DESERTER

Zachary rushed everywhere in the building to find the two kids. He checked every room and there seems to be no one in each. He looked down to see if there is any footsteps, but his rushing and roaming has already disrupted the sand. He went back to the room in a cupboard, he slowly opened it but it was empty. Defeated he walked outside and looked every where. He went back into the room and stayed there to cool off. He put his ear to the ground and tries his best to sleep, thinking of a new plan. He slowly hears loud thuds which slowly became footsteps. As he got up Orlando appeared and pointed at him.

'Over here' He said, 2 person in light weight armor and picked him up. They got outside and into the trucks, Nevada seems to be in there. He got into the cold truck and finally rested. One of the soldiers asked him about his name and he gave it easily. Apparently they moved in to check the house and the soldiers quietly grabbed as Zachary was looking for water.

"So where are we heading?"

"Colorado.. we're abandoning.. we'll regroup back on Phoenix.. the Tacna parasites are gone"

'So that's what I really heard' Zachary whispered. Along their drive back to Phoenix Zachary cannot do anything but finally get a good rest after the two days of pain that he felt. As they got to Gila Bend, more cars appeared and combined with their company. Then they headed to Phoenix. They passed by different land marks reminded of how near they are to the city of Phoenix the biggest city in the state.

They finally arrived at the front of the new community. Over 5 villages were encompassed in order to create and sustain, but they were already leaving to move eastward in a much more 'balanced' climate. The gates were opened and the trucks got in and parked at the lot that they created. Orlando wakes Zachary up and he slowly came to his head. They stepped out and over 300 people appeared in front of them, which are the whole population of this small community. Despite taking over 5 the population is less than even 1.

The people welcomed the 3 kids by giving them food, as Zachary walk past everyone he sees one of the cars with a familiar insignia. It looks like the same skull at the second group of SPECTRE, but with striking differences. The right eye seemed to be smaller than the left, and the dome is much more smaller, the teeth are represented as holes on the upper jaw. He got immediately ran towards the car and a tall man walked in front of him, also lookin at the insignia and touching it. Zachary was about to ask him his name but he walked away before his mouth can move.

One of the soldiers approached him and picked him back up.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, this skull.. I mean this car where did you get it?"

"hmm. Interested?"

"Yeah"

"We got this from Las Cruces in New Mexico, there was one man in there dying... his body.. well you already know"

"....."

"The man with his final breath asked us to look for those two that you were with, apparently they were a group of people that would protect those kids from a pseudo-government experiment shit... I'm sorry"

"Its okay, I've heard worse"

"And then we were also asked to look for a man"

"A man?"

"Nothing more, that's it... we never found the man.. but those kids apparently did.. he was their 'watchful eye'"

"Creepy"

"Right? Well that's all I know... why the sudden interest?"

"We.... I encountered people like them"

"...."

"The people who wore this skulls.. they were good people"

"were?"

"Dead"

"I'm sorry to hear that... you must have gone through a lot by yourself?"

"I did"

"What's your name?"

"Zachary"

'I'm Rodrick, my friends calls me Dick' He offered his hand to shake with Zach and he did, he looked closer at the man and his faces reminded him of someone.

"Why?"

"No I-D-E-A"

"Oh"

"Well, see ya"

As Rodrick was about to live Zachary had to ask him something.

"Wait, did you have a sister by any chance?"

"Yeah.. I.. don't where she is right now"

"Can you give me her name"

"..."

"..."

"Elizabeth, She is my little sister, we lived back in Greenwood, Delaware... Delaware"

"I..."

"Yeah, well there's no use dwelling in the past.. plus His husband.. Harry, He is a fucking fighter and so is his Little brother Tobias.. I miss hanging out with them"

"You were good friends?"

"Yes, Harry was my junior back in College. You sound like you know them?"

Zach smiles as Rodrick was also smiling talking about the two brothers. His face suddenly looked sad, Rodrick instead stopped the question and continued to work.

"Well here"

"Keys?"

"Yeah, you 3 might need a place to stay"

Rodrick smiled and he looks exactly like Elizabeth. His smile was enough to move Zachary to tears as he was reminded of her, the woman who became a parent-figure to him after Tobias. Instead of telling Rodrick he knows them he looked up wiped his tears and only replied 'I wish'. The two continued to laugh and a bond seems to be forming on from the both of them.

Orlando and Nevada approached him and told them how good of a man Rodrick is. As he disappeared among the crowds helping other people, they looked up to Zachary. He starts to whimper as Nevada holds his left hand, his vision starts to be ablur because of his tears. 'If only he knows' He kept thinking to himself, despite the emotions pushing down on him he managed to stop it. He looked up into the dimming sky and wiped his tears. He smiled.

The man that bumped into him watches over from the infirmary, he walked to the farthest gate up the community where vehicles of different sizes are being prepared for the journey. The gates opened and he easily walked by, someone tried to stop him but he dodged it. He continued to walk, he looks over the deep created where a horde is accumulating. He turned to the people that looked confused and he waved them good bye.