Chapter 28: The Rescue
Max and Katherine decided to walk all the way back to the Mayor's office together. Neither of them wanted to rush anything and they were both extremely tired. When they arrived in the room, they both laid down on the couch. "You saved all of our people Max, we couldn't have won without you," Katherine said. Max pretended to be asleep and decided not to reply.
Even though he defeated an entire army, he still felt like he had a hole in his chest. It was like something was sucking the life out of him. Max sat up and he asked Katherine, “I just don't know what to do. I defeated the Red Death and I saved as many people as I could, but a little kid died because of me. One I cared about very much, it's just not fair. He deserves to be alive and live his entire life, Clay is a better fit to be mayor than I am."
"He did deserve all of that Max,” Katherine comforted him, “But you can't change the past. Clay was happier than ever when he was alive, and that was all thanks to you."
"But he's dead now, I should have kept him in group C so he would have lived." "Max, without Clay we would all be dead. If he didn't lead group A that night we wouldn't have even fought today. He put them into panic, and took out their group leaders." "You’re right Katherine, he was one amazing boy. And now we have to save those people being held at the Red Death base, I owe that to Clay." Katherine gave him a kiss and told him she needed to leave, she brought Max a pillow and a blanket. "I'll be back here around eleven so we can go back to the field, get some sleep." Max told her not to leave, but she went anyway. He looked at his clock and it was now past seven. "Guess I'll get some shut eye, if I can.” Max curled up into a ball like he used to as a kid, and fell asleep.
He didn't sleep comfortably at all, he kept waking up every thirty minutes or so seeing Clay in all of his dreams. Max looked at the clock and it was now past ten, he decided to take a shower and see if that would relax him. As Max was walking to the shower, he thought of all the people who had died that were close to him. Clay, Rich, Betty, and even the four men who helped him find his purpose. But then he had a different feeling, he thought about all those people chanting his name after he won the battle. How he saved all those people pinned against a wall, defeating the Red Death. Max took off his silver cross and put it next to his clothes. He looked at the cross and whispered, “I hope I never need you again, but I know I will." Max hopped in the shower, standing still in the hot water for about twenty minutes. Something about showers made him feel like a new man. As he was about to get out he heard Katherine knock at his front door. "Come in!" he yelled and she teleported into the office. "I didn't know there was a bathroom in here, or a shower." "There's a lot you don't know Katherine," he replied laughing. "Very funny, I guess that means you'll make your own food this morning." He dried and quickly and ran out the door with his shorts on. "Please don't scare me by saying things like that." "Alright fine,” Katherine smiled, “get your clothes on and we can go downstairs." "Yes!" he shouted in a happy tone and went out the door with her.
They went downstairs and she cooked them up some pancakes. It was weird for the Town Hall to be empty, it was usually so busy and alive. "It feels like everyone just vanished out of thin air Katherine. It feels weird to be the only people here."
"I know what you mean, I've lived here my entire life and it’s never been this quiet." After a couple of minutes she brought in two large plates of pancakes. "Are those both for me?" Max asked salivating.
"Of course not! I need to eat to you know."
"You can eat eight pancakes? I'd be surprised if you could eat two." They both dug in, and Katherine finished eating a little bit before Max. "That's impossible, no one’s ever eaten faster than me. Where do you even put all that food anyway?" "A woman never tells her secrets Max, you of all people should know that." Max gave her a funny look and helped her put the dishes away. "Ready to go?" she asked him still laughing from before. "Yeah, but don't tell anyone what happened here, especially my mom." "She'll be the first person I tell then."
She grabbed his hand and they instantly appeared at the training fields. There were corpses everywhere and the place smelled terrible. "Why did I want to meet here?" Max asked in surprise. "Let's inform everyone they should meet us right outside of the town with their weapons.”
Max and Katherine told everyone they saw to go in front of the town wall, and soon everyone was ready. Max saw George, but no Rock. "Where's Rock, George?" "I don't know I thought he was with you!" Max started laughing and replied," I think he's still at the fields, Katherine can you go get him?" She said she would and teleported over to the fields and came back in seconds with Rock.
"So everyone makes a plan to meet here, and somehow I'm the only one who doesn't know?" "Sorry Rock, honestly we thought everyone knew." "Well thank God Katherine came and got me or maybe I would have been left behind." Max let him go on for a couple of minutes, but then decided to address the people.
"Great work yesterday. I know a lot of you lost important friends and family, and many of you are really hurting today, but we have to finish what we started. The Red Death creatures live in a cave a few miles away. They are farming humans for their blood, and it somehow keeps them alive. We need to kill the rest who are at the base, and free the people who are being held in cages. I'm afraid only a few of us will go to find the Red Death. Only soldiers from group A will be coming with us today. The rest of you we need to stay here, and protect the town. What we saw at this Red Death base are gruesome and I don't want anyone who isn't ready for it to see this." Thirty men in group A survived the battle against the Red Death. They walked over to Max. Everyone else understood and wished them all luck. Betty and adult Max walked over to where Mayor Max was standing. "We’re so proud of you sweetie," his mother said. "She's right Max, you saved us all you know. Make sure you never forget that." Max gave them both hugs and then their small group started their journey to the Red Death cave. No one except Max, George, and Katherine had ever set foot outside of the town. Group A and Rock were amazed by all the things they saw, and by all the trees. They kept walking on the dirt road for a while and silently they made their way through the rest of the forest until they got to the cave.
"We’re here now guys, stay on your toes and keep quiet." Max led everyone to the cave entrance and they all filed in. "Everyone have their guns ready?" Max asked quietly as they approached the red wall. Group A nodded and stared with amazement as they looked at the Red Death wall. Rock went over to Max and whispered, “How do you plan on getting us in?"
"Katherine and I have already been here, we'll teleport in and open up the gate from the inside. Make sure once the gate is open to run in immediately." Max walked over to Katherine and asked her if she was ready. "I'm ready Max, let’s do this." They teleported right behind the wall and saw all of the huts. "Stay quiet, they sleep during the day they won't know what hit them." They saw a lever on the gate, which would pull up the gate. They both tugged on it as hard as they could and the wall started go up slowly. Max's cross started to heat up again, and he knew they would be in for quite a battle.
Rock and everyone from group A came in with their guns, armed and ready. "Stay as one, and make sure no one gets away from us," Max told them in a hushed voice and they walked through the town of the Red Death.
They made their way over to the black building, which was where Max and Katherine saw the humans imprisoned. "This is where they keep the people we have to break out. The things you see in here will be really disturbing, so be prepared." When they opened the door, everyone could see what Max had warned them about. The people in the cages had tubes attached and were crying and screaming. Max tried to get their attention, "It's alright now! Were here to save you! But you need to keep quiet." Everyone on the first level immediately stopped yelling, shocked that anyone knew they were there. Max instructed each prisoner to go to the right side of his or her cell. He said he would shoot through the bars, then they would help everyone get out. The peopl
e jumped with joy and began moving in excitement to the right side of their cells.
"Stay with us everyone, we’re going to free each of you and then we’ll go after the Red Death together," Max told them. But it was too late. As soon as he shot through the bars, the people ran out of the building, going straight for the wall. That woke up the Red Death, who ran out of their huts in complete confusion. Max knew his plans were changing again. "We'll set the rest of the humans free after we kill the Red Death!" Max shouted to them and they all ran back outside.
There were still more than a hundred Red Death creatures in the cave, and those who were left were stronger than they’d faced before. As they all tried to get through the red wall and out to freedom, the Red Death managed to kill many of the weak prisoners who had just been freed by Max and his group. They just couldn’t fight back and even with protection, they kept falling, one by one.
"Where the hell are those evil bastards?" Rock asked through gritted teeth, "It’s like they vanished."
"I don't know Rock, but we have to stay together.” As Max said the words, they were suddenly surrounded by a swarm of Red Death creatures, who picked off the freed prisoners first.
"Get ‘em boys!" Max shouted and they unloaded their firepower on the Red Death. They killed about twenty, while the rest of them ran straight out of the cave and into the dark forest.
"We have to go after them!" Max told Rock.
"We can't Max, let them go," George replied, “There aren’t many of them left, I think it’s safe to say we won this thing."
The realization of everything that had just transpired hit Max like a brick. He fell to his knees and yelled out, “I did it! I saved the town!"
George grabbed him and held Max, rocking him back and forth. "You did it boy, it was your purpose."
Max and his group went back to the black building and broke out everyone else inside. They were all scared and shocked at first, but once they saw everyone had been released from their terrifying prison they knew they were no longer hostages, they were free. Rock and George got everyone together as Max addressed them saying, “I know all of you are scared, I can assure you we were too. Our town was the last remaining civilization in the whole world. I was specifically chosen to stop the Red Death, and with the help of my town we did. We have food, a running water supply, and great people back at our town if any of you would like to come back with us. I promise you we are all safe."
The prisoners talked amongst each other and then they all came to a decision. "We would be honored to live with your people if that is alright," one of them announced. "Then it's settled, follow us back to our place!" George shouted with joy.
The five hundred or so people followed Max, George, Rock, Katherine and the rest of group A. After a long walk they reached the town wall where those who could see them coming started cheering. Then the people ran out from the town embracing those they knew who had returned, because they knew what it must mean: they were safe! This left the former prisoners uneasy and scared as they watched people crying and hugging and shouting with relief. Max could see their fear, so he spoke.
"Citizens of the town, we have finally destroyed the rest of the Red Death. We have also freed these people here, who were all from different civilizations and were being held by the Red Death. I hope you welcome them and give them as much support as you once gave to me."
The townspeople began to approach the others who were still behind Max. Without a word, they hugged the former prisoners and shook their hands. "You are home now,” the people whispered to the others.