Arid

by Joyce, Anne

  Trevor stood in the corridor with the rest of the group. “Sierra is crawling with Purifiers,” he said.

  “I know. They were here! We hid in the vinyl bin. I was worried they’d found you,” Marcus said.

  “Raul’s house was already ransacked when we got there. They turned his place upside down and gave him a black eye for the hell of it,” Jethro said.

  “It was a hell of a close call. I’m just glad they didn’t find anything incriminating in his home,” Aaron added.

  “Raul’s too smart for that,” Diane said.

  “Where are the girls?” asked Maria.

  “Mom!” Paola ran down the corridor with Danisha hobbling behind her. Maria knelt and Paola jumped into her arms.

  “Oh shit! I forgot all about the truck! Alex is in danger!” Marcus slapped his forehead.

  “It’s taken care of. We paid a man at a salvage yard to flatten it. It’s completely unrecognizable.” Trevor smiled.

  “Don’t forget whose idea it was.” Julio butted in.

  “Were you able to meet with Chad?” Marcus asked.

  “Yes, everything’s on schedule,” Diane replied.

  “We got our work tattoos.” Joshua rolled up his sleeve. “Why is a Rubik’s cube the symbol for waste management?”

  “It’s supposed to be some type of trash compactor,” Jethro said.

  “Who cares about the stupid tattoo?” Aaron scoffed.

  “Have you heard from Tanner?” Marcus turned to Jethro.

  “I just got a text from him. The coalition meets tomorrow morning at eight A.M.” Jethro pulled his phone from his pocket.

  “Aren’t you afraid of having your messages intercepted?” Joshua said.

  “Members always speak in code. Do you think we’re all a bunch of idiots or something?” Aaron sneered.

  “No, just one of you.” Julio stared at him. Aaron waved his middle finger.

  “Grow up, Aaron!” Marcus barked. “Tomorrow’s going to be the most important day of our lives. We need to stay focused. New York is three hours ahead of us. We’ll need to be up before the sun. This prison heist has to happen before their meeting.”

  “But Chad said—”

  “I don’t care. Text him and tell him that things have changed,” Marcus interrupted Diane. “Trevor, are you prepared to breach the security systems?”

  “I’m as ready as I’ll ever be,” Trevor said.

  “Are you going to update Rowan?” asked Diane.

  “Rowan’s working and she left her phone here. I’ll tell her when she comes back tonight,” Marcus replied.

  “What will I be doing tomorrow?” Danisha asked Marcus.

  “You’re going to help Diane make that video,” Marcus replied.

  “When will I be fighting alongside you?” she asked

  “You can fight when you learn how to defend yourself. You’ve got to crawl before you can walk,” Jethro said. “And your leg needs to heal.”

  “Trevor and Jethro, come to the break room with me. There are a few more things we need to go over. Everyone else can go to sleep. There’s no turning back after tomorrow, so if you can’t handle it, now’s the time to leave.” Marcus turned and walked to the break area.

  ***

  “Where are they headed? What are their plans?” The short, frumpy woman struck Blane’s face with her baton. His head flew backwards and blood splattered the wall. He’d taken worse beatings from an evil foster parent when he was twelve. He was grateful to have only lived with the abusive man a short time. A neighbor saw his battered face and contacted Child Protective Services. At least that bastard taught me how to take a whipping, he thought as blood dripped from his nose.

  “You’re a stupid man. Your loyalty should be to this country, not your friends. They’ve forgotten you already.” She bent down and poked his chest. Her beady eyes glared at him.

  Blane tried to free himself from the rope that bound him to the chair. His struggle was futile. Bobbie Burs was the third Purifier sergeant to visit his tiny prison cell and also the meanest. Her inflated ego and need for power made her reckless. She was also delusional and thought herself a much higher-ranking official than she was.

  “All right… you win, I’ll tell you where they’re going.” Blane lifted his bruised, swollen head.

  “I’m listening,” she said.

  “They’re riding a train that’ll take them straight to FuckYouville. It’s just south of Crotchety Old Hag. No doubt you’ve heard of it,” He smiled.

  “Oh, so you think you’re funny! We’ve got ourselves a comedian.” She turned to the two men leaning against the wall. “Bring her to me!” The other Purifiers left the room. “I’ve got something that’ll really make you laugh.” She grinned.

  They came back several moments later with a frightened blonde woman wearing inmate clothes. They dragged her into Blane’s cell and shoved her toward Bobbie. “Blane!” the woman cried.

  “Skylar?” he gasped.

  Bobbie grabbed Skylar’s arm, pulled her handgun from its holster, and pressed it to Skylar’s temple.

  “Don’t touch her!” Blane screamed

  “No… please,” Skylar sobbed.

  “You can either tell me about your criminal friends or I’ll splatter her brains across the wall.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Wake the hell up, people. It’s time.” Jethro flung open the door. Joshua sat up and untangled the blanket he and Maria were wrapped in. Julio stirred beside Paola and Danisha. “Put these on.” Jethro tossed the waste management uniforms to Joshua, Julio, and Maria.

  “What about Paola?” Maria rolled over. “I can’t take her into the prison with us and we can’t leave her here.”

  “She’s going to ride with Rowan. Rowan will meet you after you’ve left the penitentiary,” Jethro replied.

  “Where am I going?” Danisha sat up and stretched.

  “You’ll stay with Marcus, Diane, Trevor, and Aaron. They’re going to pay Pickett a visit once Trevor turns off the security systems.”

  “Will it be like a hostile takeover?” Her face lit up.

  “You can count on it being hostile, but you’re going to stay out of everyone’s way and keep quiet,” Jethro said.

  “Can’t I do something to help?”

  “You helped by making that video. It’s just as important as everything else we’re doing.”

  “I guess this is goodbye.” Paola turned to Danisha.

  Danisha pulled her friend into a hug. “I’m glad I got the chance to know you.”

  “We’ll miss you. Be careful out there.” Joshua stood and folded his blanket.

  “I’ll miss you guys, too.”

  “If you’re ever near Rancho Cajon, stop by and see us. You’ll always be welcomed.” Maria kissed her forehead.

  “I will.” She smiled.

  “You’re all right, kid. Just don’t let that big mouth get you into trouble.” Julio playfully messed up her hair.

  “Thanks, doofus.” She smirked.

  “I’ll be waiting in the breakroom.” Jethro turned and walked away.

  “Danisha, I posted your video this morning. It’s gone viral! It has over a hundred thousand views.” Diane sat at the breakroom table staring at her phone.

  “That’s a good thing, right?” she said.

  “It’s more than good. It’s amazing!” Diane said.

  “You know people are fed up when a video like this goes viral in a few hours.” Jethro pulled a granola bar from the vending machine.

  “It’s great that we have more of a following, but it means we’ve got to move fast.” Marcus paced the floor. “No doubt the Purifiers will see it and they’ll be taking extra precautions. They’re also going to trace that post back to us.”

  “I used proxy servers like Trevor taught me and this is a disposable phone,” Diane said.

  “Dispose of it right away,” Marcus replied.

  “I’m waiting for Tanner to text me,” she protested.

/>   “Tell him to text my phone,” Aaron said.

  “It’s not wise to keep that phone. You won’t need it anyway,” Trevor agreed.

  “Wait… I just got a message. The water coalition’s meeting has started,” she said.

  “Let’s do this.” Trevor closed his laptop. Everyone gathered their things and marched out the door.

  A lot of thoughts went through Joshua’s mind on the long drive to the prison. Sadness at leaving Danisha, worry that Blane would give away too much information about them, and excitement at the thought that they were doing something to make a difference to this twisted world.

  “Let me speak to the guards. Just sit here and don’t say anything,” Jethro said when they reached the prison gate.

  “Today’s not our normal trash day.” The guard looked confused.

  “I know, but we got a call from someone. They said there’s been a tremendous amount of garbage due to all the new inmates,” Jethro replied.

  “I guess so. The overcrowding here is ridiculous.” The guard shook his head. A white drone-like device with a digital screen and propellers buzzed around the truck.

  “What the hell is that?” Maria gasped.

  “That’s the facial recognition scanner. It detects faces so an unauthorized person can’t be smuggled in,” Jethro hissed.

  “You’ve never see one of these before? You must’ve been living under a rock for two years. Almost every government or baron-owned facility has them now,” the guard said with a look of shock on his face. The drone flew around and stopped in front of Jethro. He closed his eyes while a red light moved across his face. A green arrow flashed across the screen with the words “Jethro Ashby, Waste Management Employee.” It picked up speed and zoomed to Joshua.

  He closed his eyes and tried to calm his breathing. He dared not move an inch as it hovered above him. It stopped and the screen read “Darco Grimaldi, Waste Management Employee”. Where the hell did Trevor get that name? After each face was scanned the words “verification complete” lit up on the screen. The mechanical arm raised and Jethro drove the garbage truck to the side of the building.

  “Chad said he’d meet us at the west wing.”

  Joshua, Maria, and Julio put on their dust masks. A few minutes later Chad opened the door and motioned for them to come inside. “Try to blend in.”

  They each grabbed a trash can and pushed it down the hallway. They passed a room full of corrections officers sitting at a table reading magazines and watching TV. “Is every guard a member or a supporter?” Maria whispered to Chad.

  “Some don’t want any part of it. They’re not willing to risk their lives for the cause so they bury their heads in the sand. We’ve got a few nosy new hires who keep asking questions, but we haven’t told them anything. I don’t trust them,” the tall, lanky man replied.

  “Why don’t you trust them?” Joshua said.

  “There’s something weird about them. Maybe it’s because they seem to care so much about this job. No one gives a shit around here anymore, member or not. We work all day and night and our wages are pathetic.” Chad ushered them to the service elevators. “Here’s how we’ll do this: I’ll take you to the hole, you can get your buddy and put him in a laundry cart. Then we’ll prepare to let the inmates loose.”

  “What hole are you talking about?” Jethro said.

  “That’s another name for solitary confinement,” Julio replied.

  They grabbed a laundry cart, rode the elevator to the bottom floor, and stepped into a dark, dreary corridor.

  “This place looks like a dungeon,” Jethro remarked.

  “That’s pretty much what it is,” Chad replied. He led them to a green door in the middle of the hall and unlocked it. Joshua was unprepared for what was on the other side. A battered man lay on the concrete floor. His prison clothes were stained with blood and his face was puffy and purple. He squinted and covered his eyes.

  “Blane!” Joshua knelt and touched Blane’s shoulder.

  “Josh?” He sat up and strained to see through swollen eyelids.

  “They really worked him over,” Jethro said.

  “Barbaric sons of bitches,” Maria said in disgust.

  “Are you going to be okay? Can you stand?” asked Joshua.

  “I think so,” Blane replied.

  “What did they do to you?” Maria said.

  “There’s no time to chat.” Julio and Chad lifted Blane and put him in the laundry cart.

  “Wait! Skylar’s here somewhere.” Blane looked around.

  “Why is Skylar in a men’s prison?” Joshua said.

  “I don’t know, but you’ve got to find her. We can’t leave her behind,” Blane said.

  “Oh great, I’ve heard that before,” Julio mumbled.

  “Do you know where she is?” Maria asked Chad.

  Chad scratched his head and thought for a few seconds “I think so.” He marched to the end of the hall and unlocked another door. “This cell was empty a few days ago.” He pushed the door open. A woman was huddled in the corner of the room. He bent over and grabbed her arm to help her up.

  “Get away from me!” she screamed.

  “You don’t need to be scared,” Chad assured her. “We’re here to help you.”

  “Leave me alone.” She covered her face.

  “Skylar, it’s all right. We’re busting you out of here.” Maria stood beside Chad and pulled off her mask.

  “Maria! Is this for real?” Skylar rose to her feet. She gave Chad a suspicious look.

  “You can trust him. He’s one of us,” Maria said.

  She threw her arms around Maria. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again,” she sobbed.

  “Shhh. We need to get going. Everyone’s waiting.” Maria patted her back. “Look, here are Josh and Julio.”

  “Hey, Skylar, good to see you.” Joshua stood next to Julio at the door.

  “Can you walk?” Julio asked

  “Yes. I’ve missed you all so much.” She swiped at the tears running down her face. “Who’s this man?” She stared at Jethro.

  “This is Jethro. He’s helping us,” Joshua replied.

  “Pleasure to meet you.” Jethro smiled.

  “Where’s Blane?” She looked around.

  “He’s with the laundry.” Joshua pointed. “But don’t say anything. Wait until we’re safely out of here.”

  “Make sure the towels are covering him. Keep him concealed,” Chad instructed.

  When the elevator doors opened a greasy, pale-skinned man was waiting for them. “Hey, Chad, what is waste management doing with the laundry?” He eyed them. Joshua’s mouth went dry.

  “They’re just getting rid of the soiled towels. Some of them are beyond washable,” Chad replied.

  “What are you doing with this prisoner?” Goodwell pointed to Skylar.

  “She’s being moved to another location. A female inmate doesn’t belong here.”

  “Why are these people present during inmate transport? Why the hell isn’t she handcuffed?”

  “Don’t you have work to do, Goodwell? I’ve been here a lot longer than you. This woman is in no condition to try to make a run for it. The last thing I need is a babysitter,” Chad snapped.

  Goodwell smirked and walked away. “That’s one of the new hires I was talking about. He follows me like a stalker and his nose is in everyone’s business. I can’t stand him,” Chad said.

  “There’s definitely something weird about him. I can’t put my finger on it,” Jethro remarked.

  “I didn’t like him,” Joshua said.

  “Everyone, get to your appointed stations. We’re almost ready.” Chad radioed the other guards.

  “Hold on a second.” Blane pulled the towels off his head. “I have to tell you something.”

  “Sweetie, are you all right? Your face is so swollen.” Skylar leaned over the cart and stroked his hair.

  “Cover him up,” Joshua said. “Don’t talk, Blane, and keep yourself hidden.” He wiped
his sweaty hands on his coveralls. This was taking too long.

  “The Purifiers know where we’re going. They were going to kill Skylar so I told them about Mexico,” Blane blurted. “I’m sorry I let you down again,” he choked.

  “I knew things were going too smoothly,” Julio groaned.

  “It’s not your fault,” Skylar consoled.

  “COs, stand down. Wait for my command.” Chad radioed his cohorts.

  “But I thought we were ready,” a voice protested.

  “We’ve got a situation to work out first.” Chad turned to Blane.

  “We have nowhere to go. They’ll have armed Purifiers at every checkpoint and entryway near the border,” Joshua sighed.

  “What all did you tell them?” asked Chad.

  “Just that I stole the supply truck and we were on our way to Mexico. I said I was the one who killed those four Purifiers, but I don’t know if they believed me,” Blane replied.

  “They don’t know about the resistance, do they?” asked Jethro.

  “What resistance?” Blane said.

  “What should we do? We sure as hell can’t stay in Sierra.” Maria paced the elevation floor.

  “This might not be as bad as it seems,” Julio said.

  “How do you figure?” asked Skylar.

  “Blane, you didn’t tell them our real destination, did you?” Julio said.

  “I told them we’d planned to go to Tijuana.” Blane shook his head. “They kept pressing for more details, but I started to black out from blood loss. They untied me, threw me on the ground, and said they’d be back soon.”

  “I used to live near Tijuana. They probably believed you. The trail will get cold if they look for us there.” Julio patted his shoulder. “They were building a train track near the Arizona-Mexico border several years ago to transport goods. It’s got to be finished by now. We can ride that as far as it goes. If I can get to a phone, I’ll call some acquaintances. They’ll help us over the wall,” Julio said.

  “The Border Patrol is going to be everywhere. How will they get us into the country without getting caught?” Joshua questioned.

  “Nogales is nowhere near Tijuana. They can’t guard the entire border fence. That’s way too much turf to cover on such short notice. Blane was smart and sent them the wrong way,” Julio replied.