Parchman, стр. 40

The men were fearful for their lives and thought Logan was going to havethem shot for their part in this powerplay by the Commander General.

Now unarmed and looking down the barrel of a gun they realized that itwas them that had been played all along. All the promises of a better lifewas pie in the sky. The Commander General had only had his ownegomaniacal greed in mind, and they had all paid the price. Here and now,stood with their backs to the enemy, it was over.

‘Now run,’ said Logan. ‘Go, and never come back here.’

The men didn’t turn back to face the man who had just given them theirlives back. They started walking then running into the distance, back totheir lives before the Commander General had propositioned them.

Logan looked to the others. They were spent. All of them tired, wounded,broken, both physically and mentally. But they had won.

Xander turned aroundin the tank to Max. ‘We won Max, we won.’ Max was slumped back in his chair. Xander put his handson Max’s shouldersand shook him. ‘Max, Max?’ But he was dead, and this time it was final.

Xander sat down on the floor of the tank and with his head in his hands heshed a single tear. He stood up and closedMax’s eyes before pushing openthe roof of the turret.

The noise of the turret clanked loudly and everyone including Loganjumped into action turning their guns onto Xander. ‘It’s only me,’ he said,hands in the air as they lowered their guns again.

‘Xander!’ shouted Chuck. ‘Yes man.’

Chuck and Logan helped him down and they stood there surveying the mass of bodies in front of them. Bodies from both sides and casualties ofthe mad man Commander General Roderick and his Lieutenants.

Logan, Tallulah, Chuck, Xander and the rest of the fighters from the prisonwalked slowly through the bodies looking for survivors, but there werenone. The only sound that could be heard was the wind whistling.

McGregor knelt down by one of the bodies and removed a photo from theman’s pocket. It was him with his family at Disneyland. The otherswandered through the piles of corpses, some laid on top of each otherwhere they had fallen.

‘I’ve got one,’ shouted one of the Mexican prisoners. The others rushedover to where the man was pulling the battered body from the mound ofothers.

‘Seth,’ said Tallulah.

‘Get him back to the prison,’ said Logan to two of the men who werewatching him liftup the limp body of Seth. ‘We’re done here,’ he said andturned and started walking back to the prison ignoring everyone aroundhim.

The war with the Commander General was over but the war raged on inLogan’s head. Mentally he was done. There weren’t any winners here. Notreally. In his mind he just had more blood on his hands. More headcountand more ‘what ifs’. His face, although covered in dirt,didn’t hide the painin his eyes. His father and friends lay in the prison on hospital beds fightingfor their lives, whilst many more lay dead behind him.

Tallulah looked around her and knew exactly what he was feeling. Theywere alive, but many more weren’t. ‘Guys, lets head back and get restedup, look after the injured, and then we will bury the fallen tomorrow.’

She caught up to Logan knowing there was nothing she could say to makehim feel any better about what had just happened, so she said nothing, andjust walked with him.

As he entered the prison the rest of the community and prisoners startedclapping and rejoicing. Logan’s expression didn’t change until he caughtsight of Scott. ‘Where is he?’ Logan said.

Scott led Logan to his father in the canteen, which was where they haderected a makeshift hospital with camp beds in rows. ‘This way,’ saidScott with Logan and Tallulah in tow.

Nathaniel lay on the bed with a rasping sound coming from his mouth.‘How is he?’ said Logan.

An elderly looking man, hearing the conversation, turned and looked atLogan. ‘I’m Abuelo,’ said the man.

‘Grandfather?’ said Logan.

‘YourSpanish is good,’ smiled the man. ‘I’ve spent my whole life in thisprison and will die in this prison. Your father will not. At least not today.’

Logan sunk to his knees crying and Tallulah rested a hand on his shoulder.

‘How long until he’s back on his feet?’ said Tallulah asking the questionLogan couldn’t.

‘He has lost a lot of blood but as you can see,’ he said holding out a handto four men sat in chairs in the corner of the room, ‘we have donated more.If you would like to help also?’ he asked.

‘Of course,’ replied Tallulah quickly. ‘Just let me know when.’‘Your father is a very brave man,’ said Abuelo, looking at the broken littleboy on the floorcrying over his hero. ‘He fought well. Both on thebattlefieldand in life. He fought to make you the man you have become.’

Abuelo pounded on his chest above his heart. ‘Every man you see here inthis room and this prison is alive because of you and your corazón. Thedead will be celebrated and join with their familia and the rest of us willpraise the name Mathers.’

Logan took his father’s hand and put it to his head and moved onto a chairScott had brought over for him.‘Thank you,’ he said to Abuelo.

‘I have been in this prison many many years, and I have seen all sorts ofmen come in here. The broken, the evil, the lost. I was reborn in this prisonand I will die in this prison. But I have only seen one man come into thisprison with a pure heart, good intentions and love. That man is you. Ifevery man and woman had what you have then the world would be a betterplace. So any pain you feel here,’ he said, again putting his hand to hischest, ‘it is not just.’

Logan just nodded, whilst Tallulah smiled thankfully towards Abuelo.‘I’llleave