Numbered

Chapter 8 - Night Life

The sun was beginning to sink below the horizon when they reached the bridge, only a few rays breaching the tops of the buildings. About halfway across the bridge, a thick barbed wire fence was erected, blocking all traffic into and out of the city. Bringing the car to a stop, Jake peered from one end of the fence to the other, hoping to spot a hole to pass through. Finding none, he glanced upward, expecting to see guards. From a little distance away, the structure could pass as a military post, so the idea of armed guards seemed a possibility. Again, finding nothing, he exited the car and walked up and down the fence. Finally, he came back to the car and opened the passenger door.

"C'mon, Zeke."

"What are we doing now?"

"Climbing past the fence."

Zeke rolled his eyes at the idea of ditching the car, just to scramble over a spiked fence. As he thought about it, he realized he had been rolling his eyes a lot more at Jake's propositions. For whatever reason, he always managed to pick out some ridiculous aspect of the plan, yet they always seemed to end well. Not wanting to argue with his friend, Zeke followed Jake to the edge of the fence, bending down and cupping his hands. No sooner had Jake put his feet in  the cup, he fell backward onto the ground, grasping his leg and screaming in agony. Even from his distance, Zeke could see Jake's pant leg becoming a darker color as his clothing absorbed his blood. Rushing to his friend's side, Zeke shed his shirt, ripping off a large piece and bandaging the wound. Wrapping his left arm under Jake, he helped haul his friend to his feet, nearly collapsing under the weight.

They walked back to the car and Jake plopped himself onto the hood. Behind them, footprints sounded against the pavement. Turning around, Zeke saw three decorated soldiers approaching the fence. All three of them had the six stars on their collar, signifying their high rank. Their uniforms were the green and tan camouflage accompanied by thick black boots. The flanking soldiers wore a black cap, tilted slightly to cover the right side of their foreheads. Reaching the fence, they came to a stop and fixed the boys with an angry scowl. The outer officers drew their pistols when Zeke took a step forward.

"Why are you here?" the middle officer asked.

"We would like to enter this half of the city. We ran away from home because the only thing left there is death and depression."

"As is it here. Your answer does not justify your admittance."

"Please, we only seek refuge for what little remains of our lives."

"How are we to trust you within the confines of our city? I'm sure you have seen what resides on that half."

"If you are referring to the cannibals, then yes we have seen one and killed him for that matter. And, no, we are not one of them."

The general was silent for a moment, staring at the ground and tapping his foot. He looked up and stared into Zeke's eyes, as if searching his soul for some form of lie. Turning his head to the left officer, he gave a curt nod and the soldier disappeared into the left tower. Within seconds, one part of the fence was raised off the ground, leaving enough room for the boys to crawl under. Once on the other side, the fence was dropped back down and the soldier reappeared from the tower, quickly reclaiming his position behind his commanding officer. The center officer gave a curt nod to the right soldier, who pulled something out of his vest. Only when he pulled a pin did Zeke realize the object was a grenade. It was deftly tossed over the fence, landing squarely under the vehicle. A massive explosion went off, shooting the car two feet into the air in a mass of smoke and fire. The windows were shattered, the seats charred, and the wheels and engine ruined; there was no doubt it would never be driven again. Jake stood next to him in a dumbfounded silence, his mouth partially open. He understood his friend's silence, given that the car was his mother's and it cost a quarter of a million dollars. To make it worse, it was purchased only four months ago.