The Boss resettles on the desk. “I’m being straightforward like a man, its not my fault everyone is not blunt with you.”
Phillip says. “Valuing loved ones is not obscene, it’s noble.” He looks around, this is the biggest room he’s been in and has the most stuff like a pharaoh’s tomb.
The Boss says. “Up until a certain point. Once we start having a value system for life, like babies are more important than dying elderly adults. Humans will be back at slavery days because once it starts where does it end? Here’s a fact, a majority opinion is still an opinion.”
Phillip says. “It’s not enough that you want me to eat shit, but you want me to smile while I do it. You’re a pimp with a pipe dream, using pain to manipulate the weary. Who are you to talk? This here is a Southern plantation with slaves.”
The Boss says. “I get why you would say that. The life I offer is far from shit, my maybe friend. I got tired of waiting for something good to happen to this New World, those maybes never panned out. So I created something of my own. Our blood is the immunity and our survivalist spirit will keep us alive, not good intentions. You have to be a doer in life and not let things be done to you.”
“If you say so, Boss.”
The Boss says. “Who’s the final authority on your life, you or someone else? I know things you will never know and you know things I will never know. Life’s not about who’s smarter it’s about using our knowledge as best we can. I’m not concern about being nice and likeable. I’m not running for president, I’m trying to run a growing civilization.”
Phillip says. “You’re a terrorist with a large vocabulary.”
The Boss says, “of love,” he smiles and uncrosses his legs. “I get why you disagree, a man has the right to be right, wrong, or crazy. If you have to attack me and not my argument, it means you have nothing left to say. Lets move on.”
Phillip says. “Lets.” He moves closer to the Boss.
The Boss points a gun at Phillip for a moment…ejects the gun magazine and bullet in the chamber. “If I give you a gun can I trust you?”
Phillip says. “Not really. That will always be a crux between us until the other one croaks.”
The Boss says. “I can see why David looked up to you,” he hands Phillip the empty gun, “still, take it, trust has to start somewhere.”
2
The following morning, Matthew’s driving Phillip to a different site. The first thing he says to Phillip after some time is not about him torturing Phillip, Phillip busting his head opened, or the zombie fight they fought in the other day.
Matthew says. “Did you kill Jacob?” Phillip is silent and knows better and rather talk about his waterboarding torture.
Matthew continues. “You don’t have to answer that. If you didn’t kill him someone else would have, when the Boss died. It’s not that I hated the guy, I just don’t know why people liked him.”
Genuine hate or trap? Phillip says. “How did you get your job?”
Matthew smiles at that word. “Job, well, I was in a group heading for a mall, then a prison, but my group couldn’t agree and so we wandered around like headless chickens, but no one ever left the group because apparently a group of idiots is better than one idiot.”
Phillip looks out the window knowing the sentiment well. “Then what?” He keeps his hand on his loaded gun, the Boss handed him the clip when he close the Jeep door for Phillip. Phillip hasn’t ruled out pending execution and keeps Matthew talking to get a better read on the man. People can surprise you and surprises don’t end well anymore.
Matthew says. “One day I was raiding a convenience store and discovered a man and a younger man looting as well. My group leader sprinted up behind me and shoved me aside so he could aim his gun at them. He threatened to kill both of them if they didn’t leave his sight in three seconds. I stood up and tried to plead with him, it didn’t work so then I tried to plead with the man and the kid. Nobody wanted to budge, and so my leader started to count to three, he brought his gun up. He walked closer to them as he started to count. One, he aimed the gun at the man, they didn’t move, two, he aimed the gun at the younger one. Then he started to pull the trigger and mouth the word three when suddenly another man appeared from nowhere and shot my leader in the head and said three.” Matthew’s eyes are bright with recollection.
Phillip says. “The Boss.” He almost said David, visualizing Jacob’s death.
Matthew says. “You know this story?” He smirks as he slows the Jeep down on the ridge.
Phillip says. “I know enough of them.”
Matthew says. “Yeah, it was the Boss and I think you know the other two.”
Phillip is silent and waiting.
Matthew steps out of the Jeep and looks through the door. “It was Jacob and your bunker friend Paul.” Phillip starts to wonder why Paul is on the Boss’s bad side now then decides he doesn’t give a shit.
Phillip rechecks his gun and catches up to Matthew. “Why leave one bad leader for another?” Matthew stops walking and Phillip brings his hand over his handgun.
Matthew says. “There is no more bad guys just bad decisions, everyone has their idea of survival. I don’t agree with everything the Boss says or does, but his end goal, everyone including you, would agree is good for all.”
Phillip says. “What’s that?”
Matthew says. “To take back this country and not simply be fearful guests in our home any longer. My dad used to say at breakfast all the time, ‘if you’ve seen the process of slaughter you wouldn’t enjoy the end result, this food on the table.’ He owned one book his whole life, The Jungle, and that made him feel important even though he could barely read. ‘Pigs and chickens are getting injected with steroids turning them into deformed freaks living in shit and packed into cages until I put them out of their misery.’ He actually cussed more and smack me around when he said it, but that’s not the point. I’m living the Boss’s process and I will enjoy the end result and so will the next generation, but they won’t have to see this ugly side of mankind’s process.”
Phillip says. “That’s easy to say when you’re the boot and not the throat underneath.”
“Easy. Nothing’s easy, even evil is hard work.” Matthew takes a few more steps up the hill, looks over at Phillip. “If you do decide to kill me today or another day, please shoot me in the head. It should be easy.”
Phillip says. “What happened to your father?”
Matthew says. “I killed him like a pig. Self-defense.”
Both men eventually run into a snoozing teenager by a helicopter. There it is, the black helicopter, it’s merely chunks of metal held together, yet it has taken him to a new life without his beloved Maria. His strongest memory of her, the one that never fades, is their first meeting in High School. Her the outgoing cheerleader, him the quiet jock, bumping into each other by accident and the rest is history.
The teenager wakes when Matthew kicks his leg. “Get the molasses out of your ass.”
“Don’t eat me.” He falls to the grass. Then jumps to his feet and stutters every other word. “W-What i-is th-the matter?”
Matthew says. “Report.” The boy looks at Phillip then Matthew. “The fence perimeter is strong and is keeping those monsters out. The helicopter is s-secure.”
Matthew walks around him, looking up and down. “How would you know?” The boy says in a nasal voice. “Yeah, you’re right, I haven’t seen any of those things since I’ve been at this bitch post.” He covers his mouth in shame. “But still I almost shit my pants every night when I hear a sound. I refueled the chopper, do you need it?”
Matthew points at Phillip and says to the boy. “This man here is named Phillip, he’s a new recruit that may want to kill the Boss like every other man who wants to be king.”
The boy gives Phillip a stern look, and Matthew continues. “If the Boss falls, it’ll be up to you to kill this man, remember his face, he may come for you next.” The boy squints his eyes. Matthew walks awa
y with a smile, but stops mid-step and turns. “Is there anything else I should know?”
The boy looks at Phillip then Matthew. “A few voices on the radio talking about a Dead Town recently, nothing really.” Phillip has been trying this whole time, not to stare at the boy’s missing arm.
The boy says to Phillip, “hey,” then points his stumpy arm in Phillip’s face, “please don’t kill anyone, there’s no one left.”
The boy watches them walk down the hill then runs to check on his bird coop.
When the two men get back to the Jeep, Phillip says. “Why torture the kid?” Matthew starts the engine. “Because I’m an asshole like my dad and because he’s the only person I trust besides myself…Swim in our pool, don’t piss in it. And another thing if you ever try to kill the Boss I’ll kill you myself, not all of us are untrained idiots, and I’ll leave it at that. The new and shiny scar over Matthew’s eyebrow turns bright red. Phillip holds the driver in his sights until the empty road takes his attention.
Both are quiet for the remainder of the trip home.
3
Days later.
Sora’s wearing one of Phillip’s white V-necks, it pops against her olive skin, waiting for him in his quarters biting her nails. Sora has her chestnut wavy hair down looking at the scribbles on the walls, a mixture of a madman’s ravings and juvenile humor; obscene soliloquies written on the shaft of penises and unrealistic shaped woman in unrealistic sexual positions. She’s a layman semiotician trying to decipher the modern hieroglyphics representing the past occupants. She spits on the graffiti and puts a little elbow grease into trying to clean the walls. It makes it worse. A whore by any other name is still a whore…what is in a whore, one dick, two dick, three dick, score…slap her, pull her hair, fist her, she doesn’t care…Enough of this nonsense.
Will this room, this place, become the next Lascaux caves, and will the next better version of the human look down on us, as we do the cavemen?
She rises from the small stool when the door flows opens.
She puts one hand on his face and kisses Phillip as he unbuckles his belt of weapons. After, Phillip says. “You don’t have to do that anymore, there’s no more peeping Toms.” Irritated by more supply runs with the lackey locals.
She says. “Then why didn’t you pull away?” Phillip goes to sit down to take off his muddy boots.
He says as he struggles. “We’ve been talking everyday for hours, this is just a bubble effect, not attraction, when we separate the bubble will pop and we can move on with our lives.”
Her face is flushed. “Ok grumpy. I’m a good actress don’t fall in love.”
Phillip gets the second boot off, breathing hard. “The Boss is fucking with me, he gives me a unloaded gun and shows me his helicopter, does he know I can’t fly. Fuck him.”
Sora says. “Maybe he really wants you to join him, would that be so farfetched? You’re a man be grateful you’re not me.”
Phillip descries the smear artwork on the walls, enjoying the quiet.
Sora says. “In the court of public opinion, which has power, but not in the legal sense, when a woman gets rape by a man, it’s automatically her fault because she brought it on herself. Now if you make her white and the man black, it’s the man’s fault because he’s an animal who couldn’t help himself. Now if you add the fact that he’s rich, the woman’s lying about being raped because she’s obviously a gold-digger. It goes on and on, you can throw in and blame alcohol, drugs, and upbringing as well. The truth is buried underneath perception and any story you like. People are more fascinated with blaming than helping.”
Phillip looks at her to drive the point home because he has been told his tone is always wrong. “Don’t worry, I’m going to help you no matter what.”
Sora holds onto Phillip’s gun. “I’m a toy and little boys don’t like to share. I’m damaged goods, how can I ever look my brother and son in the eyes again.” She puts her head down.
Phillip says. “I’m going to kill the Boss or die trying.” Hoping she doesn’t ask him to kill her, he can’t out of selfish reasons. “Fear of being nothing will be your downfall, don’t dwell on it, nothing good can come from it.” Sora keeps her head low. Maria told me I need to say more than two words a day, I know she would be proud of me even though a strange woman sleeps in my bed. Right in this moment, he feels the most uncomfortable since he’s been here, but he can’t run away anymore from people’s feelings. Fuck you Boss.
A few minutes pass.
Sora wipes her eyes. “Tell me more about your friend David, he reminds me of my son.”
Phillip says. “He’s a fast learner, that never learned patience. I know he’s alive helping our group out, I hope.”
Sora’s brows go down. “What does that mean?” She hands the gun to Phillip.
He disassembles it to clean it. “He may be coming for me even though I tried to warn him and show him that I’m a dead man.”
Sora says. “Good, the more help the better, because if he’s not coming, no one is.”
A knock on the wall outside of the blanket door. “Phillip.”
4
Delilah wakes up at the crack of dawn hearing the yelling outside of her window, she rubs her eyes then stumbles to the window to see out of both. Glad the group has not left her behind. She steps outside in the early cool air, and strides towards the Indians on her right. David and Ava are discussing something in the distance behind her; she overhears less with each step. She discovers Lou shaving his head, with a knife in one hand and a mirror in the other. He glances up. “I can do you too.” Delilah shoots him an expression of no thanks and shakes her head of curls with a hand deep inside.
The Chief’s boiling water for his tea when she walks up to him with a blanket hugging her and she sits down besides him. “Chief, what’s going on with those two?” He gazes past Delilah viewing them and says. “Lover’s quarrel.”
Time passes by and as Delilah finishes her tea, she sees David heading into a building leaving Ava in the middle of the street. Dead Town looks different in the early morning light and up so close, like a wrinkled face without a pound of makeup. Delilah takes off her blanket and heads for Ava. Lou takes her spot next to the Chief and gets him some tea with her cup.
Ava’s pacing in small circles when she sees Delilah coming towards her.
Delilah says as she walks up. “Ava what’s going on?” Ava laughs looking through her. “Mind your fucking business…what’s your name again, Dalliance?” Delilah stops walking forward and looks at the building that David went into. “Delilah. Mary Sue…why do you think the worst of him, he knows what he’s doing. Relax it can’t be that serious.”
Ava takes a step closer to Delilah. “How long have you been here and known him? Five minutes? Missy...shouldn’t you have a dick in you or something? I bet you were with those guys, but they got tired of sticking it to you.” She cups her breasts to emphasis her point.
Delilah turns fully around to face Ava.
Ava says. “You need to stay away from me. You don’t know me or what’ll do to you.”
Delilah looks down and grins, then looks her in the eyes. “I know enough about him. And you’re right, I don’t know you, but then again you don’t know me either, Bitch.”
The Indians stare on at the scene sipping their tea and eating some popcorn they found earlier. Youngblood lastly joins them and stands behind the sitting Chief and says. “What’s going on?”
Lou says. “Lover’s quarrel.” Lou and the Chief smile as Youngblood goes for the bowl of popcorn.
When Ava’s called a bitch she pushes Delilah then punches her square jaw, her dark lashes flutter. Delilah’s head bounces once on the ground. The men watch on in astonishment and Youngblood shouts. “Oh shoot.”
The Chief and Lou jump up, whacking the popcorn out of Youngblood’s hands. They all sprint to help Delilah out. But before they can get there. Ava takes a step back. “Get up. I won’t do anything to stop you.”
Delilah steps up and observes the back of her head with her palm for blood, then rushes Ava, who’s pushed into a rail knocking the wind out of her and before Delilah can strike her in the face. Lou snatches Delilah by the waist, picking her up and moving her back to the tea area. Delilah is kicking and screaming. Youngblood tries to help Ava up, but she shoves his hand out of her face. “I’m FINE.” Dusting her jacket and jeans off.
Youngblood smiles and says. “You don’t look fine.” Ava elects to rest on the ground. The group hears a door slam and looks in it’s direction, it’s David in front of it and he says to everyone. “Let’s go.” Unaware of what’s going on. He looks to his right and sees Delilah kicking in Lou’s arms and then to his left to see Ava sitting on the dirt by Youngblood. He puts it together and decides to go back inside. Youngblood shouts. “David, get back here. I thought you were the brave type.” All the Indians snicker amongst themselves as they walk to collect their supplies.
Later, Lou says to his friends. “It’s too early for this shit.” Delilah’s now helping the Chief get ready and repack the horses.
Cooper says to Lou as he adjusts his pack on the horse. “That David, he’s a crazy magnet.” Cooper has taken and is wearing the Engineer’s black cowboy hat. Lou tells him. “Leave the hat it’s weird. If anyone should take that trophy it should be David.” Cooper says. “My eyes can’t take too much of this damn sun anymore, I don’t think David wants this ragged thing.”
David finally comes out of his building and strolls his way to sit down next to Ava; she’s still on the dirt with her back to the deck and her palms on her bent knees. David fakes a yawn, and goes to put his arm around her, she doesn’t react. He turns his head to face her. “Look at me.” Ava grudgingly does so, then David says. “You’re the only person I can trust out here. Thanks for saving my life last night. I wouldn’t have survived fighting a bunch of crazies in the dark.”
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