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Rick didn’t get up for a full half hour He layhis head every few ht have missed When he was satisfied that he was finally alone in the building, he got up slowly and put his backpack on, slipped the hunting rifle back into the soft case along with the shotgun and started walking back toward the stairs

When he reached the gang leader’s body lying face-down on thedown onto the pipes and floor far below, he shook his head and grimaced He knew that, eventually, he would have to deal with the fact that he had just taken someone’s life When his adrenaline finally wore off there would be more shock to deal with, and hard questions would surface that would have to be answered

But in that moment, as Rick felt simultaneously elated to be alive and horrified at what he had done, he thought of one thing above all else: justice He hadn’t set out to try and balance the scale of Jack and Sa had left hirateful, though, since the gang leader’s death undoubtedly ht be saved froe, and that in soed his travel partners’ deaths

“One day” Rick whispered at the body of the man in front of him “In one day you went froht hand and turned it over, looking at his index finger he had used to pull the trigger on his rifle

“And in one day I turned into this”

Rick stepped over the lifeless body and headed down the stairs He pulled the pistol from his waistband holster and checked to make sure it was loaded, then slipped it back in He exited through the back of the buildi

ng, glancing around for any sign of the men that had driven off, and was relieved to see that they were really and truly gone Rick walked around to the front of the building and saw the third vehicle, the SUV, sitting out on the road with the keys in the ignition and the radio still playing

Rick opened the front passenger door and threw his bags in, then climbed into the driver’s seat and switched off the radio He ran his hand across the top of steering wheel and sighed To his left and right the s more homes filled withmore than piles of ashes For Rick, his memories, life, joy and happiness were thousands of miles away, and he had no idea if they were intact or if they had perished along with countless others

If Rick Waters had learned anything in the last day, it was that he was going to make it home no matter the cost He didn’t knoould happen, but he knew in the deepest corners and recesses of his heart that it would

“Stay safe” Rick whispered to his wife half a world away as he turned the key and the SUV’s engine roared to life “I’ll be there soon”