The Wastelands

Chapter 41

Eight strangers ended their strides that blocked Blue's path back to Hatfeld. An equal number of men stood with women. They each carried a gun or a machete as their weapon of choice. They dressed differently from the townies she was used to seeing and she guessed they weren't from Hatfeld at all.

One of them stood out amongst the rest. Her black hair had been dyed with streaks of purple and red that flowed back into a tight ponytail. Her loose fitting jeans and baggy sweatshirt concealed a muscular woman in her thirties, capable of handling herself against any of the tough-looking men standing behind her. A machete hung from a holster around her waist with a revolver tucked safely beside it. Blue noticed a crossbow strapped to her back, loaded with arrows that had colorful feathers to mark their victims. She smelled the blood stained into the thin wood that made them and her body tensed.

The tall woman stepped forward, eyeing Blue from head to toe. Her green eyes held secrets and desires only the weakest tried to reveal.

Blue took in their scents, letting the sweaty odors tell their story. They had walked a while to get there. They had seen blood along the way, spilling some as well as taking on injuries of their own. A short man favored his right leg as he stood. A black rag was wrapped around his left with blood soaking into the cloth. None of them appeared to be threatening, but her hand rested on the hatchet in case they chose to make her an enemy.

"We've been looking for you." The woman spoke, her voice soft yet demanding. "Your name is Blue, right?"

Blue glared at the woman with a burning rage in her glistening eyes. She dared not to make a sound. She only wanted to listen.

The woman smiled, "I'm sure you'd like to know why we're looking for you."

Still no response. Only the chilling silence.

Stay focused, Blue. Let's see what they want before I kill them.

The woman took another step closer then stopped, "My name is Alix Bousman. My comrades and I have walked over a hundred miles searching for people like us. People who want to see a change out here. We are just a handful of activists, but there are more." She motioned to the group standing behind her, then continued, "We found the mess you left on the road this morning."

That finally got her attention. Her eyes twitched and her fingers inched closer to the handle of her axe. Any second and she'd release her monster.

Stay calm. Please don't lose it yet. She needed time to see what the woman wanted, but the monster wanted to destroy her.

"The man you left alive told us what happened. He seemed very eager to give us your name and point in the direction you were headed. Even told us every strange detail of what he knew about you." Alix added with a smile. "He was part of the militia, you know. All of them were. All part of Wade Ludlow's master plan at controlling the Wastelands."

The monster in Blue's head continued to rise, bubbling just below the surface.

"I have to admit that none of us believed that man when he said how fast you were or how accurate you were with a gun. His story of how you killed two slave owners then went after his men on the road seemed too unbelievable to me. Militia men are known to lie whenever they can." Alix explained, running her fingers down the length of her ponytail, "It wasn't until the moment right before we killed him that we finally saw just how sincere he was. A man pleading for his life has no reason to lie."

"You killed him?" Blue questioned, finally gracing them with the sound of her voice.

"We did, but only after we learned your name." Alix replied. "I feel you might be the perfect asset to our cause."