They're My Responsibility

By Kristen Coughlan

     It's my responsibility to look after all of them.  I don't want any of them to be captured by the enemy or be killed.  I seen a lot of them killed and I don't want to see it again.

     We all decided to separate.  The remaining eleven of us took different ways.  As I walk away from the group, I spotted another one of us by the highway.  It was Max.  Jondy told me she fell through the ice when they were running from soldiers.  I was glad she made it out.

     Before I could come up to her, a car showed up. The door opened. I recognized the woman from Manticore.  I knew Max never met her because she hasn't been in this place as long as I have.

"Come on," the woman told Max.  "Get in. Hurry."

     Before I can get Max away from her, she climbed into the car.  I lost her.

     Over the next few years, I traveled around to see how the others were doing.  I gave each of them a contact number if any of them wanted to contact me in an emergency or if I needed them to warn them.  I didn't give one to Max because I didn't trust her.

     When I was under the name 'Michael Hanover' I ran into Ben.  He became a serial killer and a thief.  I saved him from an armed robbery charge.  I escaped from the jail four hours later.  The bad news is they got my face and my barcode tattoo on file.

     Jace became just like Ben, a serial killer. She didn't go after the people Ben went after. Jace went after people who worked at Manticore.  

     Zane, he lived in LA near Brin.  I told them they should not visit or contact each other.  I knew they disobeyed me.  One day I caught them Brin and Zane together at his garage.  I went up them and gave a piece of my mind.

     Jondy, Syl, Krit, and Tinga became good people.  Jondy works nights at a bar in San Francisco.  Tinga works in a bakery in Portland. Syl, Krit, and the rest are always on the move. 

     When I arrived in Seattle to check up on Max, I went into a tattoo parlour to get the barcode removed.  Jondy told me Lydecker's men were in the city.  The person who owned the place offered a place to stay.  

     The day after, I read the paper and in the personals I saw Max's barcode.   I went to the spot every night to see if Max would show up to meet with this guy.

     I was on my way back from watching Volgesang, this girl on a black Ninja 650 past me.  I spotted a bar code on the back of her neck.  It was Max.  I caught up with her and we ended up racing each other until she was stopped at check point.  I watched at a safe distance as the sector police smashed her brake light and took her motorcycle.

     She began to walk and I followed her back to where she lived.  In the morning, I followed her to where she worked.  I waited an hour before I entered.

     I applied for a job there.  Normal, the boss, liked me at the start.  I found out later that no one else at the placed liked him.  When the people found out I was replacing one of the best riders, they began to shun me, even Max.

     I never delivered anything.  I sold what was in the packages for easy cash.

     The two nights before Max talked to Volgesang.  He wanted $15000 for my location. I went with Max to know where he was going to meet him.  I tired to ask her if they could hook up later but she never got me a chance to talk.

     I went to the hotel where Max and Volgesang were to meet.  It was entering the hotel.  I knew Lydecker was using him to capture Max.  As Volgesang entered the hotel I shot him and ran away.

     That night, the came back to my apartment and saw go through my things.  I grabbed whoever it was.  It turned out to be Max.  She was so happy to see me.  It disappeared quick when Lydecker's TAC team showed up.

     After we escaped, I told Max to leave Seattle but she refused. She told me something I thought about since that meeting.  She managed to do something I never did. She put Manticore behind her.

TO BE CONTINUED