It was supposed to be a simple scavenging trip. Stephen, Bonnie, and their kids had fixed up their neighbor's van and decided to take a trip to the city, both to look for supplies and get a lay of the land there. They were armed with a couple of hunting rifles and pistols and everyone was ready to use them if they had to, but they were still taken by surprise when they hit a roadblock. There were people with dark cloaks covering their bodies and holding actual automatic rifles. For a second, Stephen thought it was the military, but that was after a man dressed like an alcoholic trucker stepped to them. The man told the Roberts's that if they wanted to pass they'd have to pay a fee in either goods or "services". It was clear what he meant by services as he stared hungrily at Bonnie and Lizzy.
Stephen wanted to shoot the man but he was aware that doing so would cause his compatriots to start shooting at him and his family. So in order to avoid trouble, he simply stated that they would turn around and leave. The man laughed at Stephen's reply and told him that he was free to do so, but that would also cost a fee, not as big as what they charged for entry, but still a fee.
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