a good reason. Do you think me and my boys have lasted so long because we just took people at their word?”
Sam nodded. “I understand, sir, but I don’t know if I can trust you. Yet.”
“You’re lucky I’m still listening. Adam and I go way back. We were in the special forces together.” He ran his fingers through his beard. “Ok. How about we do it this way? You tell me what you need first and we’ll go from there.”
“Well, it looks like the state highway is blocked. Did you know that?” asked Sam.
“Yep. Those boys set up a couple of days ago. Bit of a thorn in my side. Me and my sons were planning on paying them a visit in the next day or two.”
“Well, you might want to do it even sooner. They’re creating trouble. That’s where we found Grace here.”
Sam nodded towards the small teenage girl. He hadn’t really looked at her before. She had dirt plastered all over her body and her clothes were torn in parts. Lines of tears left dirty tracks on her face. Grace looked from Sam to Big Tom but didn’t say anything.
Big Tom looked grim. “We’ll sort those boys out first light tomorrow, as soon as the demons go.”
Sam felt a surge of hope. Big Tom was obviously a good man, worthy of his trust. “So, I was thinking of going overland, at least until we get to Las Vegas.”
“That could work. It’s about 200 miles as the crow flies to Las Vegas. I’ve heard reports that there’s some law and order around there, so the roads will hopefully be clear. Or it’s about thirty miles to the interstate, but you’ll be pushing your luck going that way. The roads will be blocked and there’s gangs of survivors out there who’ll rob you and kill you for your boots.”
“Overland definitely sounds good. At least until Las Vegas,” said Joshua.
Sam agreed. “Then we’ll need some good maps, some hiking boots, tents, food, water and whatever else you can give us.”
Big Tom shook his head sadly. “You don’t ask for much, do you? It may look like we’ve got a whole lot of supplies here, but I’ve got five hungry boys to feed, plus I give whatever I can to Adam and the Black Ridge lot. You need to give me a real good reason, otherwise the answer is going to be no.”
Sam took a deep breath. “I’m going to kill the Antichrist.”
Big Tom sat completely still for a moment. Then he smiled.
“Yep. That’ll do it.”
When Sam awoke, Joshua and Grace were still sound asleep just outside his pentacle. He let them sleep a little longer; he suspected that this would be one of the last opportunities to get a good night’s rest.
After a substantial meal, Big Tom had given them one of the empty side rooms as a bedchamber. It had no furniture in it at all and only one window, covered by iron bars. Josh and Grace went to sleep immediately on the bed rolls that Big Tom had provided. At first, Sam had thought that he would meditate but then he realized how tired he actually was. But what about the pentacle and what it revealed? Joshua probably already knew about it, but Grace was another matter. Then there was Big Tom and his boys to consider. If they walked in and found him within the symbol … Sam had the feeling that Big Tom was the sort of man to ask questions from the dead corpse at his feet.
Eventually, necessity outweighed other considerations. He doubted whether he would have another chance for a proper sleep and he would need his strength. He shook Joshua gently awake. Although grumpy at first, Josh had understood. Sam didn’t ask but he suspected that his uncle had already told him through talking with Hikari.
With instructions from Sam, Joshua drew the symbol. Sam was conscious that this changed everything between himself and the other boy. The pentacle essentially trapped him, leaving him at the mercies of other humans, so it was at that moment that he realized how much he trusted Joshua. It was a good feeling.
Sam could see through the bars that it was dark outside. Something was niggling at him; there was something about this situation that wasn’t right somehow. Then he worked out what it was. He couldn’t hear or sense any demons. Strange. Since the Rapture, he’d never known a night where there weren’t demons about.
Conscious of not waking Grace, he hissed at Joshua. The girl was obviously still pretty fragile — if she woke up now to find herself confronted by a half-demon trapped inside a pentacle, Sam was pretty confident it would not help her state of mind.
Josh stirred sleepily and opened one eye. “What?” he said groggily.
“Keep your voice down,” Sam whispered. “I need you to break the symbol.”
Josh grunted and pulled himself slowly out of his sleeping bag, dragging one foot to break and smudge the chalk outline. Sam immediately felt the invisible barrier that contained him dissipate.
“Thanks,” he said moving to his backpack and digging out an old t-shirt.
“Don’t mention it. Do you think I can go back to sleep now?”
“Be my guest,” said Sam, using his t-shirt to rub out the chalk marks on the floor. It wouldn’t do for Grace to see those either. “But I want to be out of here at dawn.”
Grumbling, Joshua started packing away his gear. Like Sam, he now had a backpack — courtesy of Adam — filled to the brim with various supplies. Sam stowed his gear and settled his weapons in place. As they were finishing up, Grace roused herself. She looked around, saw what the others were doing and began packing up her bed roll and sleeping bag in silence.
In the main room outside their door, Big Tom and his sons were sitting at the table, eating. The room was brightly lit by electric lights, and Sam could hear the hum of a generator. Making room for the newcomers, they pushed some plates of food at them.
So quietly she had to repeat herself, Grace asked to use the bathroom. One of Big Tom’s sons led her off somewhere while Sam and Joshua took a seat.
“Sleep well?” inquired Big Tom.
Both Sam and Joshua nodded.
“I spoke to Adam on the short wave radio while you were getting some shut-eye. He confirmed what you’d said and told me some other interesting information.” He looked at Sam. “About you.”
Sam, about to shovel some food into his mouth, froze. Next to him, Joshua choked on a mouthful.
“It’s fine,” Big Tom reassured him. “My boys know as well.”
Sam glanced around the table. All eating and conversation had stopped, and the other men studiously avoided his eye.
“I didn’t realise how important you were,” confessed Big Tom. “Like Adam, I can see the importance of you getting to L.A.”
Sam sat still, his food forgotten. “Thank you,” he said. “I appreciate your understanding. And your help.”
Big Tom waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. I want this to end as soon as possible. If you getting to L.A will help bring about better times, then I’ll give you whatever aid you need.”
As Sam slowly resumed eating, Grace came back in looking like a different person. She’d showered thanks to Big Tom’s access to a fresh water spring, and washed her hair. It was long and dark, similar to Aimi’s, thought Sam, but wavy where Aimi’s was straight. Sam guessed she was about sixteen. One of Big Tom’s sons had found her some clothes and she was now dressed in jeans and a t-shirt about two sizes too big. Beneath the dirt was an attractive girl.
As she sat down, she quickly averted her eyes from the others.
Sam finished his meal and asked the question that had been troubling him. “It’s night-time,” he said. “Where are the demons?”
Big Tom smiled slowly. “Ah, that’s a good story. Have you ever wondered where the demons come from?”
“Hell, I assume,” said Sam.
“Of course, but you must have noticed they don’t just turn up wherever they like. For instance, why don’t they just appear inside this room? If they did, I would’ve been taken right at the start of the Tribulation. In fact,” he said, looking at the others in the room, “we all would’ve been.”
Sam had often thought this but he hadn’t managed to figure it out. What did Big Tom know that he didn’t?
“And then it occurred to me. They always appear in populated centres — towns, cities and the like. Do you
