I was a bit in a hurry to get this done, so I apologize if it’s a little sloppy and not that good.
A SMALL REUNION
A FICTIONAL SERIES 6 ONE-SHOT
The beach stretched wide under the blue sky, where soft waves rolled onto the shore, leaving behind a thin shimmer of foam. Warm sand shifted underfoot, marked by scattered shells and driftwood. A salty breeze carried the distant cries of seagulls, rustling the palm trees that lined the edge of the dunes. When the white clouds parted, the ocean sparkled under the sunlight, endless and inviting, while the horizon blended the sea and sky in a hazy blur. With the Mall Rats making land elsewhere and setting up camp, Slade had little time to take it all in like he did at that moment.
The sight almost made him forget his predicament—if it weren’t for the damn chain-link cage.
“How long have we been here?”
“Sorry, Ellie. Forgot my watch back at the mall.” Lex smirked, sprawled out on the sand with his legs crossed and hands behind his head. Despite the fact that the four of them were prisoners, he might as well have been on vacation.
“Real cute, Lex, considering this is all your fault.”
“Ellie…” Beside her, Jack placed a hand on Ellie’s shoulder. She wasn’t having it and shrugged him off.
“You just had to get a closer look, didn’t you? If you weren’t so damn stubborn, we would’ve been back—”
This time, it was Slade who cut her off, placing an abrupt hand on Ellie’s arm. He glanced over at the guards. The female’s head was tilted just slightly, clearly listening in for anything that would give them and their friends away. When there was only silence, she straightened her gaze.
“I know you’re frustrated,” Slade said lowly, “but let’s not say anything we’ll end up regretting later. Agreed?”
“I’m sorry.”
“It’s fine.”
“But it’s still his fault.”
“If memory serves right, did I not tell you three to get lost?”
“Would you have left if one of us did the same?” Slade asked.
Lex said nothing as he looked up. The guy could be a handful, but even Slade knew, like the rest of them, how protective he was of the others.
Ever since they had been out to sea, Lex’s behavior had been… secretive. Especially with May’s acquaintance—the trader, Zack. At least to Slade, it was secretive, who hadn’t known the former sheriff for too long. For everyone else, it was just Lex being Lex. Jay suggested that Lex was making some deal for supplies or maybe acquiring Zack’s boat.
“Remember his casino back in Liberty?”
Slade did remember. Just like he remembered Josh’s last words.
“Lex knows everything.”
Maybe he knew why there was a cage in the middle of a beach and the identity of the tribe who appeared out of nowhere and captured them. Possibly even why there were more than just their footprints inside the cage as well—tire tracks on the outside and the rotted remains of a partially devoured orange in the corner—but such suspicions would have to wait.
“Looks like we’ve got company,” Jack said.
Lex rose to his feet as Slade turned with the others. Several feet from them, more guards appeared, dragging another prisoner. The female guard reached into the neckline of her top, pulling out a key. Slade made sure to take note of that.
“Stay back!” the male guard barked at them, raising his staff.
Slade half-expected Lex to make some snarky comeback—just enough to earn him a second shot to his ribs. It came as a surprise when Lex stayed silent. More so when he noticed the way Lex was staring at their new cellmate.
Or how Jack and Ellie had the same expression.
The cage door was halfway open when the guards forced their captive inside, with enough force to send him onto his hands and knees. They quickly fastened the lock behind him without a word.
“Anyone recognize him?” Slade asked.
“Oh, yeah…” Lex broke out into the widest grin Slade had ever seen on the former sheriff. “I recognize that big head anywhere.”
“Just who’s got a big head, pal?!”
The prisoner rose to his feet, and Slade suddenly felt intimidated, if only a little. For one thing, the guy was built like a pro wrestler, despite the boyish good looks on a friendly face, further accentuated by his smile.
Slade heard Lex’s breathing pick up and shudder. It was either his imagination, or the tough guy of the bunch was fighting back some tears. Before he could ask if he was okay, Lex and the guy embraced, the impact almost knocking them over.
“Ryan… Jack, it’s Ryan!” Ellie cried out with tears in her eyes. Jack looked speechless, his mouth wide open. At least that explained their reaction.
“It’s good to see you too, mate,” Ryan said while Lex was still hugging him. Lex only pulled back at arm’s length.
“Where the hell have you been?”
“Quite a few hells. What about you guys? Chosen or Technos?”
Lex shook his head. “Neither. Another virus got loose.”
“We had to leave the city,” Ellie said, she and Jack coming up beside them. Ryan’s smile faded into a look of concern.
“Salene?”
“She’s safe,” Jack said.
Ryan nodded and managed to pry himself from Lex. “I know you’ve got questions, and I promise, they’ll be answered soon. But first, I need to do something.”
“Ryan…” Ellie called out to him, and Slade noticed how nervous she became. “About the baby—”
“I know.”
“Y-You do?”
“Yeah… Alice told me.”
“Alice?! My sister is here?”
“Soon.”
That’s when Ryan noticed Slade. The others did, as well.
“It’s cool… He’s with us.”
“Slade.”
“Ryan.”
With that, Ryan turned to the cage door. He rolled his shoulders, took a few short breaths. Like a battering ram, his booted foot connected hard with the door, rattling the guards.
“Ryan!” Ellie cried out.
“The hell are you doing?”
“Getting us out of here,” Ryan said calmly.
Slade was about to join in the protest when he noticed movement from behind the guards. More of them, maybe with more prisoners. But then they started yelling, weapons raised high as they charged from the woods.
The guards saw it coming too late while focused on Ryan trying to kick down the door.
“He’s distracting them.”
And it worked. It wasn’t even a battle, barely a fight, and it was over in minutes—maybe less. By the end of it, the guards were subdued and gathered up, now set to trade places with the Mall Rats inside the cage. Leading the charge was a man who looked like he belonged on the set of Conan the Barbarian, only instead of a broadsword or battle-ax, he wielded a well-crafted staff, far superior to the ones carried by the guards. With the key taken from the female guard, he unlocked the gate and stepped aside.
“Does he look familiar?” Slade asked.
For most of them, he didn’t, but Ryan was a different story. He and the Conan-guy shared a fist bump, confirming they had history.
The guards entered the cage without protest until the Conan-guy locked it up again.
“This isn’t over,” one of the male guards sneered.
“Maybe not for us,” the Conan-guy replied, his voice deep, rich, and slightly gravelly, carrying a natural warmth and a laid-back, rugged charm. “For you? Consider it karma for the lives you helped destroy.”
“If you think you’ll be spared, then you’re a bigger fool than you look!” the guard spat.
The Conan-guy just smiled, unfazed, as the guard continued.
“They’ll be here soon to free us. And when they do, we’ll hunt you down like the rats you are. You and your precious leader.”
“You sure about that?”
Like the Red Sea parting for Moses, the other group—whom Slade internally dubbed “the rebels”—stepped aside as a brown-haired young man strode toward the cage. He came to a stop beside the Conan-guy and Ryan.
The guards looked stunned.
“If you think they’re the forgiving type, then you’re the fools. Every single one of you,” the young man said, stepping closer to the cage. “But things can change. We can make a difference. End the slave trade, show a better way than conquering and tyranny. And we can do that… together.”
Back then, Slade would have gagged. He’d heard his fair share of so-called idealistic leaders. But this one… this one was different. He sounded real.
“You really think you can win?” the female guard scoffed.
“We will. We don’t want to fight, but we will if we have to. Eventually, the people will win.”
The guards laughed and mocked him. Except one.
From the back, a young guard hesitated before stepping forward. All eyes fell on him.
“Do… do you mean it?”
“Every word.”
“Then… let me join you. Please!”
The other guards were stunned speechless. The Conan-guy looked to the man who was, without a doubt, his group’s leader. The leader nodded, and the Conan-guy unlocked the gate. The young guard stepped forward, stopping only when the older male guard grabbed his shoulder.
“You’re making a mistake,” he warned.
“Mistake?” The boy shook his head. “What we’re doing here, what we’ve done for years… the only mistake I ever made was ignoring a child’s cries as we loaded them into transports. No more, brother. No more.”
With that, he stepped out, joining the rebels. They waited, but no others followed. The Conan-guy locked the cage again.
“The transport will be here soon,” the leader said. “Maybe one day, you’ll have a change of heart. When you do, we’ll be waiting.”
Together, the group began leaving the beach. The Conan-guy patted the former guard on the back, leading him along. Only Ryan and the leader stayed behind, Slade noted, along with Lex, Ellie, and Jack.
The leader smiled broadly, lifting his arms to the sides.
“If you could see your faces right now.”
“Bray!”
Ellie was the first to reach him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug, followed quickly by Jack. Lex, on the other hand, stayed his ground with his arms folded, though a smile threatened to break through his tough exterior. He didn’t look surprised, Slade noted. Thinking back on it now, Lex had not even been surprised to see the cage…
“We thought you were dead,” Ellie said, her voice tight with emotion.
“Yeah. You were supposed to be Deleted,” Jack added.
“I was. We all were. It’s confusing, I know, but I’ll explain everything. What about the others?”
“Everyone else is here,” Lex said.
Bray looked at him, hopeful. “Everyone?”
Like it was the only thing he could do, Lex grinned.
END.