---

Through a haze of pain, Frank watched the Wuckers go into the Bank and start bringing out the bodies of their comrades. They were all loaded onto a truck, and finally they went over to Shaw and Mary. A couple of figures shrouded in protective clothing brought over a body bag. There seemed to be a lot of debate and gesticulating about there being one bag and two bodies, but eventually, they squeezed both Mary and Shaw into it and zipped it up. It took four of them then to lift the bag and put it into a different van before bringing out a large bottle of liquid and sloshing it around over the gravel where they had lain.

Once they were done, they all clambered back into the trucks and drove off in a haze of dust. Gradually the strength returned to Frank’s legs, and the pain in his heart became more of an ache. He was cold and stiff, but he forced himself to get up off the ground.

If he hadn’t known that Max and Barb would come looking for him, he thought he might have lain down and died on the spot, but they would, so he wouldn’t.

He turned his weary feet and retraced his steps to the farm.