Well for anyone who wants to read... here you go! I hope it is ok, I was having a little trouble getting it together. Please let me know if I made a boo-boo so I can fix it! Thanks for everything the the two who reviewed Tewksgirl, I love ya girl! and Terry you are so awsome! For those of you who read it, that means a lot too, the reviews are just fuel for the flames of story writing:-) I know that we tend to beg for them, but they really do mean a lot! Thanks again and please read and review and more than anything... please enjoy! --Firebunee

Chapter 2

Marcus and Kurdy laughed over a loaf of bread and some of the worst home-brew they had ever tasted. The sky was getting dark and they decided they were going to head out to meet up with Jeremiah in the morning. He had told them not to rush back as time to think by himself was becoming a precious commodity. Kurdy had caught site of a rather attractive red head sitting at the end of the bar. He had looked at Marcus and then excused himself as Blake made his way over to Marcus. The two watched as Kurdy sauntered slowly over to the fair skinned female. Her green eyes glistened as she hungrily looked the powerful body of the dark skinned man up and down. She bit her lip as he sat down next to her and began to talk chattily at her.

"We all set here?" Blake asked Marcus.

His dark eyes shown deeply in his tired face, years of travel and survival had stripped the twenty seven year old man of her youthful features. His face was more withered and scraggly than Marcus had remembered twenty something's being before the Big Death. He blinked his deep brown eyes as he forced a smile across his full lips. Marcus nodded taking a long swallow of the dark liquid. The flavor of fermented yeast brushing across his taste buds.

"Yes, we still have a long ways to go before we are one hundred percent with the new communication grid, but we will be up and running soon." Marcus answered tearing another portion of the loaf with his fingers. He slowly lifted the soft textured of the provision to his lips and bit into it, tarring the crust apart with his teeth. The taste was wonderful as the bread had been made with fresh grain and by a very skilled baker. Back at Thunder Mountain they got whatever the kitchen had time to get together. Sometimes it was wonderful others it was a wonder you could sink your teeth into it without chipping a tooth.

"Sir… Lance just arrived from Molson."

"Great Thomas, what word does he bring?" Blake asked. He and Marcus watched intently as Thomas got a grip on himself and walked towards the table.

"Excuse me, I need to go and check on Kurdy." Marcus smiled as he didn't want to create a problem with the locals thinking they were spying on their every move. He started to rise when Thomas stopped him.

"Sir you should stay, I think this concerns you." Thomas gasped between words.

"What do you mean? Marcus…" Blake asked his eyes narrowed as he looked back at his subordinate.

Marcus looked confused as he lowered himself back into a sitting position. He looked up at the young man who had an expression of concern in his teen aged eyes.

"Go on…" Blake responded. He too had a flame of concern rising in his eyes and in the sound of his voice.

"Sir… Marcus… Lance was in Molson trading for meat when he saw them beating a man in the center of the town. He was your age Marcus, shorter but your age. They were asking him about the End of the World."

Marcus expression dropped. He felt that he would throw up when he thought about it. Holy Fuck! They got Jeremiah… how? When? What do you mean they were beating him? His mouth fell open as he looked at Blake and then at Thomas.

"I need to talk to Lance and I need to know where Molson is." Marcus stated. He stood quickly and walked briskly over to Kurdy. As he turned he heard Blake turn to the youth and tell him to get Lance and bring him to the Meeting Hall.

"Yes Sir!" Thomas ran out the door.

"Excuse me… Kurdy." Marcus swooped between the two at the bar. The young female had been using her hands to probe the rigid body of the black man who had become Jeremiah's best friend.

"I'm a little busy here." Kurdy stated breathlessly.

"I see, but we have a problem." Marcus announced quietly.

"Marcus… please." Kurdy responded angrily.

"Kurdy… someone's kidnapped Jeremiah."

Kurdy looked up from the red head to meet eyes with Marcus. He stared at the man and then took a deep breath. Jeremiah… who would grab him? Who the hell would be dumb enough to grab him? He looked back at long legs and ample cleavage that peeked through the form fitting shirt. Her nipples formed like jewels against the yielding material of her shirt. He closed his eyes and looked at the woman who looked back in puzzlement.

"Boy am I sorry…" He leaned over and stole a kiss from the woman who then watched longingly as the man grabbed his large olive colored duffel bag and ran after the man who had interrupted them. She bit her lip as she sighed a deeply as she returned to her drink.

"Pitty..." She turned and watched the man move quickly out the door, her eyes glued to his powerful body as he steamed away.

--

Jeremiah was still unconsciousness when the bucket of freezing water was thrown onto his lifeless frame.He lay on his stomach in front of the stone pillar he had been bound to. Around his wrists were chains to prevent him from using the range of his strength should he get out of hand. He jolted awake gasping for air as he felt his body quake unfogivingly. His lungs stung with the searing pain of cold as he tried to catch his breath. He was on the floor of the stage area where he had been assaulted earlier. His back burned violently as the water felt like it had scorched the tender flesh on his back. However the only punishment that gripped him now was the cold and it was enough to nearly send him back into darkness. Before he could find the strength to calm himself he received a jarring kick to his side. The blow connected directly to his ribs rolling him on his side. Before he could stop himself he screamed loudly in pain. His bare torso rolled onto the angry welts and torn skin on his back from the earlier assault on his person. He gritted his teeth and fought through the pain closing his eyes tightly to the torment.

"Are you ready to cooperate yet." The words hissed from the lips of a tall man who looked angrily down at the pain laced face of the man laying on the ground in front of him.

Words were hard to speak from his lips, now bluish from the cold that was engulfing his tortured body. He groaned as another kick was delivered to his body this time to his stomach pushing the air from his burning lungs. He struggled so hard to get back to his knees as his strength waned from his body.

"Answer me!" The words were shouted from the man who pulled a tuft of Jeremiah's hair, lifting the man to his knees. Again Jeremiah cried out in agony.

"I-I d-don't... know... wh-what your t-t-talking... about." Jeremiah seethed through chattering teeth.

"Your not the smartest thing I've ever seen; either that or you are the most stubborn I have ever seen. Jeremiah... this could be so much easier for you instead you're going to make it difficult. All you have to do is tell me... where is The End of the World. That's it... not too difficult at all. Just tell and you can go." Roger seethed. His words dripped from his lips with pure deceit. Jeremiah knew that the man would stop at nothing till he got what he wanted and for himself he knew that it was going to mean torture until Marcus and Kurdy found him or until he died.

"It... doesn't exist." Jeremiahs teeth chattered as he repeated himself to the controlling man.

Roger shook his head and looked down at Jeremiah. He shook his head as two guards grabbed him by the arms and held him as Roger pulled a tight black leather glove over his fingers. This was going to hurt and Jeremiah knew it. Jeremiah wasn't ready for death even though that was the way they seemed to be living anymore. They were living to die. It was getting hard for him to accept that since he was starting to find meaning in what he was doing at Thunder Mountain. They were turning lives around there now. Why did it have to go this way now? Kurdy and Marcus had to show up sometime... they had to be there soon... didn't they? This couldn't end this way for him. Deep down inside Jeremiah knew that this whole situation was going to get a whole lot worse before it got any better for him. It took only a few hits to his stomach and face before Jeremiah toppled into the black abyss that had held him prisoner for so long.

--

"What are we going to do Marcus?" Kurdy exploded as they approached the home of Blake.

"I don't know yet." Marcus looked back at Kurdy.

Kurdy was shaking his head as they walked through Blakes front door.

"Were going to get him right?" Kurdy asked sarcastically. He knew that Marcus didn't want to open up the mountain to a possible attack from unknown people. He was thinking the best interest of the people he had left back at the mountain.

"Kurdy... I don't know..."

"This isn't just some schmo we picked up on the street somewhere... this it Jeremiah!" Kurdy could feel his temper starting to get grow more violent as he argued with the tall and lanky man.

"What do you want me to do. We need to figure out what we are up against. We don't know who we are dealing with in Molson."

"But it's Jeremiah!" Kurdy slammed his fist down on the table the that Marcus stood in front of. We have to get him! You heard that kid.. . they beat him for information about the mountain..."

"Yes he did and we don't know what Jeremiah might have told them." Marcus stated dryly looking down at the floor.

Kurdy's eyes grew wide with anger as he listened to Marcus question Jeremiah's loyalty. He took a deep breath as he turned to go out the door and ran directly into the red head from the bar. She looked up at Kurdy who looked back at the beauty.

"What are you doing..." He asked.

"My names Rita... my sister Lacy and brother Cole live in Molson. They work for Roger the self proclaimed law of Molson... I think I can help you."