I am sitting down at the dinner table in my home. My wife comes from the kitchen with a dinner that she had prepared. As she sits down and I bow my head to give thanks for our food. A flash of light shows outside the window. I yell to get down and everything is stripped away. My wife, my son, my home. I stare upon the face of a desolate wasteland. I kneel down in front of the ashes of what used to be I cry out to the heavens in agony. And all goes black.

I wake up in a cold sweat. I draw my gun so that I could defend myself from attackers that might come. None came, I drop and holster my weapon. I look out the window of the shack and I notice that first light has just broken. Today I make the trip to the raider camp. I ask myself, "why are you doing this? These are not your people. You dont know these people." In truth, I don't know. I suppose that some part of me wants to preserve some of the old world.

I get up and I ready my gear for the trip to come. John comes over to me and gives me some food and water for the trip. I thank him before heading out. On the way to this camp, I find not really any difficulty. A few radroaches, and maybe a mole rat here and there.

I get to the ledge above the camp. I can see clearly, the entire compound. The raiders were holed up in an old junkyard. I take out my sniper rifle and I survey the land. I didnt see Abigail. I kept surveying the land, but still no sign of Abigail.

All of a sudden, I feel a gun barrel pointed at the back of my head. A female voice says, "Hands where I can see them scum."

I say, "Miss, you are mistaken. I am not one of them."

She says, "How can I know that you arent lying?"

I say, "If I were one of them, why would i be up here?"

She says, "Maybe a lookout post."

I say, "Ah, but if I were a lookout, why would i be looking in?"

She wavers and lowers her gun. "Fine. What are you doing?"

I say, "looking for someone. She was captured and I was asked to get her back."

She nods, "So, you're an errand boy? Or are you a hired gun?"

I look at her. She has natural dark red hair, and greenish eyes. Her features were soft but tough at the same time. She was wearing a blue button-down shirt. She is wearing khaki pants and an old leather jacket over her shirt. Strapped to her hip is a Colt 1837, a very rare find. And on the other side is a large kitchen knife made to handle like a combat knife.

I say, "I am neither of those things. I am nobody."

She chuckles, "Well, then I can say that you are not special. Everyone around here is nobody."

I roll my eyes. "What are you doing here?"

She kneels next to me. "Trying to show the truth to the people of Harper's Ferry."

I raise my brow. "Harper's Ferry?"

She looks at me confused. "Yeah, it is a town that is south of here. In between what used to be the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers."

I nod, "So that is the town that John talked about. Is this raider gang even close enough to y'all to cause a problem?"

She looks at me confused again, "Are you kidding me? This raider gang rules The Mire right now. Even though no one in Harper's Ferry will care to admit it. This entire region lives under the control of this gang. This is only one camp. One unit in an army that controls this land."

I nod. "Ok. Thanks for telling me that, but, I still need to rescue this woman."

She looks at me. "You arent doing this for money. So, why are you doing this?"

I look down. "I guess, some part of me wants to preserve some of what used to be."

She smiles to herself and says, "Let me help."

I look confused. "What? Why would you want to help me?"

She smiles, "I'm preserving some of what used to be."

I roll my eyes and I go back to the ledge. "I still have to find where they're keeping her."

She points to a building at the center of the junk yard. "There, this camp puts all of they're captives in that building."

I say, "Ok, I know where she is. So, how am I going to get passed all those men?"

She points to the other side of the junk yard. "You see those cars?" I look and nod. "Some of those cars still have fuel in them. If I can get over there and trigger an explosion, the brunt of the raiders will move off to investigate. And that will give you enough time to get in, get the girl, and get out."

I nod. "And what about you?"

She looks at me. "We can meet back up here after you get her. If I'm not back ten minutes after you get back, leave. I'll either be dead or going back to Harper's Ferry." I nod, before going off to get in place, she stops me. "What's your name, by the way?"

I say, "Brian, Brian Locklear."

She shakes my hand. "Hannah, Hannah Turner."

I nod and we go our separate ways.

I wait by the edge of the camp for the explosion to go off, and sure enough, it does. After the Raiders move to investigate, I move in towards the building only having to dodge or kill a few raiders.

I make it to the building and I get inside. There are a bunch of cages and the keys are on a hook by the door. I take the keys and I unlock the cage where I see Abigail. "Come on, we dont have that much time." She thanks me a few times before we get going towards the meeting point.

I go to meet Hannah and she is sitting up there waiting for us. She stands up and says, "Let's go before they find out she's gone."

We make the journey back to the farm. I give Abigail back to John. "You guys need to leave. It wont be long before they come back. John thanks me and they start to pack up.

I turn to walk away when Hannah stops me. "So, where are you going now?'

I say, "I dont know. Somewhere."

She says, "Well, why dont you come back to town with me?"

I say, "You do realize, we just met. Right?" I chuckle.

She smiles, "Yeah, but I sense something in you. You like to help people. That quality is in short supply nowadays. I thought you might could come with me and find out where to go from there."

I think for a second. She looks at me with a hopeful gaze. I think to myself. "Why would she want me? If she even wants me. I mean... goddammit Brian, dont think like that." I sigh. "Ok. I'll come to town with you."

She smiles and she starts to lead the way. I follow behind her wondering what I've gotten myself into.