The Cure, стр. 27
‘Please sit,’ Samson beckoned to all of them. He was joined by some of the men Logan recognized from outside. ‘These men are my trusted advisers and are at your disposal,’ he said.
‘You mean you aren’t going to kill us,’ said Seth, breathing a sigh of relief.
The others looked at him shaking their heads, although slightly relieved themselves that this hadn’t panned out like they were expecting.
‘We’re very grateful Samson, but it’s not men that we need. It’s one man. A Professor,’ said Logan.
Samson looked around at his men ‘A Professor you say? Can’t say I’ve seen one around here.’
Logan got the impression that Samson wasn’t letting on everything he knew but continued. ‘Yes, this Professor can, we hope, create an antidote to the toxin they plan to use in the water. We think he is being kept prisoner in the prison and we really need to get to him, if he’s alive.’
‘A lot of ifs and buts if you ask me son. How you planning to get into the prison?’ he replied.
‘We have military schematics to get into the courtyard beyond the main fences through the Police Station which has tunnels running back and forth. We just need safe travel to the Police station, and we can take it from there.’
‘Sounds like a big job for a bunch of kids,’ said Samson leaning back in his chair with his fingers together and pursed his lips.
Zack tutted ‘We got this far, didn’t we?’ he gloated.
‘Be careful young man or this maybe as far as you get,’ said a man behind him with tattoos covering much of his face.
‘Whatever man, you don’t hurt human beings, remember,’ said Zack. Logan gently but firmly put a hand on his arm, effectively telling him to shut the Hell up.
‘Well remembered,’ said Samson ‘Although I should point out we reserve the right to let you live as long as it doesn’t affect our way of living, otherwise,’ he ran his finger across his throat.
‘Look,’ said Logan ‘We’re not here for trouble. We are here to help and any help you can give us we are grateful for. Even just directions to the Police Station and then we’ll leave.’
‘No, No. You’re our guests. We will get you were you want to be, but tonight you’ll stay here and eat with us. See what we’re all about. We will show you survivor hospitality,’ said Samson.
Logan nodded and looked at the others ‘We should really be leaving.’
‘I insist,’ said Samson menacingly.
The evening had a celebratory feel about it and Logan wondered if every evening was the same or whether this was for their benefit. They certainly felt like guests of honor, sat at the head table in the makeshift dinner hall, alongside Samson and some of ‘the elders’. Logan sat smiling, watching Tallulah and Faye entertaining the children by dancing around by the light of gasoline lamps. The twins sat chatting to other families and every now and then Seth would laugh one of those belly laughs that set everyone else off laughing too. Zack and Xander sat back, playing it cool, people watching but not getting involved in the shenanigans.
The one thing Logan did know was that this wasn’t a community that was struggling. Yes, they had lost loved ones and carried pain, but they put it aside so that the community could thrive and enjoy what life they had left. They were grateful for what they had, and they certainly did not deserve to have got this far to then be poisoned for ‘the greater good’. At every step of this journey Logan had felt reassured that they had made the right decision to try and foil the government and his father’s plans. These people had a right to the life that they had built, and he would not let it be taken away.
Samson was loved by these people, but Logan still had something nagging in his head that he wasn’t being told the truth. He felt Samson knew something more about the prison that he was letting on, but he wasn’t in the mood for confrontation. Tomorrow they would leave for the prison and they would either find the Professor and hope he had the answers, or they would have to rely on Danny to take on his part of the plan. Either way tonight was not the night to start trouble.
Suddenly though, there was a banging on the large warehouse door, and everyone stopped. The music that had been playing was switched off and other than some murmurs from the children everyone fell silent. Samson waved his arm and the men started moving into one of the tents, returning with weapons. Logan wanted to ask what was happening, but in the silence he felt he better not speak up and instead his hand touched the gun in its holster. Chuck came alongside him holding a machete, aware that whoever was outside that gate was not welcome.
Chapter Twelve
The silence seemed to last forever and then banging again on the doorway. Samson’s men moved behind the door in a well-rehearsed battle formation, whilst the rest of the families backed away to the far end of the warehouse.
‘About fifteen,’ one of the men mouthed to Samson quietly.
Samson looked at Logan and Chuck ‘Savages,’ he said. ‘Every now and then they come by looking for something or somebody. Maybe snatch a child or woman if they can. We have the manpower, but they are surprisingly quick considering they are just rabid animals. The hunger turns them mad you see. We took one in once to see if we could feed him up and help get him