”Tomorrow’s a market day. You could come with me. I could use some help,” she said, stirring the soup that was bubbling on the stove.
“I’ll come. I had been planning to go anyway. Maybe spend few nights at the settlement,” Sam said with casual tone. Marie fought back the stern no that was forming on her lips.
“Few nights? What are you going to do?” She asked instead. Sam shrugged his shoulders.
“I was there last year. Remember the money I made in the cage? I was thinking I could fight this year, too.” Marie kept her back turned to him and busied herself by taking plates and cups from the shelf above the sink.
“I don’t know… It was a lot of money, but was it worth it? You were sick weeks afterwards.” Sam had inherited Logan’s keen senses and immunity to her skin, but not his healing ability. He was a big muscular man, but he could get hurt just like anybody else.
“I was sick weeks, but we lived for months with my winnings,” Sam reminded her.
“Fine. You can go. On one condition,” Marie consented reluctantly, turning to face Sam. He was looking at her with both eyebrows raised as high as they could go.
“No broken bones. If it gets too rough, you’ll get out, no matter how much money is in the pot.”
After they had eaten Sam retreated to his room, undoubtedly to check his gear. Marie washed the dishes and ventured to front porch, just to sit and enjoy the silence. She could see the desert through the woods, and far away blinking lights of the settlement. They would have to rise early tomorrow. She had already packed the clothes she had made to the truck, but it would be several hours before they reached the settlement. Several hours over the scorching sand. She still wondered how she had managed to cross it by foot all those years ago. It had more to do with stubbornness than survival skills, for that she was sure.
When she had left the breeding center, she had wandered around aimlessly. After a week on the road, with nothing to eat, with no clothes or money, a mutant friendly salesman had taken pity of her. He had given her some clothes, food, and directions to the settlement. She had worked as a waitress for a while, but she had soon noticed it wasn’t a healthy place for a mutant. On the map had shown a small patch of forest, a possible oasis at the desert. She had made her way there. She had found an abandoned truck from there. Lady luck had finally decided to grant her some mercy. Truck had been filled with rations and clothes. And close by had been an underground current, streaming with crystal clear water. She had made a nest of some sorts to the back of it, and lived there, first alone, then, after birth with Sam. When she had felt that she was in reasonable good shape, she had started to build them a house. It had taken her a year, to build the cabin they even now lived in. To err is human had become her mantra during that year. First it had been just one room, but when Sam started to grow up they had built two more rooms to it.
All in all, life hadn’t been easy, but they had managed to get through it with hard work and determination. And now leave all this? For what? A single room in the settlement, go back to the life she thought she had left behind ages ago? Go back to all those people who had wanted to send her away and lock her up. To use her. Experiment on her. Shudder run through her whole body. Never.
“But I have to let him go. It has been too long already. Tomorrow. I’ll tell him tomorrow…” She whispered silently to no one in particularly. She could only hope that Sam would choose wisely how to use the freedom she had decided to grant him.
“You got everything?” She asked when Sam climbed to the passenger’s seat.
“Yeah. I put my bag back.” He spoke with a silent voice, refusing to look at her.
“What are you up to?” Marie asked with a sharp voice.
“Nothing. Can we just go already? You don’t want to be late…” For that Sam was absolutely right. It was five o’clock, but it would be closer to ten before they reached the settlement. All the best places at the marketplace would be taken already, but at least there would be free places left. She started the truck.
“You ready?” She asked. Sam patted the rifle on his lap and gave her a tight-lipped smile.
“Just drive.”
Few times bandits had tried to rob them. Every time they had managed to outrun them, but it didn’t hurt to be prepared. She didn’t have the knowledge or means to armor the truck, let alone mount an automatic cannons to it, but Sam was quite skilled with the rifle.
“This has been a long winter,” Sam noted when they passed several dried animal carcasses during the first hour of their drive.
“I’m just glad it’s over. No need to break your back over the garden anymore, it’ll get all the water it needs from the sky,” Marie muttered, steering the truck around small dune that had formed over the caravan route.
“Yeah… About that… What if you made an irrigation channel from the well to the garden? Would be much easier for you.”
“For me? Since you turned ten, I haven’t carried a single bucket to there. Don’t you mean it would be easier for you?” Marie asked.
“Well… Yeah. I guess that’s what I meant…” Sam said, gaze fixed to horizon.
“Okay. There’s something you’re not telling me… Let me have a guess?” Marie asked. Sam swallowed, clutching the rifle on his lap harder.
“Mom…”
“It’s just not few nights at the settlement. You’re not planning to come back at all. Am I right?” Sam kept silent, peering through the side window rather than facing her.
“Am I right, Sam?” Marie asked again.
“I was going to come back. To bring you some money. And to make sure you were all right. But yeah. I’m leaving.”
“Sam, look at me.”
“Mom, it’s… I have to go! I’m going nuts! I need to live my own life!”
“You’re absolutely right. I wasn’t going to tell you this before I was returning to home. I was going to give you half of the profit I make today, and let you go.” For that Sam had nothing to say.
“Only one hour to go, and nobody has tried to stop us yet,” Marie wondered.
“Might have something to do with that…” Sam said, pointing to the rearview mirror. Thick cloud of dust was following them. Every once in a while small breeze picked up, parting the cloud, and she could see the vehicles. Army convoy. She gripped the steering wheel harder, trying to tamp down the trembling she could feel was starting. She couldn’t fool Sam.
“Calm down, mom. They’re not after us. Those days are over. They’re probably on their way to the front,” he said, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.
Calm down. It was easier said than done. For the most part of her life she had spent running and hiding. It was an instinct built in to her. It made her push the gas pedal little harder. It made a thin sheen of perspiration rise to her forehead. She wiped it off before it started to trickle to her eyes. Her fingers came off light blue.
“Mom? You really need to calm down, now…” She pulled to the side of the road and leaned her back to the seat. Closed her eyes.
“Maybe you should drive.”
“Okay. We can wait here and let them pass. Would you feel better if we drove behind them?” Sam asked. She nodded feebly. It was only moderately better option, but they could really use the extra protection the convoy offered.
She kept her eyes closed when she heard the trucks driving past them. She could feel the vibrations that heavy machinery created. She could smell the stench of gasoline. She could hear the rattle of chains. Angry, barked orders. Hits. Kicks. Hunger. Pain…
“They’re gone. Move over.” Sam’s voice brought her back from her memories. She scooted over to the passenger’s side, letting Sam take the wheel.
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