AJ wanted to lie, but it wasn't in his nature. "Probably."
Twenty
Port of Entry
"Tell me why we shouldn't just give you to those men?" Louis asked.
"Because I still owe you ten grand. If those guys are here for me, they'll take that money," AJ said.
"I could take that money right now." Louis said, plainly.
AJ held his zippered money pouch out for Louis to see. "You can have it all. Just give us a head start."
Louis grabbed for the pouch, but AJ was ready for him and yanked it back, drawing his pistol at the same time. Two of Louis's men had returned and responded by drawing their weapons. AJ heard Darnell's rifle chamber a load behind him.
"Now this is what I call a Mexican standoff," Darnell said. Unlike Louis and his men, Darnell was protected by the back end of the flatbed.
"Doesn't have to go this way," AJ said. "Take the money and give us a ten-minute head start. I know you've got a back way out."
Louis grimaced and looked back at the gate where the rest of his men had gathered. "Ten minutes," he said, stuffing his pistol into the back of his pants. "And it is only because your doctor tended to my friends."
AJ zippered the bag shut and tossed it at Louis. "Load up!" he shouted, running toward the semi cab, not caring whether Louis intended to honor the deal or not.
"Doc, get Greybeard in," Darnell shouted, not giving up his position at the back of the rig.
One of Louis's men ran forward, holding his hands up and slowly moving past Darnell. "Portón," he said, pointing toward the back of the yard.
"What?" Darnell asked.
"Gate," AJ yelled, hanging off the side of the semi, just about to slide into the cab. "Get in, Big D!"
Instead of complying, Darnell climbed onto the back of the flatbed and leaned against the metal cradle holding the alien spaceship in place. "Go!"
"He's not getting in," Jayne said, twisting in the seat to look out the back window.
"Nope," AJ agreed, pumping on the pedal as he started the old diesel motor. Without further explanation, he released the clutch and the truck lurched forward, pulling hard on the heavy load.
The diesel motor complained loudly as AJ pushed its RPMs into the high range before reaching for the second gear.
"The gate," Jayne said. "It's not open."
"Nope," AJ agreed again, swinging wide into the aisle that led to the back gate. Even by pushing the cab to the extreme edge of the turn, they weren’t going to clear all of the junk piled nearby. He cackled madly as he watched Darnell scamper to the side of the flatbed as he too recognized the imminent collision.
The deafening sound of the flatbed colliding with a tall stack of appliances was just the beginning of the chaos as pieces flew. Metal rained down, tumbling on the ground and pushing over other stacks. In response, AJ shifted again, still in his low granny gears. The truck rocked as the back wheels ran into debris caused by the collision, but he didn't stop. Instead, he pushed the big diesel even harder.
"He's not going to get the gates open in time," Jayne said, bouncing high on the chair and keeping herself in place only by jamming her hands against the roof of the cab.
AJ nodded as he closed the final yards to the gate. He felt a momentary twinge of guilt when the gate swung open seconds before the heavily bandaged Mexican man threw himself to the side and straight into a pile of sharp-looking scraps. "Sorry, buddy," he said, mostly to himself. They'd shot the man and nearly run him over with the semi. Even to AJ it seemed a tough trade.
"Turn right in forty yards," Beverly said, appearing on the dashboard, wearing a black scarf around her head and a single gold earring hanging from her ear.
"We need to get Darnell inside," Jayne said. "Slow down."
"Not yet," AJ said. The dirt road they were on hadn't been used in years and was poorly maintained. The load behind him shifted precariously as he dodged the worst of the obstructions as best he could. "They're not gonna be fooled for long."
"You can't leave him back there," she argued and looked horrified when AJ chuckled. "What's so funny?"
"You're talking about the man who flew into combat with me hanging out the door while Charlie shot at us," he said. "It's about time the shoe was on the other foot. Hold on!" AJ downshifted and slid onto the main road that passed the junkyard. With thirty-five tons pushing from behind, the tractor had difficulty changing the load's inertia and he fought to maintain control.
"Road looks clear behind us," Jayne said when they finally straightened out.
"We'll see," he said, shifting again.
"You can't leave him back there much longer. The dust is really building up."
The sound of gunfire interrupted them. "What was that?" he asked, glancing in his mirror. The road was bad enough that he didn't dare take his eyes off the path ahead for very long.
"Two vehicles approaching from behind," Beverly said. "2-F has overlaid a display onto Darnell's visual field with targeting. They are attempting to disable the vehicles.
The sound of gunfire once again filled the cab.
"Hells, ya!" Darnell's voice sounded like he was in the cab. It took AJ a moment to realize his voice had been transmitted by the link between 2-F and Beverly. A moment later a fireball erupted from somewhere inside the cloud of dust behind them. "Okay AJ, stop a minute. I dropped 'em both and it'll take a few minutes to clear that SUV off the road."
"Five more minutes," AJ said. "We're almost to a bigger road and I'll have to stop anyway."
"Copy," Darnell said.
"I don't know how you're so calm," Jayne said, her face flushed. "This is insanity!"
"And I don't know how you open up someone's back and move shit around without killing 'em. It's just what you're used to."
"Those Korgul will call ahead," she said. "There's no way we're making it home. I know you aren't big on planning too far ahead, but any ideas?"
"Not going home," AJ said, downshifting as they approached the intersection that joined with a major north-south road.
Even before he'd pulled to a full stop, Darnell was off and sprinting up to the cab, AR in hand. "Whoo hoo!" he exclaimed as he swung into the cab, ejecting a single 7.62 cartridge and catching it in mid-air as he cleared the chamber. "That'll get your heart pumping!"
AJ turned south and started working through the gears. Fully loaded, it felt like they were crawling away. "We're headed south?" Jayne asked.
"Hang on a sec," AJ said. "Big D, did you get any feel for how many vehicles they had?"
"Just two following us initially," Darnell said. "I think I heard gunshots back at the junkyard though, so I imagine they were distracted."
"I hope those guys are all right," Jayne said. "That wasn't their fight."
"Hell it wasn't," AJ said. "Korgul infected them and made 'em slaves. I don't know what you were fighting for in 'Nam, doc, but I was fighting for the right to live free."
"Damn straight." Darnell reached over with a closed fist to bump with AJ’s.
Jayne shook her head. "I just don't want them to get hurt. We brought the fight to them."
"With you there, Doc," AJ said. "Thing is, the enemy is responsible for their shit. You can't believe how many messed up things we saw in the war. Everyone wants to talk about what a few bad eggs from our side did to the locals. Nobody ever talks about what those bastards did to their own people."
"And they paid for it," Darnell said, still riding high from adrenaline.
"Yup. BB, find me the next turn that takes us back west," AJ said. "Preferably somewhere I won't get trapped."
"What's the plan, Stan?" Darnell asked.
"I say we take a look at this bird," AJ said. "If we can't drive it home, what if we could fly it back?"
"If they find this truck, they'll track it back to you," Jayne said.
"Good point," AJ agreed.
"And Mexican customs know we came through. They have all of our IDs, including Darnell's."
AJ grinned. "This i
s good."
"Good?" Jayne asked.
"Fine tuning the plan is what we need," AJ said. "BB, you got a turn for me yet?"
"Two miles south, there is a road to the west. It leads to a small town," Beverly said, lounging on the dash, her pirate outfit having been upgraded to include a sequined black vest and poofy white-sleeved shirt. "It is a poor road and should be a low search priority."
"Okay, good," AJ said. "Big D, keep a look out behind us."
"Copy, that," Darnell said. "Been wondering something though. When'd you pick up Spanish?"
"Spanish? Just know a few words is all," AJ said.
Darnell shook his head. "You were talking to Louis like a native.”
"We were talking in English," AJ said, looking confused. "Right?"
"Negative," Darnell said. "Beverly, you care to explain?"
"It is not difficult," she said. "As I have gained a better understanding of the local dialect of Spanish spoken, I've communicated this information to AJ's speech center. I had intended to explain this when we were at a more settled state."
"Can 2-F do that?" Darnell asked.
"To a lesser degree," Beverly said. "As can Jack. Both you and Dr. Jayne are understandable, if not recognizable as a local."
"I hadn't even considered why they seemed to understand me," Jayne said.
"That's pretty handy. Anyone else getting hungry?" Darnell asked, rustling through a cooler.
"I'm dying," AJ admitted. "So, BB, tell us about this ship. Like how do you fly it?"
"We don't know. The ship would have been designed to transport and be operated by Korgul Minor," Beverly said. A gangly, grey humanoid appeared next to Beverly. The figure had muted facial features with a tiny mouth and small bumps where ears should be. Over their skull, the grey skin was mottled like that of flattened frog's. A bulbous body was connected to gangly arms and legs that were cartoonish in dimension. "As such, the controls should be intuitive and oversized."
"Are the Korgul Minor intelligent?" Jayne asked. "What kind of habitat do they live in? Will the atmosphere within the ship be breathable?"
"They are low on the galactic sentience scale. Scores are believed to be between thirty and fifty," Beverly answered. "They are surprisingly strong, though, and extremely literal in following directions. They were a perfect species for the Korgul Prime. As to habitat, the planet Korgul is covered in a thick growth of plant material. The atmosphere is similarly rich in nitrogen as Earth and has sufficient oxygen for human habitation. You would be uncomfortable, however, as there is particulate matter that would be difficult for human lungs to filter without mechanical means."
"Kinda sucks to be a Minor," AJ said. "They're just ignored by everybody. Kinda like humans."
"While I understand your reference," Beverly said, "humanity is poorly served by the Galactic Empire. This is an injustice that many would see addressed."
"You're right, BB. My comment wasn't aimed at you," AJ said, slowing so he could make the turn onto the dirt road Beverly had identified. "You sure this goes somewhere?"
"There is a village four miles to the west," she said. "The elevation change is significant and I suspect the road is difficult to traverse."
"Hope they have an ATM, because we're all out of cash," AJ said.
"They do not," Beverly said.
"Hold on, let me out," Darnell pulled a pistol from his pants, ejected the magazine and counted the bullets he had left.
"What's up?" AJ asked, downshifting.
"I want to watch the road for a while," he said. "If things are clear after a couple of hours, I'll fly back up using the rocket pack."
"Did you see something?" Jayne asked.
"Nope," Darnell said. "Let's hope that's how things stay."
The classifications of roads mostly had to do with how often they'd seen any sort of maintenance or a truck with gravel. Turning up into the mountains, the road condition suggested that rarely did either of these events occur.
"You're sure banking a lot on that ship working," Jayne said, her voice jiggling as they worked their way along the road. "We could get trapped back up here."
"With this load we're too heavy to outrun anyone," AJ said. "The search will eventually end up here, but not for a few days. And we won't get stuck. Worse case is I back us out."
"Four miles?"
AJ was saved from answering as he caught sight of a small car coming up behind him. "Looks like we have company." He slowed and pulled to the side so the car could get around. The gesture earned him a wave as the car passed and soon disappeared.
No more vehicles approached and the road leveled out forty minutes later. "There's a house," Jayne said, pointing at the hillside where a dilapidated home with metal roofing sat. "And they're watching us."
AJ chuckled. "I bet. How often do you think they see a spaceship pass by on the back of a flatbed?"
"I suppose," Jayne agreed as a group of chickens ran across the road and more small homes came into view. "There's that car that passed us. This must be Agua Puerca."
AJ slowed the truck and pulled to the side of the road, moving off far enough that vehicles could pass, but not so far to get stuck in the ditch. "You might want to get out on this side. Bit of a drop off on that side. I don't suppose you have any cash?" he asked hopefully.
She pulled out three twenties. "Sixty bucks."
"It's a start," he said, helping Greybeard down.
An older man, wearing faded jeans, a long-sleeved cotton shirt, and a straw cowboy hat approached. "Are you lost?"
AJ nodded. "This isn't Puerto Justo, is it?"
"No. You are in Agua Puerca," he said. "There is room to turn around if you go another mile. You will need to go back the way you came and then go north and east."
AJ approached with a big smile on his face and offered his hand to the older man. "Any chance you know someone renting a room tonight? I'm not sure I want to head down the mountain this afternoon. I'll probably just get lost again. I'm AJ. That's Jayne and Greybeard."
"I am Arturo." The man’s hand was rough and AJ knew he must work hard on a daily basis even though he appeared to be in his late sixties.
"Is it okay if I park there for a bit?" AJ asked, gesturing to the semi.
"Si, it will bother no one," Arturo said. "My daughter has room in her home. It is not much, but she would welcome you."
"Just like that? I was thinking hotel or something," AJ said.
"No, Señor, there are no hotels in Agua Puerca,” Arturo said, gesturing. "Come, I will show you. She will help you get cleaned up."
"Are we really doing this?" Jayne asked. She caught up to AJ and hooked an arm into his. "I've got blood all over my pants. We've got to look like terrorists."
"I'm not sure we're in a position to argue," AJ said.
"Alma, come out, child," Arturo called as they approached a small, square home. More chickens ran through the yard and the sound of children playing could be heard.
"I don't want to bring trouble to these people," Jayne whispered harshly.
"We'll get going as soon as we can," AJ said. "For now, let's get some food and get cleaned up."
"Papa?" A woman's voice drifted through the front door. "Oh, there you are. What do you …" She paused as her eyes fell on AJ and Jayne. "What is this?"
"They are looking for dinner and a place to stay tonight," he said. "I offered your home."
"Why, Papa?" Alma asked.
"You have a bed and food. They were looking for a hotel," he said. "Are we so poor that we do not offer traveler’s rest?"
"No, Papa. The woman has blood on her. They smell of trouble."
AJ held up his hand defensively. "Um, sorry, but we speak Spanish just fine."
The woman tipped her head back defiantly. "We do not deal with the likes of you. Take your bad business somewhere else."
"My friend is a doctor," AJ explained. "There was an injured animal in the road. Someone had hit it with a car. We stopped to help. We're just here for
the night and then we'll be on our way. I have forty dollars. We need food, water and a mattress for three."
"Three? I see only two."
"Our friend is coming soon," AJ said.
"Sixty dollars and you will stay out of the house until night," she said.
"Alma," Arturo said, scandalized.
"No, Papa, that is how it must be," she said.
"Sixty," AJ agreed. "But we need to get cleaned up. It's been a long day."
Alma nodded. "There is water warming on the roof. Keep your showers short. We do not have much hot water."
"I'll get my clothes," Jayne said, turning back to the truck.
"I am sorry about my daughter," Arturo said. "She is suspicious of strangers. There are dangerous men about."
"She's protecting her family. I can respect that." AJ turned back toward the rig. "Let us know when dinner's ready?"
"We will eat at six thirty. I will find you," he said, shuffling toward the house and waving over his shoulder.
AJ caught up to Jayne who was searching through the plastic totes still strapped to the front of the flatbed. "I should have bought new clothing before we left," she complained, picking out a pair of jeans that were too large for her. "I have to find a belt. What are you going to do?"
"I want to get into that ship," AJ said. "If it'll fly, it sure opens up a lot of options."
"I'll come back after I shower," she said, pulling on a baseball cap to keep her unruly hair in check. "I've got to get out of these clothes."
"Be safe," he urged, watching as she walked off. Aside from the missing limp, she seemed to have aged again. Her clothing hung loosely from her body and gray hair stuck out from beneath her cap. AJ smiled as he considered how much he just didn't care. He welcomed the feelings he’d thought were long dead.
AJ's reverie was broken when Greybeard barked excitedly. Somehow the clunky bulldog had made his way onto the flatbed and was standing amidships, peering up at the dented skin of the ship.
"Seamus has located the point of entry," Beverly said, having switched from pirate garb to sensible overalls with a toolbelt around her waist.
AJ jumped onto the flatbed and ducked beneath the fuselage as he made his way to where Greybeard pranced impatiently. "Good boy," AJ said, giving Greybeard a quick head scrub. "Now, how do we open it?"
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