I tried the door and it was locked. I dug around in my pocket for my lock pick. That was one of the best training courses I ever took: lock picking. There wasn’t too much to this one and I got in quickly. The place looked like a typical college kid’s apartment. Dirty dishes in the sink and clothes and food wrappers strewn about. I went into the tiny bedroom and saw the picture of him, little Sean and myself next to an airplane on his nightstand. My old partner Henry was a pilot among other things. He took this picture of us when he took us up for the day in his twin engine Comanche. That was a good day. I took it out of the frame and put it in my pocket.
I looked around for any clues and found none. His TV and laptop were still in his place. It didn’t look like there was any sign of a struggle or blood stains anywhere. His backpack was gone and so was his phone. Two things he never traveled without.
I sat down on the armrest of his couch and did one more scan of the apartment hoping something would pop out at me. No luck, it was time for me to get out of there. I secured his door behind me and knocked on the door across the hall.
The door opened a crack with the chain still attached. “What do you want?” a female voice asked from behind the door.
“Is that you, Susie? It’s me, Sean. I’m Collin’s Dad. Do you remember me?” I asked hoping she would open the door and talk to me.
“Yes, yes Mr. Walsh of course I remember you!” Susie opened the door and gave me a big hug. She pulled me into her apartment and closed the door behind her. Susie lived with her partner Roxy when Collin moved in. They helped us put Collin’s place together and added a women’s touch to it. Collin had a little crush on Susie. Judging by the dirty looks Roxy gave Collin, I don’t think Roxy appreciated that at all.
Susie was 28 years old, about 5’5”, with a toned athletic build. She had dirty blond hair that was usually in a ponytail. She had a very pretty face with big blue eyes and a bright smile. Susie reminded me of a girl I had a crush on back when I was in high school. Her name was Sally and she was on the tennis team. Damn she looked good in those little tennis outfits they wore. She was beautiful and actually smiled at me and said “hi” back to me when I would try to engage her in conversation. Susie led me to the couch and offered me some tea. We sat and reminisced about when Collin first moved in.
“He is such a nice boy,” she said as she looked me square in the eyes. “You did a great job of raising him. Most of the boys around here are assholes, no manners. Not Collin he’s a gentleman, such a great friend.”
I asked her when was the last time she saw Colin. Susie told me how they were ordered to the communes underground and they were separated. She hasn’t seen him since then.
Her pretty smile disappeared and she said, “I hope he’s okay, Mr. Walsh. I really like him.”
“I hope so too Susie and please call me ‘Sean,’” I said trying not to get emotional.
“Oh I sure will, Sean,” she said staring at me with her piercing blue eyes with a little bit of awkwardness when she said my name.
I told Susie I had to get going and I gave her my contact information. I asked her to let me know when she hears from or sees Collin again. I didn’t ask about Roxy. She didn’t volunteer any information about her whereabouts or even mention her. I did notice a picture of her and Roxy on an end-table. They were at Union Terrace enjoying a beautiful summer afternoon together.
I got up and made my way to the door. Susie grabbed me and gave me a hug goodbye. It was long and deliberate. I wasn’t sure what was going on, but I enjoyed being close to a woman. This is something that hasn’t happened in a long time. I didn’t notice how good she smelt before now, or how soft she was to my touch. Susie had her head buried in my chest and moved her arms around my neck. She moved her head up and I could feel her hot breath on my neck. She looked up at me and we locked eyes, not saying a word but knowing what we really wanted to do. My hands moved down to the small of her back ever so slowly. It seemed like we were hanging on to each other for an eternity. This is wrong! I thought to myself.
I broke our embrace and awkwardly moved to the door again. I tried to avoid direct eye contact with her. But I couldn’t help but look in her blue eyes. My heart was pounding and I knew I had to get out of there. I went for the door and dug in my pocket and gave her $100. “Oh no Mr. Walsh, I mean Sean! You don’t have to do that,” she said as she tried to give the money back to me.
“No way Susie! You keep it. Please. Just let me know right away If you hear anything about where Collin might be.” We stared into each other’s eyes one more time and just like that, I was out the door. I walked out of the apartment building and started making my way back to my 4-Runner.
I was distracted thinking about Collin and my visit with Susie when…
“What time is it, motherfucker?” Two kids came out of the gangway towards me. One had an old rusty .38 caliber revolver complete with black electrical tape wrapped around the handle. His hand trembled as he pointed the gun in my face. The hammer was locked back and his finger was on the trigger. He was a black kid in his early 20s and the other kid was about 16 years old. Both were wearing black hoodies, cheap sunglasses and had bandanas over their mouths.
“T, check out his shit,” said the one with the gun to his partner. The guy with the gun was about 6’0” and a solid 200 lbs., the young one was 5’7” and maybe 150 lbs. The young kid was nervous, like this was his first street robbery. I could tell the other one was not a stranger to this lifestyle. He was nervous but calmer, than his partner. T frisked my upper body and pulled out my Ka-Bar.
“Well, look what this cracker has hiding. I’ll take that, and maybe I’ll cut you up with your own knife,” said the one holding the gun as T handed over the knife. T’s body was shaking violently. If these were different circumstances I might have felt sorry for him.
“Come on Diamante, let’s get the hell out of here!” T said wanting this to be over with.
T was so nervous he missed my phone and wallet that were in my pockets under my coat.
Diamante said, “Maybe we should waste this cracker now!”
I didn’t say a word and acted scared letting them play out their hands. Now it was time for me to do something before this asshole shoots me.
“Oh please don’t shoot me! Please!” I said backing up creating distance. Diamante still had his finger on the trigger and started laughing aiming at my head.
I then went down on my right knee and put my left hand over my head gesturing as I would be protecting my head from a bullet. Diamante stopped laughing and put his left hand under his right hand steadying his pistol.
I have to act now. I pulled up my left pants leg and drew my Walther PP-K at Diamante. I put one .380 bullet between Diamante’s eyes and 4 more in his chest. He was dead before he hit the ground. I spun around and had T pinned up against the brick wall. T and I locked eyes. I pulled his bandana down and swatted his sunglasses off his face, “Now I know who you are, I never forget an assholes face.”
I backed up and put my gun to my side and said, “Scoot! Go ahead, get out of here and never come back!” T put on the afterburners and was gone in a flash.
I should have killed him too, who knows, he could be getting reinforcements. I stepped over Diamante’s carcass and looked down at the lifeless body. “Bond, James Bond,” I said as I holstered my Walther. I then found all the casings from my gun and put them in my pocket. I bent down and retrieved my knife from Diamante’s belt. “Never take another man’s knife, son, it can be hazardous to your health,” I said as I walked out of the gangway.
I quickly made my way back to the safety of my truck. My hands were shaking and I felt sick to my stomach. I looked at my swollen fingers on my hands. Damn arthritis! I’m glad my fingers worked, but wondered when they would fail me.
No time to worry about anything, I had to focus on getting out of there. It was getting late and I made my way back to Frank’s house.
“You home Frank?�
�� I asked as I pounded on the door. Frank opened his door after confirming it was me and let me in.
“You look like shit! What the hell happened to you?” Frank asked as he closed the door behind me and took off his mask.
We both sat down and I filled him in on my escapades from the day. The adrenaline was wearing off and I was dog tired. Frank went over to the fridge and got a couple of beers out.
“Not for me friend, I don’t feel like drinking right now,” I said as I put my head back and closed my eyes. Frank put the beers back and gave me a soda.
We chatted for a while and I told Frank I needed to get some sleep. I had to get up early and head back home to Milwaukee. He agreed and he retired to his room.
I laid down on the couch and closed my eyes. I kept thinking about what just happened and Collin and Little Sean. Hopefully tomorrow won’t be as eventful as the last couple of days.
10 Heading Home
I got up early, not hung over this time and checked my weapons I took out of my truck a few days earlier. I loaded the ammunition Ben gave me in a magazine and put it in my AR-15. The last gun I checked was my Walther PP-K. I topped off the magazine that was in it and put it back in its rightful place affixed to my left ankle.
“So you’re going to promise me that you’ll be careful on your way back, right Sean?” Frank asked handing me a can of Pepsi.
I lifted my right hand up and said, “Scout’s honor.” We both knew I was kicked out of cub scouts after being in it for about two weeks. Back then I wasn’t cub scout material. It didn’t help that I had a Nazi den mother, she was fat and mean. Always munching away on chips and anything else she could shove into her mouth. She made us take off our shoes and go in her basement that had a cement floor. It was always cold and damp in her basement. She never shared her treats with us and I hated going over there. So that didn’t mean a whole lot, but we both got a chuckle out of it.
“Now don’t go back to Susie’s place looking for some action, you dirty old man,” Frank said while helping me carry my stuff to the truck. I could see the sly smile even though he was wearing his mask.
I now regretted telling Frank about how I felt about Susie during our late night conversation. Too late now I guess. For now, I will be the dirty old man.
Frank and I gave each other a one-armed hug and I was on my way back home. As I drove down the highway I felt hollow inside. It killed me inside not knowing what happened to Collin or little Sean. I was also thinking of Susie. I felt guilty thinking of her as a potential girlfriend, Am I a dirty old man? Or are we actually attracted to each other?
“I can’t afford this shit occupying my brain right now, I have to stay focused on finding Collin and Sean. Susie or any other romantic interests will have to take a back seat in my life right now. There is no room for that kind of distraction,” I said out loud to myself. Time to head back towards Cambridge.
Getting out of Madison wasn’t bad at all. Most people took I-94 the main highway out of the city because it was safer. But that route doubled your travel time compared to older Hwy. 12 that was less traveled and there was less chances of check-points. The big problem were those pesky land Pirates.
I was coming over the ridge where the land pirates attacked me on my way to Madison. I slowed my truck down and had my AR-15 locked and loaded on my lap. I pulled over to the side on high ground and scanned the small valley in front of me. It looked clear for now so I proceeded at about 20 miles an hour. My heart was beating hard and my palms were sweaty.
I made my way through the area where the Pirates had attacked me and I sped my truck up to about 50 miles per hour. There were no signs of my small battle that had taken place just a few days earlier. As I drove away from the area, the thought of the 16-year-old girl that I had killed was still in my head. I couldn’t help but think how she was forced into that lifestyle by those assholes. I heard stories about how out in the country young girls were treated like slaves. They were bought and traded for services and resources.
I couldn’t help but think about Susie being by herself. It wasn’t as barbaric in the city, but there were desperate people that were capable of all kinds of violence and lawlessness. “Get that shit out of your head Sean!” I yelled out loud as I was approaching Cambridge.
I stopped at the checkpoint and had already notified Ben of my impending arrival. I showed the guard my credentials and he waved me past with a big smile. It was good to have friends like Ben.
I parked my truck in front of the police station next to Ben’s Volkswagen Thing. I got out and looked at this funny vehicle and chuckled out loud.
The Guard that was stationed out front smiled and recognized me from the last time I was there. The front desk officer led me into Ben’s office and I let myself in.
“Goddamn good to see you’re in one piece, old chap!” Ben said jumping up and shaking my hand. Ben was stationed in England when he was in the service. He often took liberties with English sayings, like “chap.” I always got a kick out of it.
I closed the door behind me and I filled him in on the Pirate ambush and the attempt at robbing me in Madison. Ben looked at me and shook his head, “I notified the Feds and they cleaned up the bodies and took care of some of their friends that were close by. Of course I told them the report I received was anonymous, they didn’t push the issue. I guess that’s what our little piece of the world is coming to.”
We talked some more and Ben informed me he had not heard anything about the whereabouts of Collin or Little Sean.
Ben got up from behind his desk and said with a big smile, “You’re going to have dinner with Elaine and I tonight. She wants to meet this crazy Irish guy I keep talking about.”
“Sorry brother, I’m going to have to take a raincheck.” I got up from my chair. I wanted to meet Ben’s bride and was looking forward to a home cooked meal Unfortunately I couldn’t afford to get comfortable right now. It would be too distracting and I would probably want to do it on a regular basis. Who knows, maybe I would want to settle down in this nice little town.
“Thanks for the offer old friend, but I have to get back home. I’ve been gone too long as it is. I hope my house and everything inside is still there,” I said as I shook Ben’s hand.
Ben shook his head in agreement and walked me out the door to my truck. “The road should be clear for you Sean. I haven’t heard of any problems with Pirates since your run-in with them.”
I hopped in my truck and Ben had the look of worry and disappointment on his face saying, “You take care of yourself and watch your six. You know that you and your boys are always welcome here, right?”
I stuck my head out my window and said with a laugh, “Of course I do. I will promise to be careful. What could go wrong with me traveling around here? I will be back and I will meet Elaine. I promise!”
With that, I left Cambridge. I was grateful for Ben’s generosity and the thought of perhaps settling down here when I found my boys. I could see myself living a nice existence here with my boys and a female companion. The thought of being with somebody I loved and wanted to be with was absolutely intoxicating. Something I never had in my adult life. I had to put those thoughts deep inside me, not to be taken out until the right time. For now, I had to focus on finding my boys and survival.
The rest of my trip back home was uneventful. I made it through two checkpoints without any problems and turned the corner down to my house. I spotted a yellow VW Bug in front of Karl’s house. There was an all too familiar collection unit driving slowly towards it.
Oh shit! I hope Karl isn’t dead! I thought to myself as I pulled up my driveway. I hopped out and ran up Karl’s driveway and rapped on the door. Father Tim answered looking worried. “Is Karl okay?” I asked, not really wanting to know the answer.
“He is resting right now,” Father Tim said closing the door behind him. He went on to explain that Karl had a fever but It has gone down since last night. He’s a little out of it and
would be looking in on him tomorrow.
I grabbed my medical bag from the truck and brought it into Karl’s house. I dug out my stethoscope and listened to Karl’s lungs.
“Oh ya, just what I thought. Those lungs aren’t popping on all cylinders,” I said as I put down my stethoscope and looked at a weak and feverish Karl. I went on to explain to Father Tim and Karl that he most likely had pneumonia. A hospital wouldn’t do much for him since he was older. The government run hospitals didn’t do much for older folks or people that were terminally ill. Medical resources were still stretched thin and there wouldn’t be anything done for Karl, except for offering a place to die. The government saw older citizens and the terminal ill as a drain on precious resources.
Karl would most likely die in a couple of days if he wasn’t treated soon with antibiotics and I.V. fluids. I had plenty in my house, but didn’t want to give up what I had. Father Tim looked at me and asked, “Is there any way you can help him? He has nobody left in this world.”
I already did too much here. I looked at Karl and then Father Tim and told them both to stand by. I would be back in just a little bit.
I had to empty my truck and put it back into the garage. I hurried up and unloaded my guns and supplies into my house. I then went into my bedroom on the main floor of my house. “I guess Karl can recover here,” I muttered to myself. I shook my head thinking to myself this is a giant mistake. It was a long time since I or anybody else slept in this bed. I didn’t want any distractions and I certainly didn’t want to play nurse to a sick old man. But I also believed in Karma and hoped if one of my kids was injured or sick, somebody would help them.
I went across the street and looked at Karl. I told him he could spend a couple of days over at my house until he was feeling better. Father Tim and Karl’s eyes both lit up with excitement. Father Tim said, “Bless you son, you are doing a good deed.”
Mad City: Book One of the Sean Walsh Post Apocalyptic Series Page 5