Youth Patrol

by Andrew Lueders

  “Val?” he says softly. “Let’s get something to eat.”

  But she refuses to move.

  “At least do it for the baby,” he adds.

  “It’s still not working,” she murmurs underneath her sobs.

  “Valerie Star?” someone shouts. “Is it really you?” I turn around, but all I see is a mass of people coming in and out of the rooms, but that voice is pretty unmistakable. As the crowds disperse, there’s Candy and Charlie, standing in the hallway. They look like crap. Val peers up trying to smile, but Candy responds with her inimitable scowl. “You!” she cries out bitterly. “It’s you, how do you do it? How do you keep surviving?”

  “Candy!” her husband scolds. “You stop it, she’s been through a lot!”

  “And we haven’t?

  “I’m not saying that dear,” Charlie says, trying to calm his wife down. “All I’m saying is have some compassion on her.”

  “Compassion?” she barks. “You’re telling me to have compassion on her? You saw the billboard outside. She’s the one who should have compassion on us. But here she is, just sitting there waiting for us to die!”

  Val gets up quickly, startling everyone, especially Candy who flinches at Val’s sudden movement. I think Candy was expecting to get hit.

  “You’re right,” Val says. “You’re absolutely right. I should go back.” Val hurries down the hallway toward the lobby.

  “Val!” I call out to her.

  CHAPTER 62

  Earl and I chase after her. She pulls open the front doors to leave. Willenger’s speech continues to blast away from the hologram billboard. But as we walk outside, thirty soldiers of the Resistance, maybe more, all have their weapons out, waiting there to greet us. They knew we were here.

  I see one soldier with black and green camo paint covered all over his face, sitting on top of a military transport. He’s next to a small satellite dish that points upwards at the floating billboard. He’s typing away furiously on an old laptop computer that’s plugged into the dish. He then strikes a key and all at once, there’s silence. We don’t hear Willenger anymore. We can see him, but he’s on mute.

  “I can keep it like this for a few minutes,” the guy says, calling down to another soldier.

  Then a door to one the military vehicles parked nearby opens up. Governor Puck steps down followed by Tommy O’Malley and Dottie.

  “What the hell?” Earl says, sounding rather flabbergasted. “Puck never comes to the surface.”

  The Governor and his entourage walk over to us. I’m expecting Puck to order the rebel soldiers to grab Val and take her to the gate, but he doesn’t, at least not yet.

  “How’d you know I was here?” Val asks Puck.

  “You’ve been in the worship center for five hours. Everyone has seen you.”

  “And what about Willenger, how’d he find out I was in Utah?”

  Puck clears his throat then looks back at his nephew.

  “I’m sorry, Valerie,” O’Malley answers, stepping forward. “I just thought, well, I mean we finally had something on the Senator.”

  “What’d you do?” Val demands.

  “I... I hacked into The Database and put those pictures up of you and Governor Puck on the web.”

  “You did what?” Val exclaims. “I warned you not to do it! Now look what you’ve done.”

  “I thought I was doing good.”

  “You thought you were doing good?” Earl interjects. “You idiot!”

  “I’m sorry, I really am,” O’Malley laments.

  “Are you here to take me to Willenger?” Val asks Puck. “If you are, don’t worry about it, I was already heading that way.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Puck answers decisively. “You’re staying put.”

  “Staying put?” Val scoffs. “You brought all these soldiers just to tell me that?”

  “We’re here to protect you, Miss Star,” the Governor responds resolutely.

  “Protect me from what? Willenger?”

  “No,” Puck whispers. “From them.” He gestures with his hand, referring to the people gathered outside the worship center. “I fear some might take matters into their own hands.”

  “You don’t trust your own people.”

  “I’m being practical, Miss Star. So please, once again, I’m offering you safe haven down in the bunker.”

  “NO, NO, NO!” Candy’s shrill voice pierces the air. She comes crashing forward, pushing her way through the crowd. “Don’t try to save her, send the little bitch back from which she came!”

  Earl snatches Candy’s arm, pulling her backward. “Ow! You’re hurting me,” she whimpers.

  “Miss Star,” Puck says, moving closer to her. “Listen to me, Valerie. Listen to me real good. I’m the Governor of Utah; my job is to protect its citizens, all its citizens, even you. Come with me where it’s safe.”

  “And what about them?” She says, looking over at the people. “Didn’t you hear Willenger’s speech? He’s about to start a nuclear war because of me.”

  “It’s not the first time he’s threatened us, and it won’t be the last.”

  “But it’s different this time, you’ve got to admit that.”

  “You damn well right, it is!” Candy interrupts while still being held back by Earl. “Give her back to Willenger before she kills us all!”

  Val looks over at Candy and then back to Puck. “You want that speech?” Val adds.

  “Huh?” Puck replies.

  “You know, my story, the one you wanted me to give about why I left Youth Nation. Well, get your cameras ready, you’re going to hear it.”

  She walks past Puck and goes over to the vehicle that has the satellite dish on top. She climbs up and flings off her overcoat and scarf. She stands there in faded blue jeans and a white t-shirt. She reaches down with her hand and wipes off some of the camo paint from the guy’s face who was typing away on the laptop. She takes her smeared hand and wipes the symbol of the Resistance onto her t-shirt: A painted arrow pointing upwards.

  “People of Utah, listen to me!” she cries out.

  O’Malley quickly rushes over to one of the trucks and comes running back out with a small camera probe in his hand. He releases it and it flies over to Val.

  “It’s me Valerie Star, the Diva of Death, as many of you call me, and rightly so.” The people begin to gather around her. Val stands tall and confident. “When I was living in Santa Verde we dreamed of a world where different cultures and different ethnicities would live as one. We even sang songs about how diversity was our destiny. We looked to the future for a better tomorrow. I thought people like you were holding us back, but it wasn’t you, it was people like me. I look around here and I see different folks, from different backgrounds, different religions all living side by side. You’re not fighting or arguing, you’re worshiping in the same building for Christ’s sake. Diversity is here; it was here all along, right here in the middle of Utah. This is what Youth Nation wanted; we just didn’t know it already existed. Oh, how I wish I could stay with you, but I can’t, and even if I could, my conscious wouldn’t allow it. I thought if I went to the worship center this feeling of guilt would go away. But it hasn’t. I’ve gone to every single church service and the guilt is stronger than ever. You’re so lucky to be here, you are. I know it’s hard, but you don’t understand what it’s like to have the L-Chip, it’s horrible. Your mind is always being monitored, you’re never free to think; your life isn’t yours. But in Utah, it is. There’s freedom here. I’m sorry for what I did to you, I wish I could change the past, but I can’t. I can’t do a goddamn thing, except for one thing–ask for your forgiveness. And if you can’t, I get it. I understand. I don’t deserve it.”

  Val looks up to the sky toward the billboard and then to the people. She hops down from the vehicle and starts to walk back over to the worship center, the crowd parts for her, but she doesn’t stop by me or Puck, she goes right up to Candy.

  “I’m sorry for what
I did to your daughter,” Val says. “Amy should be here, not me. I’m sure she was a sweet little girl before she heard me sing. I’m sure all the little girls were. I’ve caused so much grief, I’m sorry. I hope you can forgive me, Candy. Perhaps if you did, I’d have peace, but I know I don’t deserve it, I’ve done too much evil to get something that good.”

  Candy looks at Val. Her scowl disappears and is replaced with a look of remorse. “I’m a horrible person,” Candy mutters. “A horrible, horrible person.”

  Confusion falls on Val’s face.

  “Don’t act surprised,” Candy contends. “I know what I am. I’m despicable. I should’ve shown you compassion, but instead I wanted revenge. Amy is gone, she’s never coming back and I blame you for it. I know God has forgiven you, but I haven’t. I know he loves you, but I don’t. I’m just a woman, a terrible mean spirited woman who wants you dead. Only God can release you from your guilt. I sure can’t do it and neither can anyone else. Go away from me, Valerie Star, I’m just too damn mean.”

  Val steps closer to Candy, and for some reason hugs the ugly woman. Candy starts to sob. She cries and moans like I’ve never heard anyone ever cry before. She weeps loudly, her legs buckle, but Charlie is there to catch her. He helps her to stand, and she looks at him with tenderness and love. They hug.

  CHAPTER 63

  “I’ve got to go back,” Val says, turning to me.

  “No you don’t, there’s got to be another way.”

  “There isn’t, but I get it now. It’s not about running away from my past. It’s about knowing that I have a future. I can save all these people. I can have Willenger call off his troops, have him loosen the sanctions; tear down the blockade. I can stop him from nuclear war.”

  “By sleeping with him?”

  “By doing what needs to be done. I have peace, Evan. Real peace.”

  I look down at her stomach, knowing that the life she’s carrying won’t survive. “Willenger will order the abortion,” I say, fighting back the tears.

  “I know,” Val answers, closing her eyes. “I just hope one day our baby will understand the sacrifice she and her mom had to make.”

  “I can’t live without you, Val.”

  She hugs me, and then pushes me away. “I’m going to the gate now,” she announces, turning to Puck.

  But the Governor shakes his head. He motions for the soldiers to surround her. “I can’t have you go.”

  “But if I don’t go, everyone will die. I can fix this!”

  “No! I won’t allow it!”

  “But you have to!” Val cries out desperately. “I can make it right. I don’t care about my life anymore. Just let me go! This is what I was meant to do.”

  “No!” Puck yells. “You’re staying here!”

  Val hangs her head low and begins cry.

  Then Earl, who’s been standing nearby, slowly walks over to her. He pulls out a device from inside his coat pocket. It’s the same kind of device that the Drone left behind in the cave.

  “Where’d you get that?” Puck asks in shock.

  “I got it a long time ago,” Earl chuckles. “A Drone visited me once about ten years ago. It told me if I ever wanted to be a rich man, all I had to was press this button and tell it where you were located, Governor.”

  “And you’ve been carrying it around all these years?” Puck says, raising his eyebrow.

  “Yep, but I never pressed it, Orson, I never pressed it, so stop looking at me that way.” Earl hands the remote beacon to Val. “Call the Drone to come get you,” he says to her. “It’ll be easier this way.”

  The Governor runs over trying to stop the transaction, but Earl reaches out and grabs the physically weaker man by the wrist. “Don’t, she knows what’s she’s doing.”

  Val looks at Earl and then at the device. She takes it in her hand and steps back. She breathes in and presses the button.

  “I’m sorry, Valerie!” O’Malley yells out. “I’m so sorry!”

  Val speaks into the device, but I can barely hear what she’s saying. I think she said, “Come and get me.”

  Soon a Drone appears in they sky, flying above us. The rebel soldiers take aim.

  “Don’t fire! Val screams. “This has got to be done!”

  As the Drone gets closer, the rebel soldiers surround Governor Puck and force him inside one of the military vehicles. Val walks further out into the clearing so as to make sure no one interferes. “I’m here, Senator!” she calls out to the Drone. “I’m here.”

  The flying cylinder swoops down and lands close to her. Its mechanical eye pops out and moves back and forth and up and down, trying to get a good look at Val. It’s like the Drone is making sure it’s really Valerie Star. Then the eye whips around, startling the rebel soldiers.

  “Stay back!” Val screams again. She then carefully walks up to the Drone. “It’s me Vinnie. I’m here.” Her voice is soft and gentle.

  The Drone’s metal tentacles wrap around her. She shows no resistance. The Drone fires up its jets and lifts off the ground, taking Val away. She heads west, and soon she’s out of sight. She’s gone. I run over to where she was standing. Not sure why I did it, I just did. I fall to my knees. The billboard turns off. The sky is empty, except for the storm clouds. But then, a new billboard appears above.

  “There is no law–in Utah! There is no law–in Utah!” the chant starts.

  Thunder crackles and the sky opens up. Rain comes pouring down. It’s as if Willenger commanded the weather and it obeyed.

  Someone touches my shoulder. “Let’s get out of here, Evan!” I turn and see Charlie standing over me. “We’ve found a place to stay!” he shouts over the chant. “It’s not much, but it’s at least dry!”

  I get up from the ground, but I don’t go with him, I don’t go with anyone. People are all around me, looking at me with concerned faces. But I don’t want their pity; I don’t want anything from anyone anymore. I walk away; I walk in the opposite direction of Val.

  “Evan!” Charlie shouts again. “Stay with us!” I don’t turn around.

  A rebel soldier comes running up next to me. It’s that younger soldier that sat across from me when we first arrived. “Puck wants you to come back to the bunker with him,” the kid says. “He said you could stay there as long as you want.”

  “I’m not going,” I tell the kid. “I’m through.”

  I continue to head east, away from everyone. But I hear something, something faint. Someone is singing. It’s tough to hear over the chant and the rain, but I do hear it. I turn around and there’s Candy singing. I can barely hear her. But the others that are standing near her join in. Pretty soon hundreds of people are singing. They’re singing one of those songs that were sung in the cave. “Jesus paid it all, All to Him I owe; Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow.” They’re so loud it drowns out the chant. I appreciate the sentiment, but its just words. Silly words. It doesn’t give me comfort. So I walk away, leaving them all in the rain.

  CHAPTER 64

  It’s night, but the stars and the moon are nowhere to be found. The rain let up a little, but I’m soaked to the bone. This wool coat is useless. I’m freezing and I think I’m going to die.

  I’ve been wandering around for hours, and I find myself at the far eastern part of the city, right up to the edge of the wire fence. Being this far out from the center of the city has diminished the sound of the billboard.

  Huge floodlights mounted on the fence point outwards, illuminating the perimeter. Rebel soldiers with small hover transports continue to patrol the region, but beyond the light, there’s nothing. It’s complete darkness. I can’t see anything except when a random searchlight shoots out into the night.

  What’s beyond the darkness? I think to myself. I should be out there and not in here.

  “I wouldn’t touch that if I were you,” a voice jumps out. I whip around and see Earl. He’s wet, but not soaked like me. His jacket is blue nylon; it’s made to repel the rain.
/>   “They’ve got the fence electrified,” he adds. “If you touch it, your dead.”

  The thought crosses my mind.

  “It’s getting cold and my house is too far away for you,” he says. “You’ve got to get out of those clothes and get warm.” He takes off his backpack and opens it up. He pulls out a thermal blanket, a rope, an army green tarp and three heating rods.

  “Where’d you get all that stuff?” I ask rudely.

  “I had it at home, I went back there before I went looking for you.”

  “Why are you looking for me?”

  He acts like he doesn’t hear me. He ignites two of the heating rods, and they start to glow a bright crimson color. I can instantly feel the heat. He then loops the rope through the eyelets of the tarp and ties the corners to a tree, a brick, some rubble, and a street lamp that’s broken in two. He pulls out a sleeping pad and unrolls it underneath the makeshift shelter.

  “It’s not perfect, but you’ll live,” he says.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  He again doesn’t answer my question.

  I want to be stubborn and demand an answer, but I’m too cold to argue, so I take off my clothes and wrap myself in the thermal blanket. I didn’t realize just how much I was shivering. Earl hangs my clothes under the tarp next to the heating rod. The rain starts to fall a little harder now. The random noise from the raindrops hitting the plastic is actually quite soothing and relaxing.

  Earl finds a seat under the tarp, but he groans as he sits down. He’s in some serious pain.

  “You want the pad?” I ask him. “I can sit up there, I don’t mind.”

  “No I’m fine. I couldn’t sleep on that thing even if I wanted to. I’ve got a bad back, bad knee, bad everything.” He leans up against the broken street lamp and struggles to get comfortable. “What was it like having the L-Chip?” he asks.

  “I don’t know. It just felt normal, I guess.”

  “Did you ever feel sick?”

  “No, not really. If we did, a medic would tweak something and whatever we had would just go away.”