by Cage, Zion
“So, you confronted the lady, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“And what did you decide?”
“We’re on this journey now, aren’t we? I think I’ll trust her for the time being. That’s until she does something funny,” he said.
“We just have to be careful. Who knows what we’re going to see when we get to the military base? Imagine all of them are Russians. We’ll be shot dead on the spot. We won’t even get the chance to apologize for our mistake. Also, imagine if all this is just a hoax. We’ll be ridiculed,” Bucky babbled.
Stephen stopped moving, and Bucky looked back at him. Even Tanner looked up at him, wagging its tail as though wondering why they had stopped.
“Why are you stopping?” Bucky asked.
Stephen took a second to catch his breath. He wiped the sweat off his face as he said,
“This is already too scary without you being negative. And don’t you get out of breath when you talk while jogging?”
Bucky rolled his eyes.
“Bro, we have to consider these things. We need to plan.”
“Let’s do that when we get there. For now, let’s move in silence, shall we?”
“Okay. But don’t say I didn’t warn you when you’re eating bullets for lunch.”
◆◆◆
2nd December 2021
8:56 am
Bell Street, Rosebank, New York.
USA.
Aaliyah and Joel knocked on the door of a small wooden building. From outside, they could already hear the noise of the ruckus inside. The door swung open, and an emo girl greeted them. She beamed at Aaliyah.
“Aaliyah! Looking good, girl- pale but good. Come on in,” she said as she opened the door wider.
“Mia!” Aaliyah said as she entered the house with Joel. “I love the mascara. It’s darker. Did you get a new one?”
“You know me. The guys and I robbed one of those stores downtown and found all types of expensive cosmetics. I look like the devil’s wife,” Mia said as she laughed. She was dressed as a dominatrix, and she held a bottle of beer in one hand.
The house was crowded with boys and girls just like her: dressed in black with black make-up, holding bottles of alcohol, and playing dirty. Some were smoking cigarettes. Since there were no stereos to play music, a rock band played loud music in a corner. It was a full-on party.
“These are your friends, Aaliyah? I’d ground you for a millennium if I were your dad,” Joel whispered in her ears once Mia’s back was turned.
Aaliyah chuckled, but Joel could see beyond it. Something about his joke had saddened her.
“You’ve not seen anything yet. Wait until they get drunk,” she whispered back. The place reeked of smoke and alcohol.
“How did they even get all this alcohol? I thought there was a scarcity?” Joel asked. Before he could get an answer, a guy came over and took Aaliyah’s hand.
“Aaliyah! Where have you been all this time, sexy?” he said as he landed a full kiss on her lips. Joel watched Aaliyah return the kiss. It was either she was enjoying it, or she was a good actress.
“Come on, Doug. How is she going to reply if you kiss her that way?” Mia asked as she slapped the boy’s shoulder. He pulled away from Aaliyah as he laughed.
“Don’t be jealous, Mia. I kiss you like that all the time,” he said. Turning to Aaliyah, he said, “I see you brought your old man along. I hope he likes to party.”
Aaliyah laughed as she took the bottle of beer out of Doug’s hand.
“He needed to go on a stroll. He has arthritis. We were passing this way, and so, I decided to stop by,” she said.
Joel got the clue.
“Aaliyah, I think I need to sit down. My knees are about to kill me,” he said.
Aaliyah rolled her eyes.
“Come on, dad. I told you not to bring that up here. Go find yourself a seat,” she said.
“You’re grounded once we arrive at Spain,” he said as he went and found himself a seat.
Aaliyah laughed at him and turned back to her friends. “He’s so unbelievable. Hey, there was something I really needed to tell you guys. It’s out of this world; you guys won’t believe it.”
“Really?” Mia said. “You know I love gossip.”
“Hey, how about we head to my couch,” Doug said. “I’m sure the other guys will love to hear it.”
Aaliyah smiled.
Of course. They’ll love to
◆◆◆
2nd December 2021
2:26 pm
Fort Hamilton Military Base, Brooklyn, New York.
USA.
Stephen and Bucky stood some distance from the military base and watched. It looked calm. Nothing unusual went on in it. It was hard to believe there were enemies in there.
They had stopped some distance from the barracks. Stephen bent down and ruffled the hair on Tanner’s head. The dog barked at him and wagged his tail.
“Okay, boy. You’re going to go over there and sit, okay?” Stephen said, emphasizing the words ‘sit’ and ‘there’ as he pointed to some rocks in the corner.
The dog whined. He wanted to come along.
“Tanner?” Stephen said, tilting his head. The dog whined as he went to the place his master had chosen.
“Sit tight, boy. We’ll be back soon,” Stephen said before turning to Bucky. “Ready to eat some bullets?” he asked, and Bucky smiled. Together, they walked into the military base.
There were only a few soldiers there as most of them had gone to lead migrant groups to New York. As they walked past an officer, they saluted him. The man looked at them in their military uniforms and returned their salute.
“Hey, we’re from Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio. We just arrived at New York with our migrant group some days ago,” Bucky said, showing the soldier his ID. Stephen showed his ID too, careful not to allow the soldier to have a good look at the face on it. He had taken Victor’s ID. “We were hoping to come home, and this was the closest military base to us. We were hoping to stay a few days.” Bucky finished.
The soldier eyed them for a while.
“Well, we’re a bit busy here. We’re preparing to head out for the migration, so I doubt you guys will have a long stay. However, you could meet our commander and talk with him. You’re fellow soldiers. I’m sure he’ll be able to work something out with you guys,” he said.
Stephen smiled and nodded. Just what we needed!
“Great! Where is the commander? We’ll love to see him,” he asked.
The soldier pointed backward at the camp and was about to explain; however, he realized how complicated the explanation was and sighed.
“You know what? I think I’ll just take you there. Shall we?” he said as he led the way back into the camp.
As Stephen followed him, he thought about what he had to do. Never had he thought he would be in such a situation. If he failed, he was sure to die. If he succeeded, he was still probably going to die.
Well, he had been on death row for as long as he could remember. He was used to it by now.
At least, his family would live. His death wouldn’t be a waste.
They arrived at the office, and the soldier, whose name they had learned was Troy, knocked on the door. They heard a call from inside, telling them to come in and they obeyed.
They saluted the commander once they stood before him.
“At ease,” the man said, and they relaxed.
“Privetstvovat’ Solntse,” Stephen said flippantly.
“What was that?” the commander asked.
“Oh, it was nothing. I just remembered something a migrant used to say,” he lied. The man wasn’t a Russian.
“I take it you have something to tell me,” the man said, seeming weary of the company. “Troy, you may return to your duties. There’s so much to do. As for the two of you, I just hope whatever you have come for is worth my time.”
“Yes, sir, we assure you it is,” Bucky said as Troy saluted and left the office.
“Great. Shut the door before saying anything,” the man said. Stephen went to close the door. Things were going too well. The man seemed to be the kind of person they needed for the job. He turned back to the man, ready to divulge all the information he came with.
“Privetstvovat’ Solntse. Welcome, brethren,” the man said.
Bucky and Stephen froze.
CHAPTER SIX
“We have the whole barracks on our head...”
2nd December 2021
2:30 pm
Chestnut Avenue, Rosebank, New York.
USA.
Xander sighed. He was tired. He had come up with various bypass solutions for the protocol, but none of them had been successful so far. He was running out of ideas.
Suzanne watched him.
“You are tired. You can rest if you want,” she said after a while.
He looked at her.
“But what about the program?”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll figure out a way around it if we can’t meet up.”
Xander thought about it. A little nap would do him some good. He stood up and went to a couch.
“I saw Grayson again today when I went to find some food,” Suzanne said as she poured some powder chocolate in a cup and mixed it with water. “She was so happy playing with her friends. She’s going to grow up to be someone great in the future.”
Suzanne took the mug of tea to him and handed it over.
“That’s if she does grow up. Thanks for the tea,” he said.
“You guys look a lot like each other. In fact, you act like each other. You never give up,” she said as she sat at the edge of the couch. “Think about what it’ll be like to see her married one day. Wouldn’t it be beautiful? Your kid sister would be a grown woman.”
Xander thought about it. If there was anyone, he was willing to do anything for, it was Grayson. He loved her more than anything else in the world.
Too bad things had turned out that way. She wouldn’t get to be a teenager. She would never get a first kiss or join a cheer squad. They were all going to die.
Not if he could help it. He stood up from the couch.
“If I’m going to see her married, I’m going to have to by-pass a protocol,” he said as he sat before the computer and set the mug down on the desk. “Well played, Suzanne. You sure have a way with words,” he said as he went back to work.
◆◆◆
2nd December 2021.
2:30 pm.
Fort Hamilton Military Base, Brooklyn, New York.
USA.
What the heck are you doing, Stephen? Bucky thought. He could barely maintain his calm composure.
Stephen had pulled out his device and unlocked it with his fingerprint before the man. He was giving away Suzanne’s secrets.
“You mean a conspiracy against the Ray of Hope?” the man asked. He said something in Russian, and Stephen nodded his head as if he understood what the man had said.
“Yes, brother. Please forgive me for maintaining English. It would sound funny if anyone heard us speaking another language. Suzanne, the one we call the High Priestess, is behind this. We overheard her speaking with some people about it,” he whispered.
The man was so caught up in the conspiracy theory; he didn’t notice the flaw in Stephen’s reasons.
“But the Ray of Hope ordered that she be killed. I thought that was done?” the man asked, leaning forward.
“What? She is practically invincible. The only way to overcome her is to inform the organization of her plans. And, to do that, I need escorts. She found us eavesdropping last night and has been searching for us since then. We made it here by a stroke of luck,” Stephen said.
The man nodded.
“I shall appoint some brothers to go with you. This is very sensitive,” he said.
“Thank you,” Stephen answered.
The commander called in a soldier and gave him a list of people to call.
“Tell them to report here now!” he ordered. The soldier left the room.
“So, who are you going back to?” Stephen asked.
“My daughter’s family. She is all I have left.”
Stephen nodded.
Suddenly, he pulled out his gun and shot at the commander. He missed.
“Bucky block the door. No one comes in till I’m done,” Stephen called as he took cover beside a bookshelf. Bucky locked the door and turned back. He was exposed. There was nowhere in the room to hide.
“Treason!” the commander shouted aloud from beneath his desk as he loaded his gun. “All soldiers report to this office immediately!”
He aimed at Bucky. Just as he was about to shoot, Stephen shot from beside the shelf. The desk took the bullet.
Someone turned the knob from outside but couldn’t open the door. The person began to shoot at the lock.
“We have company. We need to hurry,” Bucky said. As he looked down at the desk, he saw the man was aiming for him again.
“Oh man!” he said as he dived out of the bullet’s way. The bullet knocked on the door. Bucky was on the floor with a perfect view of the commander. Before the man could fire again, he pulled out his gun and shot at the man. The bullet barely missed.
Stephen took advantage of the distraction and went behind the desk.
“Hey, commander,” he said before he shot twice. The room became quiet.
Bucky stood up.
“Are you crazy? Now we have the whole barracks on our heads,” he shouted. The military-grade lock was about to give way.
“Just shut up and help me find his tablet,” Stephen said as he searched the man’s body. Bucky searched his drawers.
“Eureka! It seems they all hide it in the same place,” Stephen said as he pulled out a mini tab from a pocket inside the man’s shirt.
The lock gave way finally, and the door opened to reveal over a dozen soldiers, ready to shoot.
“Before you shoot, we have something to say. Your commander is not who you think he is, and we have proof,” Stephen said from behind the desk where he and Bucky hid.
◆◆◆
2nd December 2021
3:22 pm
Vanderbilt Avenue, Clifton, New York.
USA.
“Bye, Shaiera, I have to take my dad home now. Get ready to fight for freedom. Remember; don’t tell the police or soldiers,” Aaliyah said as she and Joel walked out of the door.
Shaiera, the biker mom, her husband, Joe, and the rest of their crew stood at the door and waved, stunned by what they’d heard.
When they had gone far enough, Joel spoke.
“Shaiera? Is that even a real name?”
Aaliyah laughed at that.
“You’re a crazy actress, by the way. How did you manage to come up with those stories impromptu? I’m still shocked by how you made those memos comfortable with you,” he said.
“Uh! Don’t remind me about that,” she said as she wiped her lips with the back of her palm for the umpteenth time. “I just know what they want to see me as, and I play the part. By the way, what were you doing all those times I left you alone? I saw you talking with a couple of people.”
“I was spreading our message of doom too. I figured two are better than one and can do the job faster,” he said, and she laughed. “Hey, Aaliyah, I remember speaking of your father earlier. You seemed sad afterward. How is he?”
She looked up at him and smiled ruefully.
“Can every agent in the Ray of Hope read people so well or is it just a special attribute of you and Suzanne?” she asked.
“Years of training and espionage, I guess,” He said as he shrugged.
“My family died in a car accident caused by the EMP. My grandmother died during the journey. Talking about family still hurts,” she said.
“You must hate Russians, huh?”
“Not all of them. Just the ones that did this. The family I stay with now will probably say something along the lines of ‘forgive them seventy times seven’. I wish
I could, but I don’t think I can.”
Joel looked at Aaliyah's face.
“Where you guys from America?” he asked.
“My grandparents were from Pakistan. They moved to America to have a better life. So, technically, I’m from America.”
“This whole EMP thing kinda makes you wish they stayed back, right?” he asked, and she chuckled.
“Don’t give up, Aaliyah. Life gets better,” he said.
CHAPTER SEVEN
“Some people are about to be attacked hard…”
2nd December 2021
8:28 pm
Chestnut Avenue, Rosebank, New York.
USA.
Yes! I’ve succeeded,” Xander shouted as he jumped up from his seat in excitement. Suzanne, who had been sleeping, jerked up.
“What’s going on? Who’s attacking?” she asked, standing up and becoming alert.
Xander looked at her and laughed.
“No one. But some people are about to be attacked hard. I bypassed it. Come and see,” he said as he went back to the seat. Suzanne followed him and watched. As he typed, he spoke.
“So, I’m going to put the protocol on this makeshift site, blocking any outgoing information without my fingerprint authentication. Now, I’m going to try and send information to your mini tab’s recipient’s address. Look, it didn’t work. The protocol insists that I authenticate with my fingerprint, and we don’t have a fingerprint scanner, right? Check this: after installing my program, I run it and input the site’s URL. Then, I attach the same information and wait.”
A minute later, Suzanne’s mini tablet beeped. She opened it and saw the message.
Xander is a Genius!!!!
She smiled.
“Well done, Xander. You really are a genius,” she said as she clapped. Just then, there was a clanging from the gate outside. Suzanne opened the door and looked. It was Aaliyah and Joel.