As he slowly warmed the liquid in the cup, Johnny awoke. As Dexter drank the nutritious broth and chewed on the vegetable and meat sludge at the bottom, Johnny started heating his liquid.
Bennet was beginning to respect these two young men more and more. He had been completely wet behind the ears at their age and was more concerned with getting into ladies’ skirts than finding an ideal sniper lookout. Bennet attributed Dexter’s strong dedication to his training to his frustration with living at a refugee camp for nine years, and never really having a chance to meld back into society after that. Dexter was a perfectly average-sized young man and he could seamlessly blend into any crowd.
After the boys had finished their meal, Bennet helped them unhinge the roof piece and cautiously ventured out. Following a series of checks around the corner of the roof line, they gave the all-clear.
Bennet watched the clouds moving in from the south. It’s going to be a gloomy day in Dallas, he reflected. Dexter lifted Trucker out of the room and they turned to leave.
“Dexter, Johnny,” Bennet called, “Be careful.”
“Yes, sir,” the young men replied, chuckling at Bennet’s concern.
Bennet couldn’t help it. They were more than just two Mercenary soldiers stuck with him. They were some of the only people in this world he would consider family.
Dexter and Johnny moved cautiously down the street. They weren’t laughing or joking anymore; it was all business. Their lives hung in the balance and they knew it. The road back to the badlands would be long and arduous, but first they needed to get out of this city.
When they had fled the textile factory, Dexter carefully checked the direction they were traveling. He knew they went north out of the downtown area. Now, he pressed west with Johnny to see what had become of the Mercenary base. He was aware of the danger that would be swirling around. Federal Forces were guaranteed to be onsite, but it was the only lead they had. Dexter hoped they would find a straggler with an idea of how to get out of the city.
Johnny was indicating a group of six soldiers patrolling the area in front of them with hand signals. Dexter motioned for Trucker to head out to the right. The dog gave no indication of danger, so they opted to travel around that set of buildings instead. Rounding the building’s edge, the road opened into a series of homes. They had all been cleared by now. Spying a couple of guards at the end of the street, Dexter eyed them, waiting for his moment to move. The guards stood relaxed, confident that they had control. As they turned the other direction, chatting casually, Dexter bounded from the edge and ran to the house. Quietly, they entered and closed the door. After clearing the bottom floor, Dexter climbed the stairs with Trucker to a dormer with a good view of the base. Grabbing his binoculars from his pocket, he looked out.
He expected there would be a lot more troops in place. Watching doors open and close, he meticulously scanned the area. There were Mercenary soldiers being held at gunpoint in all the common areas he could see. Quickly counting the numbers, he figured there must be over a thousand Mercenary soldiers at the base with roughly two hundred soldiers holding them. With that many Mercenary soldiers, he couldn’t imagine how the small number of Federal Forces could have overtaken them so easily. Trucker waited eagerly at his side, and the boy stroked him out of habit.
Even though the Federal Forces’ numbers weren’t large enough to be considered an army, Dexter knew there were too many for four soldiers to take out. Plus, who knew how many were stationed at Fort Worth, ready to be called in at a moment’s notice?
Dexter’s instincts, honed through years of survival, told him it was time to move position. Stay too long in one spot and you die, he thought to himself. There was no need to scout the base further. It was on lockdown. What will they do with all these new refugees, Dexter wondered, the system is already overloaded.
Below Dexter, Johnny waited, carefully watching the streets for patrols.
“This place is shut down. Not as many feds as I thought there would be, though,” Dex commented as he approached with Trucker.
“Good news for us,” Johnny acknowledged.
“Maybe,” Dexter speculated. “Let’s move position.”
“Good call, you want to circle around?” Johnny wondered.
“There’s no need to risk it. Let’s go out the back and go north for a few yards to see what the merc gate looks like at the fence, but I bet we’ll find more of the same,” Dexter said deflated.
“We’ll figure it out, buddy,” Johnny encouraged him.
They skirted the homes, moving in and out, looking for anything that might have been left as a signal for incoming mercenaries. They found none. Dexter spotted a building at the end of the row of homes that would give him a nice vantage point of the gate, but as they approached, they found it crawling with Federal Forces soldiers patrolling the area. It was no use; they had to go back.
“Time to check in,” Dexter told Johnny, who was starting to feel downtrodden as well.
The feds seemed to thicken as they made their way back. They had to make many unexpected turns to avoid their attention. This caused them to travel closer and closer to the hustle and bustle of the city. In among the crowd they would look like any other young adults, hanging out, as long as no one recognized them. They strolled along nonchalantly through the fringe of the crowd, trying to look like they belonged there. Along the way, they memorized buildings and strategic information. Some of the buildings they were passing looked as if they might be communications centers of the city. Dexter’s mind was focused on all the intricacies he knew Bennet would ask him about, when he ran smack into a large man coming down another alley.
“Excuse me, sir,” Dexter said immediately, hoping to avoid a confrontation. Johnny chuckled at his clumsiness and Trucker growled softly.
“It’s okay,” the man stammered as he regained his footing.
He stared at Dexter for a moment and a rush of recognition ran over him.
“Dexter? Is that you?” the man said, looking into his eyes.
“No freaking way! Rob…Rob Duncan?” Dexter exclaimed. “What in the world are you doing here?”
“Actually, I’m looking for you. Dad sent me,” Rob explained, looking around. “Come on, we got to get you off the street.”
They hustled along but maintained a speed that wouldn’t distinguish them from other young people out doing chores. Rob chatted about the weather and insignificant things as he led them down the street. Dexter glanced at him, remembering a strong kid who had enjoyed wrestling. The guy he saw in front of him still looked just as muscular. He used to wear his brown hair longer, though, and now it was cut short.
“Can we trust this guy?” Johnny whispered to Dex.
“One hundred and fifty percent. Rob and I are like brothers. Our families left California together, and we grew up together at the refugee camp. I’ve told you about Rob,” Dexter reminded him.
“He’s the one whose family your mom and dad rescued after the Great Quake, right? When they sent you to the Lotus Camp with Star, who you had just met?” Johnny asked, trying to recall the story.
“Yeah, at least my grandma was at the Lotus camp, though,” Dexter sighed, still disappointed that he didn’t get to see her again. “Anyway, they killed the guy causing all the problems and made it home, brought a ton of supplies with them too. That’s when I met Rob.”
“And since then, we’ve been like brothers. Ain’t that right, Dex?” Rob interjected, having overheard their conversation.
“That’s right, bro. Built a lot of good memories in that crap-hole camp,” Dexter added.
They turned down another road lined with homes, each with flower gardens and vegetable gardens. Rob led them to the door of one of these homes.
“Is this cool, Rob? Whose place is this?” Dexter wondered.
“It’s my place. Well, my parents’ and my place. Dad got a big promotion and we got clearance to leave the Las Vegas camp and co
me here,” Rob explained. “That’s how Dad knew you were in trouble.”
“Thanks, Rob. I’m so happy for you guys,” Dexter exclaimed.
He was excited for his friend, but also jealous. It seemed as if their life had certainly improved. Harold’s knowledge of communications technology took him far up the ranks in the federal system. They got a nice cushy house while Dexter was forced to go on the run, but he loved Rob like a brother. He wanted to be happy for Rob, and he pushed his negative feelings aside.
“I heard that your folks found your grandparents. We rooted for them through the trial, which was complete b.s., by the way,” Rob declared. “What happened to you, Dex?”
“I joined the Mercenaries after we got to my grandparents’ place. I just couldn’t act like nothing had happened,” Dex told him.
“I get it. You were digging training in Vegas. Who’s your friends?” Rob wondered, petting Trucker carefully.
“This is my faithful companion, Trucker, and this is my partner in crime, Johnny McClintock,” Dexter teased.
“McClintock? Is this General McClintock’s son?” Rob wondered.
“I sure am,” Johnny replied confidently.
“I’m so sorry,” Rob said sadly. “The Federal Forces have arrested him. They are holding him in Kansas City.”
“I know, thanks for your concern,” Johnny replied.
“The Federal Forces uncovered evidence of the Mercenaries working with the resistance movement. They’ve been blasting it all over the airwaves. The Federal Forces have taken control of all Mercenary bases. The soldiers can either join the Federal Force or be transferred to refugee processing centers along with their families. The Constitutionalists on the Federal Governing Board were also implicated and removed. Plus, the resistance has large numbers in the Northern Region, so most of the Federal Army is moving to invade,” Rob explained. “You guys are in big trouble if they catch you. Did you really kill those feds?”
“We had no choice,” Dexter explained.
They talked about the details of their journey after Dexter had left the FEMA camp with his family, and the shadows began to grow longer. The activity and voices on the street increased. Dexter looked that way, concerned.
“Don’t worry, Dex. It’s closing time,” Rob assured him.
“Let’s go into a back room just in case,” Dexter urged Rob. It’s time to move, he told himself.
Rob led them to his apartment in the back. He had his own sitting room, bedroom, bathroom, and mini kitchen. Just as they entered they heard the front door open.
Chapter 17
“Rob, are you here?” Harold, Rob’s father, yelled down the hall.
“Yeah, Dad,” Rob yelled back.
“Can you come here for a minute?” Harold requested.
“Sure,” Rob answered loudly and then whispered to Dexter and Johnny, “Stay here, I’ll be right back.”
Rob loped down the hall. “Lieutenant Ashish, what a surprise,” Rob stated innocently, recognizing his father’s boss. They had moved into this house over a month ago and the lieutenant had always talked about coming over for a visit. Rob was curious why he would choose now.
“Finally, got a chance to come by and see the new place. This is a much nicer home than that government apartment,” the lieutenant commented. As he talked he walked from the living room into the kitchen, scoping out the features of the home.
“It sure is, sir,” Rob replied, trying to act normal.
“You know, this home reminds me of the first home my family and I owned when I opened my first clothing store in Atlanta,” he mused as he walked around the small family room and kitchen. “And Rob, don’t you have your own apartment in this house?”
“I do, sir. It’s nice to have my own space,” Rob entertained him.
“A young man needs his own space, Rob. I’ve been watching you…” He stopped his exploring and looked at Rob.
Rob’s heart felt like it would burst onto the floor in a bloody heap at the man’s feet.
“…you’re a hard-working young man. Your numbers on your installation crews are superb,” the lieutenant commented.
“Thank you, sir.” Rob was unsure what to say.
“Now, son, let’s see that place of yours,” the Lieutenant requested nonchalantly.
“Oh, you wanted to see it now? You know how bachelors are…it’s really messy,” Rob tried to elude him.
“Of course, son. I was young once too, I won’t be surprised. I didn’t come all this way to get anything less than the grand tour,” Lieutenant Ashish insisted.
“Yes, of course, sir,” Rob acquiesced.
Watching the conversation closely, Harold feared that Rob had already found Dexter. Harold’s position within the communications department gave him access to information that wasn’t usually shared with the public. He had known Dexter was going to be in the city before he ever took one step into Dallas. He had watched the order for the arrest issue, and the warrant level increase. Harold had thought for sure the Federal Forces would find them. When they didn’t, he gave Rob the day off to look for the boy. He knew things had gone desperately wrong.
There was never a moment’s hesitation to help the young man. Dexter’s mother and father had never hesitated to help his family, and had shown the same loyalty to his family for nine long years of life in the refugee camp. Harold had often wondered what would have happened if his family had left with the Moores to chase dreams of freedom. He thought he was too old for romantic ideas and buckled down to carve out some sort of stability for his family. Now they had their home in Dallas and a life not too different from the one he had known before the Great Quake. The big difference was the never-ending bureaucratic control, quotas, and the penalties for stepping out of line. If Dexter was on the other side of that door, it would ruin everything, but that was a risk he was willing to take. Dexter was family.
Harold looked on as Rob slowly turned the door handle.
“Well, come on, son, get on with it,” the lieutenant urged.
The door opened, and Lieutenant Ashish gazed upon an empty sitting room with the gentle breeze blowing a white curtain in front of an open window.
“This is great, Rob, and hardly the mess you described,” the lieutenant declared. “You have your own bedroom and bathroom back there?”
“Yes, sir! Quite a change from how I grew up,” Rob explained.
“See what happens when you’re a productive member of our great society, son,” the lieutenant said proudly.
“Yes, sir,” Rob answered simply, for lack of anything else to say.
“Well, gentlemen, the place is wonderful, and I would love to stay to say hello to the missus, but we’ve got quite the storm rolling in from the south. Houston won’t survive the day,” he commented nonchalantly, heading for the door. “Those arrogant rednecks should have gotten with the program a long time ago, and we’d be sending Federal Rescue Squads in to help them right now.”
“I’m sure the people would have been better off,” Harold agreed politely, choking on the words. He and his family had been on a Federal Rescue Squad before. He remembered watching people die while supplies were being shuttled out.
“Thank you for the lovely tour,” the lieutenant said politely as he left the house.
The door closed, and father and son listened for the lieutenant’s footsteps to go down the stairs.
“Did you find him?” Harold whispered to Rob.
Rob ushered his father down the hall.
“He’s here or was here,” Rob explained, curious where Dexter had gone to.
Rob went back into his sitting room with his father on his heels. He went to the window and peeked out cautiously. There were guards walking by, but everything was calm. Then they heard noise from the bathroom and found Dexter lowering Trucker down to Johnny from an attic crawl space. Dexter looked down and saw Harold enter. The man had been like a second father to him for many years. As soon as the dog was safe, Dexter jumped down and caugh
t Harold up in a giant hug.
“Oh my God, Dexter!” Harold said excitedly but in a hushed tone. “Look at you, you’ve grown so much, and you have some new scars,” he commented, noticing how hardened the young man appeared to have become.
“We found my grandparents,” Dex informed him, forgetting his communications position.
“I heard,” Harold replied. “Why didn’t you stay, Dex?”
“I didn’t fit in that world, Harold. Not after all we’ve been through and…” Dexter blundered.
“And there was this girl,” Harold filled in the blanks.
Dexter blushed and denied the truth that he had poured his heart and soul out to a young aristocratic lady who had used him like a toy and thrown him out when she was done. Harold kept up the banter, urging the truth out of him.
“Okay, okay, so there was a girl, but my choice to become a merc was not because of her. It was the best choice for Trucker and me,” he said, rubbing his dog. “Plus, I met Johnny and he’s the real love of my life,” Dexter teased.
Harold stumbled for a minute, “Oh, you’re…”
“Hell no!” Johnny responded, seeing where the conversation was going.
“It’s not gay, Harold, we’re just horny,” Dexter teased.
Rob laughed heartily, and Johnny punched Dexter in the arm. Harold quickly brought the conversation back.
“Seriously, Dex, it’s nice to see you but have you heard what is going on? How do you plan on getting out of here?” Harold wished they had more time to catch up, but he knew that would have to wait.
“I heard from the Federal Forces’ major who tried to arrest me that war had been declared on the Mercenaries. I know my mom and dad aren’t in the Northern Region. We know Johnny’s dad is in federal prison and MSgt Bennet is waiting for me to come back with intel, but I still have no idea how we are going to get out of here,” Dexter explained.
The Changing Earth Series (Book 4): Battle for the South Page 9