her my love for her sent her away. To me it was logical. It was me being afraid that the same thing would happen to her that happened to Diana and I wouldn't be around to prevent it.

I handed in my notice the day of Constantines' talk.

There are two outposts to the west now. Outpost 'K' was taken back and is becoming a copy of 'J'.

Patrol re-equipment and recruitment has seen an increase in the success of the TCP. Arrest rather than metered 'in the field' justice is becoming more common but not the only way that Alan Gale wanted. Time will tell.

Berserk are still there, still active. Pushed away and constrained but still there. Art and I have always been of the same mind. Evil evolves, learns and grows, always has. Always will.

--- --- --- ---

Postscript.

His eyes opened to a searing headache and the stench up his nose of burnt fuel and cordite. His body ached, sore all over. He couldn't hear. Murmurs but other than that, nothing.

Faces. He saw faces. Two. Shadowy. He should know the older, a man. The second he just knew from her smile was an angel.

She was gently washing his face. He felt a warmness as the pain subsided but he was losing the ability to keep his eyes open. As they closed he'd remember the gentle smile. On the face of his angel.

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