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Not long after the forklift came out with something on. The pallet was placed not far away from the gate and moved backwards.
The soldier from before knew right away her idea and rushed to the other forklift.
Jocelyn Gale gaped at the whole situation and at her two daughters that visibly looked well fed and healthy. "Michelle, Alice... what is going on?"
"Big sister got special ability to open gate. We can go trough as her sisters, but not even you or father can pass trough it. Just us three. Mother, sister will bring some food so everyone can eat. Unfortunately, the storage we found is in a small store." They already made decision not to tell complete truth about it so they won't get greedy.
Anna Gale warned them that she plans to keep eyes on them and will always have one gate extra even if it's wasted. Just in case of danger they could go trough.
Food, water, all kind of things she randomly chose and finally she drove out. "Time of the gate is almost out. I must return and continue the travel. Tomorrow I will be back again. I saw one other store and I'll try to open storage gate there as well. But I must consider those zombies. If they catch me, I'll die."
The general Lewis glanced at two dozen of various things and shook his head. "This so barely enough for one day."
Anna Gale pouted. "I already said that zombies hate water. Why didn't you use that to fight them? And I'm not Superman. I can't fly away if the gate is closed. I can open only one time a day the gate. The gate can't help me if I'm attacked and already used all the minutes. Michelle, Alice, be good. I will take you with me as soon as I escape those new mutant zombies."
The two girls smiled at her and pulled their mother away. "Mother. show us your tent."
Jocelyn Gale looked at the two children and was about to take them to her designated tent, when familiar voice was heard behind.
"Where do you think you are taking my children to?" Henry Gale stared viciously at his still wife while he tried grabbing the two girls.
"I'm... I just..." Jocelyn Gale thought she got over the fear she had for this man, but this encounter showed that something's don't change that fast.
"Who are you?" Alice looked at him calmly. "You already have another woman. Children belong to mother not to father. You already made choice to abandon us. Mother, sister said our father died the moment he gave up being father. You still tried to find us. We could see it. The gate showed us all. The good and bad sides. You are weak person that needs someone to lean on, but you never mistreated us. Even at the times we had nothing to eat you starved for days so we could have a bite each. We know that. That is reason we came back. Only because of you sister made a choice to help this base. Now let's go to your tent."
"Not your father? I'll give you a lesson to remember." He rose his hand into air to hit her and just then loud shot could be heard.
Civilians screamed and scattered while soldiers rushed towards the sound.
They saw man rolling on ground while holding his wounded hand and woman that hugged two girls. No one else?
"Who shot?" The soldier was the one driving the other forklift and recognized the two girls.
"This man wanted to hit me so sister shot at him. She probably used last few moments of the gate to protect us. Every time she finishes her task she gets few minutes longer than before. She keeps those minutes for extreme situations of life and death." Michelle explained and glanced at the man on ground holding his hand. "You should be happy she used gun and not the shotgun. She holds slight grudge against you. Don't anger her."
Henry Gale rose his head and saw two pairs of indifferent eyes. His heart jumped.
"If I was not hard on you at that time, would you three be able to survive?" He felt righteous as he spoke.
"So abandoning us in that shelter and lying to our mother that you will come back for us is a training? If your group took us at that time, we all could have been safely here. Together..." Alice chuckled.
"Not only didn't you try helping us, you knocked our mother out and carried her here as she wanted to come back for us. You think gate didn't show us anything? You are not a father. Father's are strong and would do anything to protect their offspring." Michelle Gale took her mother by hand and smiled at her. "Mother, you are truly weakling, we know that, but considering that you are not bad mother, we came to visit you. But we can't stay here forever. We must go back and help sister. She can't be alone. She is alone and scared. We can feel that. You are safe here and we will visit you every now and then to make sure you live properly."
Suddenly they saw notification.
*Your sister invites you to open gate when you want to go home.*
Home...
Yes, their home is not worth these two people then where their older sister is.
They looked at each other and sighed.
"Gate, can we stay longer? We missed mother.''
*Request is open until midnight.*
They just smiled and looked at nearby officer. "We saw you before helping our mother. Can she have her own tent so when we come to visit we have place to sleep?"
"We don't have enough tents..."
Michelle Gale glanced at her mother and had an idea. "Mother, we will go search for tents. When we find one that is big enough for the four of us, we will come back. Mother, you like eating lemon cake. Sister told me to give you one."
She took her backpack from back and gave it to Jocelyn Gale. "Mother, we will be back. Tonight we will sleep with sister and tomorrow with you. Eat well and live comfortably."
Alice Gale hugged Jocelyn Gale and turned towards the soldier. "You seem like kind person. Uncle, keep mother safe until we come back. About food, don't expect three children to feed you forever. Or did all men die in this world?"