by Joyce, Anne
“We have to talk to Chad about this prison break. It’s going to set everything else in motion,” Trevor said.
“I’ll spread the word to Tanner and his group. They need to know what’s happening,” Jethro added.
“Who’s Tanner?” asked Julio.
“Tanner’s a former coworker. He moved back to New York when all of this went down. He thought his family would help him, but they just made him an indentured servant. He and his friends are a huge part of this mission. We’ll need them to succeed,” Jethro replied.
“What are they going to do?” Maria said.
“He says a number of water barons from the east coast have formed a committee called the ‘Water Coalition.’ The coalition consists of some key players. They’re getting together in New York City to discuss their next move, and Tanner knows when and where,” Jethro said.
“You’ll have Trevor shut off their system, too?” Julio questioned.
“That’s the idea. Tanner thinks they’re joining forces with other countries to buy up the world’s water supply. If they put an end to the coalition, it’ll cripple the rest of the water moguls. They depend on one another.” Jethro lowered his voice.
“Do you think the rest of the big players will just give up their power?” Joshua said.
“It won’t happen all at once, but their reign will be over. A few rich business people won’t be able to control the whole country, not with this much opposition,” Rowan stated.
“I want you to make a video, Danisha. Once your story goes viral, we’ll have even more supporters.” Diane pulled her cell phone from her pocket.
“Don’t post any videos tonight. Do it right before we leave for the mission,” Aaron interjected.
“I know that. I’m not stupid,” Diane said.
“I know how to get Julio, Maria, and Josh into the penitentiary. Jethro could take them with him to collect the trash. All he has to do is get some waste management uniforms. Raul can give them work tattoos.” Rowan slammed her hand on the table.
“The prison isn’t on my route, though,” Jethro replied.
“Can’t you trade with someone?” Rowan said.
Jethro thought for a moment. “I think Jeff is on prison trash detail. I’m pretty sure he hates it, too. I’ll ask him tomorrow.”
“What if the Purifiers are still there? How will we sneak past them?” Maria said.
“She poses a good question. The prison’s a pretty secure fortress. They only allow workers and Purifiers inside,” Diane countered.
“That’s why I’ll have to create a new identity for them. The penitentiary uses facial recognition software. I can take their photos and add them to the system under a different name,” Trevor replied.
“The Purifiers must have pictures of these guys somewhere, though,” Diane said.
“Purifiers would be going off your old driver’s license photos. I’m sure that’s all they’ve got. I’ll wager you look a lot different now.” He turned to Joshua, Julio, and Maria.
“You can say that again,” Julio agreed.
“I’ve got some dust masks you can wear as a precaution. They’ll conceal your faces,” Jethro said.
“That’s perfect,” Marcus said.
“What are we supposed to do exactly? I’ve never freed hundreds of convicts before,” Julio said.
“Chad will instruct you when the time comes,” Marcus replied.
“I just got a text from Chad. He’s working a fourteen hour shift tomorrow.” Diane held up her phone.
“Tell him to meet us at Raul’s on his lunch break. His house is close to the penitentiary. We’ll go over the details and these guys can get their tattoos,” Aaron said.
“We’ll stop by Alex’s and pick up that truck in the morning,” Trevor said.
“Excellent, it’s all settled. There are some mats in the nurses’ station you can sleep on. The vending machines have snacks and sodas.” Marcus gave Joshua a slap on the back. “I suggest everyone get some rest. Tomorrow’s going to be a big day.” He yawned and left the break room. Rowan got up and followed him.
Chapter Seventeen
“Sir, I’ve got the reports you asked for. Take a look at this!” Dobbs flew into Pickett’s office and dropped a stack of papers on his desk.
“What is it?” Pickett leaned forward.
“A Purifier truck passed a checkpoint near Sierra two days ago. I spoke to the guard and he said Specialist Croft was driving the vehicle.” Dobbs pointed at the documents.
“So?”
“Specialist Croft is MIA. He was part of the extermination task force that never reported back.”
“I thought Officer Lennon was supposed to accompany them.” Pickett flipped through the papers.
“Lennon was ill with food poisoning. They sent Croft as a last-minute substitute. Their records weren’t updated until last night due to an emergency project on base. This is our missing truck. It has to be! They must’ve have altered the truck’s barcode somehow.”
Pickett leaned back in his chair. “They’ve taken Croft captive, or we have an imposter. No Purifier would go AWOL and pass through a check point like that. Good work, Dobbs,” he said.
“Thank you, sir.” The young man grinned.
“I want search teams dispersed all over southern Arizona. These maggots are either still on the highway or they made it into town. No one sleeps until they’re found.”
***
“Are we here all by ourselves?” Paola rolled over and faced Danisha.
“I think so.” Danisha yawned.
“I’m kind of hungry. Let’s go see what’s in the vending machines.”
“Maybe later.” Danisha pulled her blanket over her head and went back to sleep.
Paola looked around the cold, damp room that had once been the nurses’ station. It consisted of little more than anatomy charts and the worn-out mats they slept on. She tossed and turned but couldn’t fall back asleep. “Screw this,” she muttered. She got up, folded her mat, and headed for the break room.
That’s where Marcus keeps his telescope. I’d love to see it, she thought as she passed the ladder that led to the attic. “Marcus?” she called. The only noise she heard was a bird chirping outside. She looked around the dark building and scurried up the ladder. She crawled into the attic and saw a man and woman standing beside the window in a full lip lock. The floorboards creaked under her foot and they jumped back. Their faces turned a bright shade of pink.
“Oh, hi, Paola,” Rowan stammered.
“I thought you were at Raul’s.” Paola looked confused.
“I got called into work early. I was just on my way out,” Rowan said. She waved goodbye to Marcus and climbed down the ladder.
“I’m leaving for work soon. You kids will be on your own for a while.” Marcus looked through the telescope.
“Can I try?” Paola said.
“Sure.” He motioned for her to come closer. “Telescopes were designed for astronomers, but I use mine to watch for Purifiers.”
“Wow! This thing is cool!” she said. “What’s an astronomer?”
“Someone who studies the stars,” he replied.
“You get to see the stars all the time when you live in the wastelands. Sometimes they’re the only light you have. I’d rather see trees, grass and birds… except for buzzards. I’ve seen enough of those nasty birds for a life time.”
Marcus laughed.
“Do you use it every day?” She stepped back.
“I sure do. You always have to be mindful of your surroundings.”
“Where did you get this thing? Is it part of the factory?”
“I’ve had it since I was a kid. I used to look at the stars every night when I lived on a reservation. The sky was so beautiful and crisp out there. It was like being inside of a painting, a world so perfect you can’t believe you’re a part of it.” He smiled.
“You stayed on a reservation?” Paola sounded intrigued.
“I did until the go
vernment put a huge oil pipeline on our property. The land belonged to my tribe and they didn’t have the legal right to do it, but they violated our sacred ground anyway.”
“Did you guys try to stop it?”
“You bet! We put up a fight that would’ve made our ancestors proud, but money and power always win. These corrupt pigs don’t know it yet, but their winning streak is almost over!”
“What happened when they put in the pipe?”
“The damn thing sprang a leak, just like we knew it would. It contaminated our water supply and spilled onto our land. Plenty of animals and crops died from it.” A look of disgust came across his face. “My parents brought my sisters and me to Arizona. We never saw the reservation again.”
“That’s sad.” Paola hung her head. “You must miss your old home a lot.”
“I do, but I try not to focus on what I’ve lost. When you fight a great power, you won’t be victorious every time, but what’s important is that you stand up for your rights and beliefs. Our lives begin to end the day we keep silent about what matters. I know you’ve endured far more than any eight-year-old should and it’s made you who you are today. You have a strong fire inside. I can see it in your eyes. Never let it burn out.”
She nodded. “Do you know when everyone’s coming back?”
“I’m not sure. It all depends on—” his voice trailed off.
“What is it?”
“Shit! We’ve got company. Purifiers are heading this way.” He ushered her away from the window. A short red-haired woman marched across the parking lot with two men beside her. “Where’s Danisha?”
“She’s asleep in the nurses’ station.”
“Come on. We have to go get her.”
Paola and Marcus descended the steps as fast as they could and ran to the nurses’ station. “Danisha, wake up!” Marcus shook her.
“What do you want?” she groaned.
“We’ve got to hide.” He scooped her up and threw her over his shoulder. He grabbed Paola’s hand and ran toward the assembly room. The rusty front door creaked open and echoed throughout the factory. “Dammit, they’re inside!” Marcus closed the door to the assembly room and put Danisha down. He ran to a large bin of scrap vinyl and started throwing handfuls on the floor.
“What are you doing?” asked Danisha.
“Get in here,” Marcus said.
“We could suffocate in that thing,” Danisha hissed.
“We can either take our chances or wait for them to find us,” Marcus said.
“Wait a second!” Paola ran to the corner of the room and picked up an empty soda can.
“What are you doing?” Marcus asked.
“We can use this straw to breathe. You can bring it close to the top, but not close enough that anyone sees it.” She pulled the straw from the can and held it up.
“You’re one bright little girl.” He lifted them into the bin and covered them with vinyl.
“Hurry, I hear footsteps!” Paola whispered. Marcus grabbed the rest of the heavy vinyl, stepped into the bin, and covered himself with it.
“Harry, search the west end of the building. Richard, you check the east,” the woman said. The assembly room door opened and her shoes clacked on the cement floor. Paola trembled as her footsteps got closer. The vinyl bin was cramped, stuffy, and hot. Her forehead dripped with sweat.
A thunderous pounding on the outside of the bin made Danisha drop the straw. The Purifier banged her baton like a drummer from hell, shaking the bin and jarring their heads back and forth. Marcus felt around for their only air supply.
“What are you doing, Mary?” The man she’d called Harry walked into the room.
“I wanted to make sure this bin was empty. It doesn’t sound hollow.” She gestured for him to come over and remove the vinyl.
“It won’t sound hollow with all that vinyl inside. I fell in a bin like that once and I thought I was going to suffocate. Trust me. It’s no place to hide. I didn’t see anyone on the west side.”
“You didn’t spend much time looking.”
“There’s nothing here but old robots and junk,” Harry replied.
“Someone’s been in here.” She looked around. “Did you find anything, Richard?” A new set of footsteps clattered around the room.
“Just some empty soda cans, food wrappers, and blankets on the floor. Someone was definitely squatting in this place,” Richard replied.
“If we’ve got squatters, they need to be transported to the wastelands,” she declared.
“I’m not taking anyone to the desert! Purifiers are being murdered there. There’s no way on God’s green earth I’m risking my life for this job. It doesn’t pay enough,” Harry said with a snort.
“The transients are long gone, Mary. I know you want to advance but this isn’t the way to do it,” Richard said.
“Those transients could’ve been our fugitives,” Mary countered.
“I doubt it.” Harry rubbed his neck.
“What makes you say that?” she said.
“If the indigents made it to Sierra, where’s the truck? The search teams tore every house in town apart and no one’s found anything. That truck won’t be easy to hide.”
“I don’t know… I hate it when you’re right,” Mary sighed.
“Come on. Let’s go check the old warehouse.” Richard put a hand on her shoulder.
“Wait a minute!” Mary stopped in front of the door.
“What is it?” Harry said.
“I swear I smell candle wax.” She furrowed her brow.
“Well, vagrants aren’t the best house keepers. They probably left candles burning somewhere. This is a huge building. We’ll look one more time before we go.” The door creaked open and they walked outside.
Paola waited for what seemed like an eternity until she heard the rusty front door close. She slowly poked her head above the vinyl and took a deep breath. She grabbed Danisha’s arm and pulled her up. Marcus rose to the top of the bin and shoved a hunk of vinyl aside. “Now I know what the inside of a coffin feels like,” Danisha choked.
“Do you think they’ll find everyone at Raul’s?” Paola gasped.
“I hope not. If they get caught, everything is ruined.” Marcus threw down the straw, climbed out of the bin, and ran to the break room.
“Wait for us!” The girls crawled out and ran after him.
“This is a catastrophe! The last thing we need is a bunch of Purifiers snooping around.” Marcus paced the breakroom floor.
“I hope we threw them off the trail. I don’t want to sleep outside tonight,” Paola said.
“I’m more worried about everyone else. They’re still out there. They might not know what’s happening.” Marcus ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve got to find them.”
“How are you going to do that? They took the van,” Danisha said.
“I have a moped in the woods under some brush,” he replied.
“You can’t leave us here! What if they come back?” Paola said.
“They won’t be back. They were convinced that no one lives here.”
“How can you be so sure?” Paola demanded.
“He can’t be sure. No place is safe right now,” Danisha said.
“Can’t you just call them?” asked Paola.
“A ringing phone could give someone away,” Marcus replied. “We never answer our phones when Purifiers are around. I need to go to Raul’s. Somebody’s got to warn them.”
“The place might be surrounded with Purifiers. It’s a bad idea,” Danisha said.
“I can’t just sit here and do nothing. We’re so close to carrying out the mission. It can’t be foiled now. “
“What if the Purifiers have them now? They could be prisoners like Blane!” Paola gasped.
“Don’t say that! It’s not going to happen. We were smart enough to elude the Purifiers and so are they,” Marcus said.
“How could they hide from an army of Purifiers in town? You need to wake up and
face reality. We didn’t get caught because we got lucky. If the Purifiers captured our families, they’ll torture them until they talk. They’ll want to know who those phone messages are from. We’re not safe here!” Danisha retorted.
Marcus sank into a chair and put his head in his hands. “Oh my God. Everything you’ve said is right. You’re wise beyond your years.”
“What are we going to do?” asked Paola.
“We’re getting the hell away from this place. We’re going to hide where no one would ever think to look for us.” Marcus stood and brushed his hair from his face.
“Where would that be?” asked Danisha.
“I have a five-person tent buried under some rocks near my moped. I’m pretty sure nobody knows about it. Fill these with supplies and we’ll be on our way.” Marcus opened the cabinet and tossed some plastic bags at them.
“Why didn’t you guys set up the tent and make it your meeting place?” Danisha shook the vending machine until several bags of snacks came loose.
“The ticks have been awful this year.” Marcus banged on the soda machine.
“I don’t want ticks! They’re gross and creepy. It hurts to get them off too!” Paola shrieked.
“Here, swallow one of these.” Marcus pulled a matchbook from his pocket and handed a match to both girls. “It’ll keep them away.”
“How does this keep ticks from biting?” Danisha stared at the match as if she’d never seen one before.
“I don’t know, but it works. Trust me!”
The front door creaked open. “They’re back!” Paola gasped.
“Quiet! It could be a transient. It’s happened before. Be ready to run again.” Marcus pulled a knife from his pocket and moved toward the door.
“Are we going back to the assembly room?” Paola whispered.
“We can’t. They’ll see us.” Marcus grabbed her hand.
“Where else is there to hide?” Danisha hissed.
“Marcus!” a man’s voice called. “Are you here?”
“Trevor!” Marcus ran to greet his friend and the two girls followed him.