Apocalypse ; The Chronicles of Johnny Rubah

Chapter 12 # The Sanctuary

It's been two days.
After buried David's body and through a long journey,John and the rest finally arrived at a burned forest.
"I'm sorry for both of you,from this site we had to covered your eyes..",said Emily.
"To keep the secret of the path,isn't it..?,John guessing.
Emily nodded.
"Even we trust you,but for the sake of almost a hundred thousands life in that sanctuary,we can't take any risks.."
"It's fine with me..",John replied.
"How about you my friend..?",asked he to Angela which still holding at his back.
The little girl nodded,and then Jack tied a thick clothes to their eyes.
Emily and Jack guided them trough that forest carefully,because it surrounded by stinky swamp.
And after walking in blind for quite long,John could hear the sound of water flowing infront of them.
"We must pass through this shallow river..",said Emily.
"The river is quite wide,and a perfect place to erased our track.."
"Nice trick..",thought John.
It takes few minutes to get the other side and another boring walk on hard ground till they finally heard Emily shouted.
"We had arrived..".
Angela get down,while Jack released their eyes cover.
Both of them could see now that they are standing infront of a massive rocky canyon.
Jack and Emily asked their guests to stay behind while they walking ahead with the horse to a small entrance below the canyon and wave their hands to the guards in strange patterns.
The guards nodded and replied it in the same way.
"John,what they do..?,asked Angela weakly.
"A secret code,I guess..",said John while watching Jack,Emily,and the guards talking seriously.
"Who are they..?",one of them whispering.
"Our friend in the journey..",she replied.
"Are they safe..?"asked them again.
Emily nodded.
"Absolutely.."
After few minutes talking,Emily turned her face to them.
"Follow me..",she shouted,then speak to the guards again.
"Would you take care for the horse..?".
"I have important things to do..".
"No problem..",said one of them.
"Leave it to us..".
"Thank you..",Emily smiling,while Jack take the package from the horse and give it to her.
They walk inside followed by
John and Angela,while the guards still stared at them with suspicious eyes till they dissapeared behind the shadow of the dark and narrow hall.
And when they finally arrived at the main chamber,John and Angela couldn't hide their astonishment,cause it look like an apartment inside.
There's a hundreds of small entrances in line formations-floors by floors which connected by dozens of wood stairs.
It was fully crowded,and some of the occupants-especially the women-where whispering each other when they see John and Angela.
In one side of the cave there's a waterfalls,which flows to a large pool below.
"Welcome to Zion..!",Emily smiling to her guests.
"The largest and the safest sanctuary at middle earth.."
"Jack will accompany you for a walk,cause I have to report this to the Elders..",she shows the bag where Batius head is.
John nodded,and Jack asked him to follow.
"I'll show you our farm..",said he.
"It lies at the bottom of this cave.."
They walk down the stairs,five floors below.
Some of young women which passing by were glancing and smiling in shy to John.
"They like you John..",said Angela who walks beside him.
"If you stay here much longer,you'll have many girlfriends.."
"Why should I..?",John smiling.
"I already have you.."
"What..?!",said she.
"Sorry to say,but you're definetly not my type.."
And both of them were laughing.
"This is it..",said Jack.
Both are so exited,because it look so different with the floors above.
It was flat,bright,and so wide.
There's bright lights in every corner,lit the land full of crops.
"We forced to plants here,because outside-the land and water hardly polluted.."
"While here,the soil magically still unspoiled and fertile.."
"What's more,nature had gave us plenty of freshwater,so we have no difficulties in watering the plants.."
"Amazing..",said John.
"This waterfalls was the key for everythings here..",Jack continue.
"It's not only providing waters,but also electricity.."
"Without it,all of this will be impossible,because the sunlight can't get through here.."
"But where do you get all of this stuffs..?",asked John again.
"We found all of this in an old nuclear bunker.."
"That's also the reasons,why all of this things were still in good condition after the blast.."
"What are they harvesting now..?,asked Angela.
"At this time,it was corns,grains,and sweet potatoes..",Jack explained.
"Look at that holes..",he pointed his finger to twin holes at the opposite side of the waterfalls.
"At one holes,there's another wide chamber.."
"And we use it as a cattle area and fish pond.."
"While the other ones was a shelter,a safe place for all the residents here,if there's any danger.."
While Jack is guiding his guests,Emily had arrived at the top floor-four stages from the main entrance.
He goes to a wood door where also guarded by few armed men.
"I want to see the Elders..",said she to the guards.
"I have something important to report.."
The guards nodded and opened the door.
Emily walk in to the room which has two main tables.
The first table lies just few steps after the door.
It's wide with many chairs around.
And the second-which lies at the higher area behind the first table-was small.
There's only three chairs,and three oldmen with brown robe were sat on it.
Emily nodded to them,and put the bag on the first table.
"I'm sorry to disturbed you my Lord,but I have to report this immedietly..",said she.
"What is it my child-Emily..?",asked one of them.
"Is it about that bag..?"
Emily nodded.
"Well..",said the Elders.
"Why don't you show it to us.."
Emily nodded again and take the cargo-which she brought-out of the bag.
All of the Elders was shocked and stand from their sit.
"I..is that Batius..?",asked one of them.
"Yes my Lord..",she replied.
All of those Elders walk down and observe Batius head closely.
"But how you killed him..?"
"It wasn't me my Lord,but someone else.."
"You said,'someone'..?",asked the Elders again.
"Yes my Lord..",she replied.
"And not only Batius,he also had killed hundreds of beasts all alone.."
"Unbelieveable..",said the Elders.
"And who is he..?"
"Is he our allie..?"
"As far as I know,he just a stranger..",she replied.
"He said that his name was Johnny Rubah.."
"What..?",one of the Elders looks so surprised.
"Are you sure about it..?"
Emily feels confused.
"Yes my Lord,that's exactly what he had said.."
The two Elders look curious.
"What's wrong Thaddeus..?",asked one of them.
"Do you know him..?"
Elder Thaddeus walks slowly in silent for a moment,but then he looks uphead.
"If that was truly him..",said he.
"Then all that you had said will make senses.."
He turned to them all.
"But,what made it doesn't makes senses was-the fact-that he supposed to be dead hundreds years ago.."
All of them look surprised,especially Emily.
"Do you mean,that he wasn't the real Johnny Rubah..?",asked she.
"To make sure,would you wait here for a while..?,asked Elder Thaddeus.
"There's something that I want to show you.."
He walks to a hall at the corner of the room,leaving Emily and the others in deep curiousity.
Almost fifteen minutes later,he finally back again and holding something in his right hand.
"This is an old picture of mine..",he gave it to Emily.
"Look carefully,is he truly the same guy like those in that picture.."
In that picture,Emily saw that there's two men.
One of them was mature enough and carry a little girl,while the other one still young and handsome.
Emily looks so shocked,because she recognized that young man.
"It's him..!",said she.
"He looks the same with the young man in the picture.."
Elder Thaddeus take a deep breath and walks closer to Emily.
"That picture was taken in year 1965,more than two centuries ago..",said he.
Emily looks pale,just like she had see a ghost.
"Is he here now..?",asked the Elder.
Emily nodded.
"I asked Jack to accompany him to look around.."
"For now,keep this as a secret..",said Elder Thaddeus.
"We will arrange a meeting with all the team leaders this afternoon.."
"Bring him here at that moment,and let me handle this.."
Emily nodded and permitting to leaved.

* To be continued *