They started to inspect the bus from top to bottom, but I was interested in what the men wore. Each of them was dressed in a standard issue of army combat fatigues. I opened the vehicle's doors to allow the guards to board, but they remained outside and welcomed me to the US Free Zone.
I asked him what was the Free Zone and he explained that it was the gateway to Haven created years after the construction of the city by survivors that were refused entry into the Promised Land. They secured the area from the Unlucky activity and begun to build the small town that was behind the huge wall. The two men heaved the huge blockade open and waved us to proceed into the town known as the Free Zone.
Once I drove inside I was, to say the least, shocked at what I saw. Everything was in shambles. It appeared to be an old run down town inhabited by the underclass and the homeless. The alleys were filled with sleeping bodies and the road sides were groups of transients huddled around a burning metal container. As we slowly moved along the road, everyone gave us an uneasy look to let us know just how unwelcome we were. I reached underneath my chair and pulled out my revolver. I placed it on top of my lap, in open view, to let everyone know that I wasn’t playing around.
Further up the road, I found several roadside stands which offered a variety of different services, from having your picture taken with a real life Unlucky, to prostitution. Each stand appeared to be lit by candles or kerosene lamps. Interestingly enough, there was no sign of electricity throughout the entire town even though the city right next to them seemed to have more than enough.
Rose described it best when she said the town reminded her of a California skid row after a nuclear holocaust. I wanted to drive straight through without stopping. The only thing more dangerous than a pack of Unluckys is large group of treacherous nomads. And from the looks of things, it's more than just a large group; it's a whole damn city full! As we drove down the main road that divided the town, I told the others to grab a firearm, of some sort, just in case of an attack. Each person that we passed gave us a wild look, one of hatred and envy. Michael came up to the front of the bus and handed me a sawed off shotgun. Then he sat behind me to cover the door just in case one of those nomads tried to get inside.
But we drove through the entire town of the Free Zone, and much to my surprise, not one person made any sort of an attempt to attack us. Perhaps they knew all of us aboard the bus were armed or maybe I had misjudged the nomads altogether. Instead of being ruthless, blood lusting savages; they were good people that appeared to be hard on their luck. Either way, they stayed put and I was able to exhale a sigh of relief until I reached the checkpoint into Haven.
I pulled up to another checkpoint. This time there were several armed guards. As I came to a complete stop, I killed the motor and waited for the men to approach me. While I waited, I looked out pass the barrier and saw the city lights of Haven. My stomach turned with excitement at the sight that was before me. Soon our problems of Unluckys, out for our blood, would be no more. So many things crossed my mind, as I sat there. Finally one of the armed guards walked up to the bus, but he approached me from the driver's side and visibly had his finger resting on the trigger. The man looked at me for some time before he actually spoke. He asked of my name and where I was headed. I replied to who I was and explained that my family and I were on our way to Haven.
Before I could finish, the guard turned away and rejoined his group. He and another soldier, holding a metal clipboard, conversed while they looked through the pages that were attached to the board. Eventually, they appeared to have come to an agreement with whatever they were discussing. The guard returned to my side of the vehicle, now this time he had his rifle readied to fire.
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