'The baby just kicked for the first time,' Sela said with a huge smile on her face.
'See. He doesn't want you to go either,' I said resting my hand on her belly. The baby kicked again. It was a wonderful sensation. Sela smiled at me. The baby kicked again.
'Guess he thinks I should go help,' I said, kissing Sela. 'I'll be right back. You go lie down in the tent. I'll take care of Roger when I get back.'
Vonnie and Bobby started to walk away when Bobby turned, ran to me, threw his arms around my waist and thanked me. Tears streamed down his face.
'Tomorrow morning, we'll get together and go fishing. Would you like that?' I asked.
Bobby nodded his head and hugged me tighter. He then ran back to Vonnie.
'You be careful,' Sela said.
I kissed her and ran off into the darkness.
Just as I got to the edge of the fighting, I saw Jack and his group of men ride over a ridge and attack Madeline's men from behind. It didn't take long to end the attack. About a dozen of her men surrendered.
As we went to confront the small group, each of Madeline's men burst into flames. They ran and rolled on the ground, screaming, writhing in pain. Several of our men went to help, but the white-hot flames incinerated Madeline's followers.
Silently, I said another prayer.
Jack came up to me and put his arm around my shoulder. We stood frozen, staring at the remains of our men who died.
'Heroes and brave men,' Jack said softly.
I nodded my head slowly, thinking of the widows that were just made. My determination and confidence to end Madeline were fueled by the loss of our friends. No longer did doubt find its way into my thinking. No longer did I feel weak or hesitant.
'You and I need to talk tomorrow,' I said, turning to walk back to camp. 'For now, we need to bury our friends.'
The next morning, we held a funeral service. This one was the most difficult. We lost twenty from our group. We had become such a family over the past several months. It was nearly impossible for anyone to come up with words. Most people just stood there, filled with grief.
As we were about to leave, Bobby came up to me and took my hand. 'I'm sorry. This is all my fault.'
I bent down, picked Bobby up, and said, 'Don't say that. You did not cause this pain and sadness. You did the right thing. You were brave.'
Tears streamed down Bobby's cheeks. His lower lip pouted and trembled.
Sela rubbed his back. 'Bobby, you saved Heckel. Your rewards are much greater than anything Madeline could have promised.'
Bobby looked incredulously at Sela. 'You'll know one day,' Sela whispered in his ear.
'For now, Bobby, what do you think about trying our hand at a little fishing?'
Bobby cracked a small smile and said, 'With you?'
'Of course. I spotted a good-sized fishing hole about a mile down the river. Do you think you can make that?'
Bobby kissed me on the cheek and said, 'You betcha. I haven't been fishing since my dad left us.'
Chapter 26
The 500 hp Cummins diesel engine roared to life as Madeline walked up the steps to the opulent RV. The driver stood up immediately and welcomed her aboard. 'Good morning, Miss Madeline.'
'Seriously? A motor home? This is how I travel? What about a personal jet or stretch limo?' Madeline asked standing at the doorway.
'Your assistant said you wanted to see what your country was looking like. So he ordered this-'
'Tenement on wheels,' Madeline said interrupting. She looked down the side of the motor home in disgust as though she had just drank sour milk.
'I think you'll find the ride very comfortable. Prevost is the premier motor coach. Always has been. You have all the comforts of home and then some.'
'We'll see about that,' Madeline said, wrinkling up her nose and then pursing her lips. 'Oh, where are my babies?' she queried turning around to see two black dachshunds with diamond-studded collars clambering up the stairs behind her. They made their way to the soft leather sofa and looked out the window, barking at a large German shepherd off in the distance.
'There's mamma's little sweet peas,' she said, gushing over the dogs. Madeline threw her briefcase down and petted the dogs.
'Would you care to see the rest of your home on wheels?' the driver asked.
'I suppose so,' she said with a slight whine. Madeline followed him down the aisle. The nickel tour didn't last long. 'Very nice. Say…how long will it take for us to get out there?' she asked impatiently.
'Well, ma'am, we are not exactly sure. There's a great deal of debris along the interstate that will need to be cleared.'
'My advisors said that was being taken care of,' she replied.
'Yes, I believe it is, but there still may be some delays.'
'What about fuel?'
'There is a large diesel fuel truck following us. It's like having your own gas station in tow,' he said with a slight, nervous laugh.
'Fine. Let's just get this going,' she said, not picking up on his feeble attempt at humor.
The driver excused himself while Madeline looked in the refrigerator. It was fully stocked with all her favorite snacks and foods.
'My chef is coming, right?' she yelled to the driver.
'Yes, ma'am. He is in another vehicle.'
'Good.'
The RV began backing up and she was startled. 'Sheesh,' she mumbled, grabbing hold of the counter as she made her way to the sofa. Once the motor home was on the road, Madeline stretched out on the sofa.
After about half an hour, the driver asked if she cared to have some music. 'Yes, that would be very nice. Preferably classical.'
Strains of Bach filled the motor home. The two dogs were fast asleep on the sofa at her feet. It was a partly cloudy day, or was it partly sunny? She guessed it was how you wanted to look at it. She preferred a nice dark, cloudy day. The sun made everything too cheery. The landscape was dotted with burned-out vehicles, the charred remains of bodies and empty homes. She smiled. Soon all this would be hers. The world would be rebuilt with a foundation of evil and fear, mostly fear of her. It's humanity's destiny. It always has been. Mankind has now turned to the dark, that is, once this Heckel virus is purged.
'I just have to eliminate the one light in the way, Heckel,' she muttered, looking down to see sparks jump from her fingertips.
The RV pulled into a deserted campground somewhere in Pennsylvania. It was just getting dark. The large fuel truck that was following the RV pulled up alongside and began fueling the rig.
The driver came back in, pushed a button and the sofa where Madeline was sitting began to slide outward. 'Don't worry ma'am. I'm just giving you some more room. It's like magic,' he said as though he were a little kid showing off a new toy. Madeline stood up and peered down the aisle toward the back bedroom, watching the other slides extend outward.
'There you are,' the driver said.
'Impressive,' she muttered. 'Say, since we will be together for a while, what is your name?'
'Quincy, ma'am.'
