from the Shaw ranch just north of here.
The General pauses, then says:
Make sure they aren't followed.
General Flood turns abruptly and walks off, leaving his orders ambiguous.
_______________________________
A despondent Big Tom and Jane and their guards are returning to the farm,
backtracking along the path taken to reach the camp. The path is going along
a narrow valley between rolling hills. All are walking single file. The half
dozen military men are holding weapons, casually pointed down and to the side
as they walk but nevertheless at the ready.
Big Tom is in the lead, and is walking slowly, trying to think of escape and
stalling, not wanting to lead them back to his family. The soldier behind him
gives him a shove, making him stumble slightly. Colonel Cage, who has been
walking behind Jane, comes forward quickly, reprimanding the soldier in a
quick aside, and begins walking side by side with Big Tom. Colonel Cage picks
up the pace to put a little distance between themselves and the others, and
begins to talk to Big Tom quietly.
Is there a break up ahead where we can take a stand?
Big Tom doesn't miss a beat, having sized up the colonel as a good man, and
after a moment of mulling it over, answers.
At the creek up ahead. It gets rough ..
The conversation is interrupted, Colonel Cage jerking his head around, hearing
a slight but familiar sound, and immediately bolts back along the line. He
says,
Where is she!
His question is met with a cold stare, but as Jane and two of the soldiers
have disappeared, the Colonel has his answer.
53
Colonel Cage continues back along the trail, picking up his pace, and soon
finds what he feared. Behind a group of trees, Jane is struggling with one of
the men who is trying to tear her pants down, while the other holds the
automatic weapon in a relaxed manner, watching and leaning back against a
tree.
The soldier with the gun jerks his head around, seeing Colonel Cage running up
to them. The rapist shoves Jane away and quickly adjusts his pants at the
fly, trying to conceal what he was up to. The soldier with the gun raises his
gun and shoots Jane, who has staggered back, in the face with a short burst
from the automatic. Colonel Cage wrenches the gun away from the soldier. The
soldier says,
She was trying to escape.
Without missing a beat, Colonel Cage lowers the weapon and shoots this soldier
in the stomach, swinging it quickly to do the same to the rapist. While the
two of them are writhing on the ground, in agony, Colonel Cage walks over to
Jane, determining at a glance that she is solidly dead as her head is
essentially blown off. He turns on his heels and strides back the way he
came, his face full of tension and a film of sweat on his pale face. He is
breathing heavily, from the run and adrenaline, and runs his fingers thought
his hair, front to back, combing it as he strides back to the waiting line of
men.
Lets go.
He walks to the front to rejoin Big Tom who is waiting with an anxious look on
his face.
They're all dead, it's over.
_______________________________
The women are washing clothes on some rocks along the creek. Netty is
snappish with Daisy, who is sitting back and barely dipping her batch of
laundry into the water, as though she expects to be rescued. Netty snaps at
her.
I'm not going to do it for you this time. Wake up to
it, it's this or living grungie.
Clara is washing vigorously, a worried look on her face. Finally she sits
back on her haunches, facing Martha.
Do you think we'll ever see them again?
Martha glances quickly over her shoulder, seeing her children playing along
the creek bed behind them, out of ear shot.
Big Tom knows this area and Len knows how to talk to
them.
54
Martha hasn't answered the question, but it is apparent by her face that she
too is worried and just trying to keep a calm front. Suddenly Tammy shouts.
Dad!
Tammy is running and Billy jumps to his feet to follow her. Big Tom and
Colonel Cage walk out of the woods, followed by the three remaining soldiers.
The women have risen to their feet as Big Tom walks up to Martha with a grim
look in his face. Martha is anxious, glancing over his shoulder and flitting
her eyes back to meet his quickly.
Where's the others?
The grim look on his face is her answer, and she flutters a hand quickly to
her mouth, and utters quietly.
Oh, no!
Clara is next, standing just behind Martha where we can see her anxious face.
Where's Len? Where are they! In God's name tell me
what happened!
Big Tom puts his left hand on her shoulder.
They're fine, fine, don't get excited. They stayed
behind and they're all fine.
Martha is leaning her face into her husband's shoulder, biting her trembling
lower lip and fighting tears, trying to use an embrace and joy over seeing her
husband again to disguise her grief from the rest of the women and her
children.
55
-On the Move-
Danny is explaining to Mark and a restless Brian about the pole shift,
relaying what he can remember from Professor Isaac's rambling dissertation.
It happens ever few thousand years, and what's left of
mankind starts over again. I guess we're lucky to be
alive.
Brian is moving continuously but in a slow manner, pausing after each move for
a moment, first raising partially up and then sitting down again, crossing one
leg and then uncrossing and crossing the other leg, putting his hands on his
knees and then crossing his arms, swatting behind his neck and looking at his
hand for a bug that isn't there, moving his head from side to side as though
looking in every direction - restless and a bit paranoid.
Mark is in denial about what has happened, the pole shift, even though he has
experienced it.
Yeah, well, I don't believe any of it. If something
like that was going to happen the government would
have told us. I think is was just an earthquake.
A look of relief crosses Mark’s face as he sees Big Tom and the women
approaching.
Hey, there they are.
Mark starts to rise from his seat to greet the group coming back from the
creek. Danny turns also, a smile on his face, but the smile slowly disappears
as he sees missing members. Brian has bolted into the tents at the sight of