Morgan put his hand on John’s arm and slid it down, rubbing the end of his stump. “Fuck... Good times, huh, buddy?”
John glared at him and nodded.
He grinned. “Fuck, at least we’re still in agreement!” He patted Davey's arm. “Take Johnny to Rachel, her and her group are gonna take him to Argentina.”
“You’re not coming?” John asked.
“Why? You wanna have a sleep over? Have a pillow fight and talk about boys?” He laughed. “I’m a busy man, John. This shit, this is Rachel’s shit, and I’m not about to wipe her ass over this shit, you. She’ll deal with this, I’m not.”
After returning the armor piece for his stump, Davey took John to the parking lot area of the base, reuniting him with Rachel.
Getting on her dark brown horse, he and Rachel, followed by a group of four other men on horseback, rode out to Argentina.
It was just as he remembered it, but full of much more life.
He and Rachel climbed down and stood in front of the gate.
“You did all this?”
He looked around, admiring the new wooden wall, a large windmill, and all the happy residents of the zone.
She smiled and looked at him. “Pretty great, huh? Morgan killed everybody and I brought them back.”
She looked to her men and waved. “Head back, I’m gonna stick around for a few days, I’ll radio when I’m on my way.”
“You sure about this?” a man asked.
“Yes, now go. I’m gonna help John get settled in and introduce him to everyone.”
Another man nodded. “Alright, good luck, mam.”
“I’ll see you back at the base,” she said as her group rode off.
John smirked. “I know these are the bad guys, but I am proud of what you managed to accomplish. With Argentina, our enemies listenin’ to you and treatin’ you like a leader... That’s quite somethin’.”
She shrugged. “They’re not as bad as they used to be. But to be fair, eventually they’re gonna run out of people to be bad too... After CJ was born and I started working on Argentina, things really seemed to get better... Before the stuff with the Divine.”
He stared at the gate as she put her arm around him.
“Ready to head inside?”
He looked at her, at the long gashes on the left side of her face. “How’d you get your scars?”
She let out a laugh. “How’d you get some of yours?”
They walked around Argentina for well over an hour, introducing John to all of the residents of the community.
When they were done, she took him back to their old home, giving her Argentina vacation home back to John.
Later that day, she cut John’s hair and set up a town meeting in the church to properly inform the residents of the new changes.
The church was small, with one straight hall leading to the short stage at the end of the building. The walls were painted a dark black, and to each side of the aisle, five benches where the residents sat. Behind her and John on the stage were stained glass windows, and the setting sun colored their backs and the crowd in a variety of colors.
“Hello,” Rachel said, standing behind a small podium with John. “As most of you know, I’m Rachel Williams of the Acquainted, and founder of the New Argentina. Today, after weeks of discussion, Morgan Williams, David Morales, and myself, have agreed to put former Argentina leader, John Miller, in charge of the zone from here on out.
John smiled, staring at her as she gave her speech.
“New Argentina will remain Acquainted. You’ll still be getting regular shipments and help when needed, but starting today, John Miller is being given power of the zone, unless of course Morgan Williams is visiting, in which case you answer to him.
“John here, has led this zone from 2008 to 2012, after that, he was the general of an army, belonging to the people of the Divine, a community that the Acquainted has since dealt with. John is capable, he is strong, he is brave.” She stopped and looked at him. “And he’ll do everything he can to keep Argentina safe.” She looked back to the crowd. “Any questions?”
Chase, a tall man with a short brown beard, stood up. “If John Miller’s back, does that mean Norman is coming back?”
John raised his brows as he looked to Rachel.
“As I’ve stated in the past, he’s always welcome here and when ready, can step onto the Argentina council. But at this time, we don’t know where he is.”
Luke, a guard with curly black hair and a faint shadow of stubble, stood up as Chase sat. “Is he the John Miller? The Savior?”
She looked to John and shrugged. “That was his name, yes.”
Luke smiled and began clapping. “Right on, man, this is fuckin’ awesome!”
The church clapped for John as Luke sat down.
Rachel looked to him and raised a brow. “What was that?” she mouthed.
John smirked and stepped forward. “I look forward to running this place again. I left all those years ago because of a disease, I needed help and the Divine saved my life. After a while and after findin’ out the original Argentina was gone, I lost track of comin’ back, plans changed, things happened... But it’s good to be back...” He put his hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “Thank you for the warm welcome.”
Chapter 32:
Be Safe
The first day of September, the woods, outside Argentina.
His long brown hair spilled down his shoulders. His beard long and bushy, and he had a long curved scar going over his left eye. He was dressed in muddy jeans, a black dress shirt, and his leather vest.
“Hey!” he shouted, aiming his rifle at a masked man’s head. “Who the hell are you?”
“Don’t hurt him,” a little girl cried. She had long brown hair, and wore a sleeveless light purple dress. “Please?”
“Who are you,” he yelled as Janey ran up behind him and grabbed his gun.
“Norman?”
He spun his head back and his widened. “Janey?”
She wrapped her arms around him as Holly walked up behind them. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”
Norman stepped back and spit at the masked man. “Who’re these? Friends of yours?”
Janey smiled. “Holly and Charlie.” She backed up and put her hand on the girl's head. “And this is my daughter.”
The girl tugged on Norman’s vest. “We’re trying to find Argentina. My daddy’s old home.”
Norman glanced at Janey and then down at the girl. “Yeah, who’s your daddy?”
“The Savior.”
“And who’s that supposed to be?”
“His real name is John. He lived here somewhere.”
Norman got goosebumps. “What?” he asked, looking at Janey’s wide smile and the tears in her eyes.
Janey nodded. “John’s still alive.”
Swinging his rifle on his back, Norman bolted out of the woods, heading for Argentina.
John and a woman named Frankie talked outside Jamal’s old home. His hair was trimmed short, slicked back and curled at the end. His beard short and trimmed, cut by Rachel. He was dressed in black jeans, his metal armor piece, and his beige khaki shirt was open.
“You know we have people for that stuff, don’t you?” she asked with a smile, glancing at John’s tool belt. “I don’t think people expect the guy in charge to be the one doing the repairs.”
John wiped some sweat from his face. “When it comes to somethin’ as serious as a wall bein’ damaged, you don’t sit around waitin’ on the handyman to fix it.”
“JOHN!” Norman shouted as he ran inside.
John’s mouth gaped open. “Excuse me,” he said to Frankie before rushing down to Norman and hugging him. “You’re still alive!”
“So are you,” Norman said with a half-smile. Letting go, he backed up and looked back at the gate. “Found a kid, says she’s yours. Janey’s back too, girl and a freak’s with ‘em.”
“What?”
“Found clown-face and the kid
wanderin’ around the woods, Janey and some other woman was right behind ‘em.”
John began tearing up as he watched Janey, Jenna, Jester, and Holly walk through the gate of Argentina.
“Daddy!” the girl cried in excitement, jumping out of Janey’s arms and running to John.
Picking her up, tears ran down John’s cheeks. “I was so worried about you, Princess.”
“Uncle Charlie saved us!”
Closing his eyes, trying to stop the tears, he looked to Jester. “Thank you.”
“Are we living here now?” Jenna asked, looking around Argentina.
“Yeah,” John said as Janey wrapped her arms around them.
“I was really worried about you,” she told him, giving him a kiss and running her hand through Jenna’s hair. “You didn’t even try to find us?” she asked with a laugh.
“Morgan’s still around, I didn’t need him knowin’ about you guys.”
Jenna began furiously tapping his shoulder. “Daddy, can uncle Charlie and Holly stay with us? Can they live here too?”
“Yeah, of course-”
“I almost forgot! We brought Lint with us! We left her in a barn a little way from here though. The demons attacked us and they said we’d come back for her later.”
Janey smiled. “We even saved your trusty steed.”
John laughed. “I love you guys.”
• • •
Meanwhile, back at the Ohio Base, Morgan and one of his men stood in a circle, surrounded by a large crowd of Acquainted.
“Erebus, Erebus, Erebus!” Morgan smiled and punched the noseless man across the face.
The man grabbed his bleeding lip and looked up at Morgan from the floor. “Please, mister! I’m sorry!”
“That so doesn’t mean shit!” Morgan booted the man in the stomach. “I brought you in. We fed you! Protected you!” He slammed his boot down into his chest.
“Stop it! I’m begging you!” Erebus screamed.
“I’ll tell you what, No-Nose! If you tell your brothers what it was you did that got you so royally fucked- I'll let you live.”
“Please, mister! I promise-”
“IT’S BOSS!” Morgan looked around the crowd. “I watched this fugly bastard drop something off outside the fence. I went to see what the fuck it was- and what was it, fuck-tard?”
“I don’t know!” he cried, watching as Morgan slid off his shirt.
“Wrong answer!” Wrapping his shirt around Erebus’ throat, Morgan lifted him in the air and strangled him to death. “IT WAS A WARNING TO THE TRIBUALS,” Morgan shouted, throwing the body to the floor. “He was trying to leave a message about our attack! ‘Erebus the fucked’ was a backstabbing prick, and he got what he deserved!” He spit on the corpse. “You don’t bite the hand that feeds, numb nuts.”
Morgan turned his head to see Davey. “Dave, get over here! Everybody else, get ready! We’re leaving tonight!”
Davey walked through the crowd as the Acquainted went to get ready. “Yeah, Boss?”
“I want you to stay behind, keep an eye on Rachel’s kid for her.”
“You don’t want my help?”
“You watching that boy is a fuck load of help. Do you think I’d trust just anybody to protect and stay with a kid? Let alone my fucking nephew?”
Davey nodded. “Sorry, yes. It’ll be an honor to do this for you, Boss. I won’t let you down.”
“I know you won’t, Morales! And that’s why I love you so god damn much! You do what I say with a smile, and you don’t fuck up...
“Now get someone to clean this shit up,” he said, kicking the corpse. “I’m gonna go get ready.”
• • •
Late that night, Argentina. John’s home.
John and Janey sat at the table talking while Norman laid on the couch and Jenna slept down the hall in John’s bed.
“So where are they?” Janey asked, taking a drink of water.
“Oklahoma somewhere. I’ll have to go see Mitch. He was one of the boys in Max and Judy’s group, he came from there.”
“And you think they’d help?”
John shrugged. “I won’t give them a choice.”
Walking out from John’s room, Jenna yawned. “Daddy, where’s uncle Charlie?”
“Huh?”
“He was asleep in the chair but he’s gone.”
John looked at Janey and shook his head. “You know Chuck, the guy doesn’t like stickin’ around for too long.” He yawned. “I’m sure he’s fine and he’ll be back soon. Auntie Holly’s still here, Rachel’s old room if you want to sleep with her till mommy goes to bed.”
“I hope he stays careful,” she said, standing in the bedroom doorway.
“Go to sleep, okay?”
Jenna’s eyes watered. “I wanna go back home.”
John fell silent, looking between Janey, the window, and the couch. “I wish we could too.”
Jenna wiped her eyes and sniffled. “Can we go back?”
Janey grabbed her glass and got up. “I’ll get her back to sleep.”
“What the hell!” Norman shouted, jumping up and grabbing his rifle off the coffee table.
John spun his head around. “What?” he asked as the door flew open.
“John! Long time no see, God, just because I sent you home it doesn’t mean you’re not allowed to visit!” He laughed.
John reached for the pistol in the back of his pants. “What do you want?”
“I want you and Normy to join me, Rachel, and my boys on a job! We’re gonna go wipe out the rest of the Tribu-tards!”
Norman aimed for Morgan’s head. “I think you better leave, now!”
Morgan glared at Norman, and as he turned his head, a smile slowly spread across his face. “Oh, my, god!” He pointed at Jenna. “Who is that adorable little thing?”
Janey picked her up and held her tight. “None of your business.”
John gripped his pistol. “Jenna. Our daughter.”
“Damn, I couldn’t even tell! She has her mother’s eyes, ‘cause she sure as shit doesn’t have yours! Or shit, maybe she does! One of ‘em anyway. Damn, and she still has all her parts. Both her ears, her arms, and I bet she doesn’t have a single scar on her! Fuck, that is so not your kid, yet- but we can sure as fuck make her your kid!”
“What do you want, Morgan?”
“I told you- you and Normy are gonna help me do a job! After that, we’ll all go out for ice cream, have a monster orgy, and never see each other again! I don’t give a fuck, but you’re helping me wipe out the Tribu-fucks before we kiss goodbye.”
John glanced at Jenna and Janey, and looked back to Morgan. “Cars or horses?”
“The fuck do you think? This is a job I wanna get done A-S-A-Fuckin'-P.”
John walked over to Janey and whispered. “There’s a church not far from here, I want you and Jenna there until I get back.”
“I know where you mean.”
He kissed Janey and kissed Jenna on the head. “We’ll be back soon.”
Norman shrugged as he tossed his rifle over his shoulder. “Stay safe, sister.”
Janey watched as John and Norman headed for the door. “You too.”
Chapter 33:
Because the day’s gonna come when you won’t
The next day, Atlanta Georgia.
Two box trucks pulled up side by side in front of the white wooden wall surrounding the Tribual. The wall that had since expanded to reach the Acade Stadium.
Climbing out of his truck, Morgan looked back at his group as they exited the back of the trucks.
“John,” Morgan said, looking at the truck parked beside his. “You and Normy, step out, grab my megaphone.”
John and Norman both got out of the truck and Norman handed it to him. “Here, piss breath.”
He smirked. “Thank you, Hellfire,” he said as he swiped the megaphone and turned it on.
He cleared his throat and lost his smile as he raised it to his mouth. “I’m gonna make this s
hort, Aaand sweet. John and I are taking the stadium- the rest of you- KILL EVERY LAST MAN AND WOMAN INSIDE THOSE GOD DAMN WALLS!”
The Acquainted rushed in, and Morgan grinned as he turned off his megaphone.
Norman spit in front of him. “What am I supposed to do?”
Morgan laughed as Gordon walked up to him. “Normy, meet Gordy! The one-armed man who your buddy John fucked up and left for dead! You’ll be tagging along with him.”
“I’m better on my own.”
Gordon shoved Norman back. “Hey, don’t you back talk the boss, you piece of shit!”
Morgan let out a laugh as Norman aimed his rifle in Gordon’s face. “To be honest, I couldn’t give a fuck what you do! Just go inside and kill some people. Prove to me that you’re not worth killing.”
John stared at Norman. “Just go.”
Norman glared at Morgan and nodded at John before heading inside.
• • •
The Church Safe House, off the road from Argentina.
Jenna sat beside Janey on the hardwood floor of the small church, eating from a can of beans. “Do you think daddy’s going to be okay?”
Janey smiled. “Yeah, I think so,” she said, opening her can with a knife.
“What about your friend? The scar guy?”
“Norman? Yeah, he’ll be okay too."
“What about the big scary guy?”
Janey sighed and shrugged. “Who knows,” she said, tipping the can up to her mouth, sending bean juice trickling down her neck.
Jenna laughed. “Eww! Do you want a spoon?” she asked, holding hers out.
Janey wiped her mouth. “You use it,” she said with a smile, dabbing bean juice on the end of Jenna’s nose.
She smiled and wiped her face. “You’re being gross.”
“Oh but your father cutting open demons isn’t?”
Jenna laughed as she got a spoonful of beans. “That’s different.”
• • •
The Tribual, The Acade Stadium.
“We kill Dutch and we’re done?” John asked as they entered the stadium.
The hallway was dark, with a faint glow at the end of the hall. The dark green walls were covered in dried blood and riddled with bullet holes.
When Was? (Book 2): Who Are You Acquainted With? Page 27