Chapter 15

Logan waited until the streets fell silent before he emerged from the back of the Ute. The bodies had been taken away, and the agents had somehow repaired most of the damage to Darrell’s house as if nothing had ever occurred.

“Daddy? What happened?”

“You don’t have to worry,” Logan ruffled her hair. “Let’s get you back to bed.”

They rushed back to Logan’s place, and he put her back to bed. The moment she closed her eyes, he left to grab his shotgun. He sat in a chair in her room with the shotgun by his side the entire night. Nobody was going to harm his little girl.

The following morning, Logan dressed Grace, making sure she had her precious bunny, then left the house with his shotgun. He wanted to speak with Madam Esmeralda and Rebecca as quickly as possible.

He turned the corner of the block and came face-to-face with an agent.

“Hello, Mr Russell,” the agent commented, stepping towards him.

Logan nodded and turned the street corner, immediately running into another agent.

“Hello, Mr Russell,” the agent replied with a mechanical smile.

“Mr Russell, why are you carrying a gun?” a third agent asked, stepping out of the shade of a store's canopy.

“I was bringing it to the bar, just in case we have any incidents,” Logan tried to make up an excuse.

A lone clap echoed from behind him as a familiar agent joined the others who had him girt.

“Mr Russell, were you at home last night?” Agent Johnson asked.

“Where else would I be?” Logan bluffed as several other agents gathered around. There had to be at least a dozen of them. All of them looked nearly identical.

Logan couldn’t tell what the agents were thinking. The sunglasses prevented him from gleaning anything from their reaction.

“Very well, Mr Russell. Carry on,” He turned and left, and the others followed, dispersing in every direction.

“What was that?” Logan spun around to see Rebecca strolling up to him. “You aren’t getting up to mischief, are you?”

“Mate, I’m not some kid,” Logan snapped back.

“Are kids allowed to get up to mischief?” Grace asked, looking between the two adults.

Logan shot Rebecca a look, and she quickly apologised, explaining that it was just a saying.

“Rebecca, can you come with us?” Logan asked. She glanced at him, confused by his serious request.

“Why? Where are you off to?”

“Madam Esmeralda’s…” he paused, glancing around to make sure that no agents were listening in. “I have something urgent to talk to you both about.”

She agreed, and they hastily rushed to Madam Esmeralda’s house. She opened the door, looking annoyed, until she saw Grace, and quickly ushered them inside.

“I have a tin of biscuits on the counter if you would like them,” Madam Esmeralda offered Grace.

Grace’s eyes sparkled. “Yes, please!”

“Anything for my little Grace.”

Whilst she gave the tin to Grace and made cups of tea for everyone, Logan and Rebecca took a seat on the couches. A moment later, Madam Esmeralda returned with the tea, passing them to Logan and Rebecca.

Madam Esmeralda took a seat opposite them and brought her cup of tea to her lips.

“Logan, I can tell when you have something serious to talk about. What is it?”

There was one thing Logan learnt last night. The agents may’ve been monitoring their movements, but they didn’t appear to have surveillance inside their houses or directly on the streets. It meant he could finally talk freely about his concerns. Logan ran through the events of the previous night.

“Unbelievable,” Madam Esmeralda commented, glancing at Grace, who was happily eating a biscuit.

“I know it’s hard to believe, but we need to get out of the town.”

“My whole life has been in this darn town. I was born here, and I will die here,” Madam Esmeralda protested, banging her cane on the ground.

“I think Logan is right. We should leave. Remember what the movie The Palace said? ‘A house can be knocked down, but you can’t knock down a home.’” Rebecca quoted the movie. “In other words, what makes this town so special is the townsfolk. So we need to survive.”

Logan could see she was considering it. “Please! You are the only one I can rely on.”

She raised her eyebrow.

“Well, I can’t argue against wanting to survive, but…” she glanced over at Grace. “We don’t know how dangerous it is for us to escape. It could put the world in danger.”

“She would never do that,” Logan snapped.

“How would you know that? We don’t really know anything about them.”

“I know my daughter.” Logan sank to his knees and lowered his head. “Please! I beg you. Help her escape.”

Madam Esmeralda bit her lip.

“A parent knows their child better than anyone. I also know she is a good kid. I’ll help you.”

“Thank you.” Logan lowered himself to his knees to thank her.

She sighed, slumping back into the couch and scratching her head

“I never thought I’d see the day when the young brat, Logan, would leave this little piece of paradise.”

“And I never thought I’d see the day where the old bat got sentimental.”

“What did you call me? I don’t want to hear anything from a little boy like you.”

“I’m a grown arse adult!”

“I’ve seen your pecker, it ain’t that big.”

Rebecca had been sitting quietly since the movie quote and was now trying her best, and failing, to hide her blushing face.

“Oi, I was like five at the time,” Logan tried to defend his manhood.

“Nah, more like one inch.” Madam Esmeralda used her fingers to measure an inch.

“I meant my age!” Logan shouted at her whilst Rebecca burst out laughing. “Don’t laugh at that!” he protested to deaf ears.

Madam Esmeralda swung her cane, coming only a few centimetres away from Logan's face.

“Good, you’re laughing. You should put on a brave face for your daughter.” She lowered her cane. “Little Grace, would you come over here?” Madam Esmeralda waved her hand beckoning her over.

“What is it, Granny Esmeralda?” she asked, tilting her head.

“Your Daddy has something to tell you.” She glanced over to Logan, who sighed.

“Grace, we are leaving this town.”

“Leaving?”

Logan got down on his knees, and Grace came to sit on them.

“That’s right.”

“Is everyone leaving?” she asked.

“No, it will just be the four of us.”

“Can Toby come?”

Logan didn’t have it in him to tell his daughter that Toby was already likely dead.

“Toby and his family have already left,” Logan replied, sparing her feelings.

“Really?”

“Yes,” Logan lied.

The group collected a few items they thought they would need and waited in the house until the afternoon. As the sky turned bright orange, they left Madam Esmeralda’s home. They hopped into Darrell’s Ute, using a spare key Logan had secretly cut, and sped towards the wall that was isolating them from the rest of the world.

୨⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯❤︎⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯୧

End of Chapter 15