Traveler

by David Yates

  Manny was in his wheelchair near his work station. Archer was still lying on the couch, and obviously still in pain. He still clutched his side and grimaced if he moved too much. Sam sat beside Archer, dabbing his forehead with a cool wet cloth.

  Braden knelt beside Archer. “Hey, Doc, how're you feeling?"

  Archer said, “I think I broke a rib or two. They'll heal on their own, but I could use an Ace bandage."

  "Do you have any in your bag?” Braden asked.

  "No, but I do have some pain pills in there,” he replied. “Several kinds. Sam, can you bring me the Vicodin from my bag?"

  "Sure,” Sam said. She gave him a peck on the forehead and rose to get them.

  "I'll find a drugstore and get some Ace bandages,” Braden volunteered.

  "Thanks,” Archer replied, and winced again.

  Braden inched a little closer. “Doc,” he asked, “are you sure about Jim? You're sure he's dead?"

  Archer's pain-laced eyes sought and found Braden's. “Yes, I'm sure,” he said. “Bastards took off the top of his head. We were just riding along, having a great time and all of a sudden...” He could tell from the looks on the others’ faces that he didn't need to finish.

  Sam returned with the medication. She drew a glass of water and dumped a pill into her hand. She looked at Archer questioningly. “One or two?” she asked.

  "One,” said Archer. He took the pill and put it in his mouth. Sam helped him raise his head and held the glass for him while he drank.

  Braden rose to his feet. He turned to Manny and said, “Will you be okay here for awhile while I go look for a drugstore?"

  Manny nodded. “Just don't waste any time,” he admonished. “We really shouldn't sit here for long."

  Braden nodded and looked at Sam. “Want to ride along?"

  Sam hesitated before she answered. “No, I'd better stay here and look after the Doc. I'll keep him comfortable until you get back."

  Braden found he was slightly disappointed that Sam had turned him down. He really could have used her company. He said to Manny, “I'll be back as quick as I can."

  Just before he stepped out the door, Manny said, “Hey, bring some of those burgers back with you, too. I can smell them from here."

  Braden returned less than an hour later. He was carrying a plastic Walgreen's bag and a sackful of McDonald's burgers and fries. He sat the food on the table and removed an Ace bandage from the Walgreen's bag. Manny stopped his computer work and attacked the food immediately.

  "Where's Sam?” Braden asked, removing the wrapping from the bandage.

  "Back in the bedroom,” Manny said, tearing into a hamburger. “She's been back there for awhile. Must be taking a nap."

  "I could use her help wrapping this bandage around Charlie's ribs. Also, she needs to eat something.” He set the bandage down on the table and walked down the hall toward the closed bedroom door.

  "Sam?” he said loudly as he approached the door. He thought he heard rapid movement on the other side, but he wasn't sure. He reached the door and opened it gently. Sam lay under the covers, apparently asleep. He lay down on the bed beside her and stroked her hair. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

  "Hey,” he said softly. “You need to eat something. I've got burgers and fries."

  "I'm not really hungry,” she replied.

  "Are you all right?” he asked.

  "I guess I'm just sad about Jim,” she said. “He was such a great guy."

  "Yeah,” Braden agreed.

  "Can I just be alone for a little while? I promise I'll eat something later."

  Braden kissed her temple. “Okay.” He got up and went to the door. He turned and looked at her again. “Let me know if you need me for anything."

  "Okay,” she replied without turning.

  Braden hesitated at the door for a moment longer before pulling it shut. I guess I should cut her a little slack, he thought. She's probably never known anyone who was murdered. He pulled the door shut with a small click.

  Sam pulled the PDA out from under the covers. She looked at the last message she had received from Anson. It was still on the screen.

  Advise current location. Please respond.

  Sam chewed her lower lip and thought. As she thought, another message came in. She opened it and read it.

  Team standing by, awaiting your response. Is there a problem?

  "You bet there's a problem,” Sam said under her breath. She pressed the stylus to the “Compose” button and typed her message.

  You said no one was going to be hurt.

  She touched “Send". She only had to wait ninety seconds for the response.

  An accident, which won't be repeated. Advise location now.

  She sat as still as a statue, thinking harder than she ever had in her 21 years. As she thought, another message came in. Only three words this time.

  Trust me, sweetheart.

  She gave in, as she had always given in to him. She sent him their location.

  "Uh, Doc, I hate to ask you this,” Braden said after they had finished bandaging Archer's ribs, “but do you think you'd be up to driving the RV?"

  "Yes, I believe I can manage that,” Archer responded. “You did a good job on the bandaging, and the Vicodin is working. I could drive for a little while, anyway."

  "What's wrong with Sam?” Manny asked. “She did fine driving it before."

  "I'm going to leave her be for awhile,” Braden answered. “She's a little broken up about Jim, and she needed some alone time."

  "Oh.” Manny nodded his head and said nothing else, but inwardly he was worried. She wasn't even that close to Jim, he thought. In fact, she and I are a lot closer than they were, and I doubt she would react to my death this strongly, let alone Jim's.

  Archer tried to get to his feet, and Braden helped him. Braden supported the doctor and walked him to the driver's seat, and Archer plopped into it with a sigh.

  Braden put a hand on Archer's shoulder. “Are you sure you're up for this, Doc?"

  Archer took as deep a breath as his injured ribs would allow. He nodded. “The hard part's already done. I'm in the seat.” He took in another shallow breath and said, “Where are we going?"

  Braden consulted the internal road atlas in his head. He had long since memorized the U.S. Interstate Highway System, as well as all Federal highways and most major State highways.

  "We'll head down U.S. 287 to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Try our luck at getting lost in a high-density population for awhile. I'll follow behind you in the ‘Blazer.” As an afterthought, he added, “Doc, if you get down the road and feel you can't continue, let Manny know. Sam can take over for you."

  "You got it,” said Archer.

  "I can still do my work while we're rolling,” said Manny. “I've got a lot of files to go through."

  Braden nodded and left the RV. He started the ‘Blazer and followed the RV out of the McDonald's lot. In no time they were rolling southeast out of Amarillo and into the sparsely-populated scrubland of north central Texas. The afternoon sun chased them as it drew nearer to the close of another day.

  The assault team missed them by a scant ten minutes.

  As he rode easy in the ‘Blazer, following the RV down the four-lane divided highway that was U.S. 287, Braden's thoughts first drifted to Jim Hollingsworth (as may be expected), then to Sam they so often did). From there it was an easy leap to his future. Assuming there was a future, he amended.

  Suppose they not only survived, but succeeded in eliminating their would-be killers. What then? They had the means to live comfortably, all four of them. Most of the money was still sitting in the bank in Spain and they wouldn't have to want for anything. But what kind of life would they lead? More specifically, what kind of life would he and Sam lead? Where would they end up? Would there be kids? These were all questions which had occurred to him before, and questions for which he still had no answers.

  And suppose they couldn't get rid of Anson and Alexander? Or su
ppose someone else, someone younger, took up the quest to find Braden and his companions if Anson and Alexander died? Just suppose they were on the run for the rest of their lives? That was certainly no way to live a life, constantly looking over your shoulder. Braden knew now how criminals on the lam must feel.

  He wondered if Sam was still sleeping. He checked his rearview mirror and moved into the passing lane. From this vantage point he could see the side window in the master bedroom. The curtains were closed, but he could see that the light was on in the room. He could dimly make out Archer's face in the RV's outside rearview mirror. His thoughts overtook him again.

  For Braden's part, he knew what he wanted out of life; but he also knew that it was an unattainable dream, at least as long as they were being pursued. He fantasized about having a remote cabin deep in the woods of Tennessee, or maybe high atop the Rocky Mountains. He and Sam would live out their lives there (their life, he corrected with a smile). They would have two or three kids. The kids wouldn't need to attend school; Braden could teach them everything they needed to know. On second thought, Braden amended, he thought he would want them to attend school. He wouldn't want his kids to live an isolated childhood as he had. He would want them to have other children their own age to play with and to interact with; a healthy childhood. Still deep in his fantasy, Braden thought, so I guess the isolated cabin's out. Maybe a nice house in the suburbs...

  And Sam would be the perfect mother. The kids would have her blonde hair and her green eyes. They would own a minivan and go to soccer games, maybe go to the park or the zoo on the weekends. He would buy the kids cotton candy and they would feed the monkeys and the elephants. They would be a family. And later, after the kids were in bed, he would sit with Sam on the sofa, both of them curled together under a blanket, watching a movie or just staring out the window at the stars.

  As if she knew he was thinking of her, the curtains parted at the bedroom window and Sam looked out. She looked down and to the rear and saw him in the ‘Blazer. He waved to her, and she smiled and waggled her fingers to him in return. Even though she had smiled, he thought her face looked troubled. The curtain fell back into place and she disappeared.

  Braden fell back into place behind the RV, and they continued to chew up the miles between Amarillo and Fort Worth.

  A short time later, Braden's cell phone rang. He checked the caller ID and saw it was Manny. At the same time that Braden answered the call, the RV's turn signal came on and Archer pulled off the road into a truck stop.

  "What's up, Manny?” Braden asked.

  "I found them,” Manny said excitedly. “Both of them. I know where they are. And I know a whole lot more."

  "I'll be right in,” Braden answered.

  The RV came to a stop in the gravel truck-parking area. Braden pulled up next to it and killed the engine. He jumped out of the ‘Blazer and sprinted into the RV.

  Manny sat at his work station, grinning from ear to ear. Archer was still seated in the captain's chair behind the wheel. The chair was swiveled around to face the interior of the RV. Archer popped a Vicodin into his mouth. Sam was sitting at the table.

  "Talk to me, Manny,” Braden said.

  "You may want to sit down,” Manny said. “This is gonna take awhile.” Braden moved to the table and sat down beside Sam. His left hand searched for hers and found it. She squeezed tightly.

  "I was checking through files, pretty much at random, and I remembered what you told me about something called North Star. I might have found it a lot quicker if I had remembered sooner. So I checked for files with the keywords “North Star", and boom, there it was."

  Manny continued, reading the file as he spoke. “North Star is the corporation set up by Anson and his four colleagues years ago, back when they first dreamed up the plan involving kidnapping you. Their entire setup, their entire plan, was pretty much as Miller told you. According to the file, their plan was to first use you to assassinate leaders in foreign countries. They had plans to replace leaders in the UK, Canada, France, Russia, Germany, Australia, Japan, even China. It looks like the last leader they were going after was our own President. Once the new leaders were in place, they would virtually have the world in their pocket."

  "But just installing new heads of state wouldn't have gotten them very far,” Archer interjected. “For example, in this country we have a system of checks and balances. The President is checked by Congress and the Supreme Court. If the President loses his marbles and wants to wage war against someone, he can't do it without Congressional approval."

  "That's why they also intended to install people into key positions in the legislatures of these countries,” Manny replied. “Their plan was to control the respective governments. And think about it; the President of the United States is considered to be the most powerful person in the world. If the President did want to invade another country or launch missiles at someone, he could do it. He's the Commander In Chief. He would have hell to pay after the fact, but by then the damage would be done."

  Braden said, “But their plan was doomed to failure from the start."

  "How so?” Manny asked.

  "They expected to have some kind of Superman who could fly all over the globe, assassinating world leaders,” Braden said. “It never occurred to them that I would be limited in what I can and cannot do."

  "That's right,” Archer said. “They never considered that you would have to rest up after every trip you made."

  Braden was nodding. “And there's another thing that they failed to account for."

  "What's that?” Archer asked.

  "Mom and Pop.” Braden responded.

  "What do you mean?” Manny said.

  Braden adjusted himself in the seat. He unclasped his hand from Sam's and put his arm around her. She moved closer to him and rested her hand on his leg.

  "Just this,” Braden answered. “They expected to get a bloodthirsty assassin with a cold heart and no remorse. Mom and Pop unknowingly ruined their plans. They raised me to be a decent human being. After the upbringing they gave me, I would have no more assassinated any world leaders than I would have hurt any one of you. Mom and Pop gave me a heart and a conscience. I can't commit murder."

  "But don't you want to kill Anson and Alexander?” Manny asked.

  Braden looked into Manny's eyes and considered his question. He said, “I hate them for what they did to me, and I hate them for taking Mom and Pop away from me. But the truth is, I couldn't commit murder. I couldn't raise one of my guns and shoot an unarmed man, no matter how evil he is."

  "Then how were you able to kill Miller?” Archer asked softly.

  "I didn't. Miller's own men killed him. I killed them in self-defense."

  The interior of the RV was silent. Manny stared at the computer screen. Archer looked out the front passenger window. Sam's eyes were on Braden, who was examining the table top. Manny asked quietly, “So what do you want to do? I have their locations right here. They're not going to stop chasing us until we're all dead."

  When Braden didn't immediately answer, Archer said, “Braden, we're with you. We'll support any decision you make. Do you want to just disappear? We have plenty of money to live on for the rest of our lives. We could go to some Pacific island and drink mai-tais on the beach for all I care. But as far as I'm concerned, you're the boss here. It's your decision."

  They were all looking at Braden now. He stared thoughtfully at the table top for a few moments, then turned to Sam. “What do you think?” he asked her.

  She gazed directly into his eyes. “Like the Doc said, it's your decision. I'll follow where you lead."

  Braden turned his head. “Manny?"

  Manny threw up his hands. “It's your call, brother. I'm behind you all the way, no matter what."

  Braden thought about all the possibilities. He remembered his fantasy of a life and a family with Sam. He had never even been to a beach. Oh, man, it would be nice to just kick back on a beach somewhere, soaking up the sun, watc
hing the whitecaps roll in while a warm ocean breeze caressed you. No worries, no responsibilities; just a long white expanse of sand and a lounge chair. And Sam.

  He came back to himself. He raised his head and looked at the others. “Manny's right about one thing. They're never going to let us alone. They'll keep coming and keep coming. If we run to an island, they'll find us. If we hunker down in a cave in the Andes Mountains, they'll find us. If we get lost in the deepest part of the Australian Outback, they'll find us. They have the means, the resources and the motivation to keep up the search for as long as it takes."

  Braden rose to his feet. “If we ever hope to have lives after this, we must be certain that we won't have to be looking over our shoulders. We're going to have to see this through all the way to the end.

  "Until either they're all dead, or we are."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter 7

  "Excuse me, guys. Gotta go to the little girls’ room."

  Sam unstuck herself from Braden's side and headed for the bathrooms at the rear of the truck stop's restaurant. As she disappeared into the short corridor, Manny continued their interrupted conversation.

  "Okay, so we know that Anson is in Key Largo, and Alexander is in Chicago. How do we proceed?"

  Braden answered, “I'll have to travel and scope out the situation in both places. I'll check out Alexander first."

  "Braden,” Manny said, “I hate to sound like a broken record, but you know they are going to be heavily protected. They know what happened to Miller, and they're going to be on the lookout for you."

  "Yes, I think we can safely assume that we no longer have the element of surprise,” Archer added.

  Manny sipped his coffee and continued. “My point is that you have to be more careful than ever. They don't have the integrity and morals that you have. They or their men will put a bullet between your eyes on sight."

  "I know,” Braden said thoughtfully. He looked out the wide window at the starry night. They called Montana “Big Sky Country", but Braden had discovered that there was nothing quite as beautiful as a clear Texas night. It was almost as if the stars were simultaneously magnified and multiplied, and the view was crystal-clear. Who needs a planetarium, Braden thought, when you've got Texas?