I tried to remain calm and asked Susie, “How is Roxy connected to this group and how is Colin caught up in this?”
Susie explained that Roxy introduced her to a group of students at the University when they first started going out. They were not happy with the government. They felt that our government was corrupt and needed change. Susie was all for positive change and human rights. She and the others saw some members of the military becoming outspoken opponents of the peace loving administration. Susie believed that this president was too soft on terrorism. But still believed in democracy and didn’t want the military to have total control. They saw that these members of the military were talking like dictators not guardians of the peace. Most of the other students agreed with her. But there was a small group of militants within this group that Roxy would side with.
Roxy wanted her own government that would be more extreme than the U.S. military could be. Roxy felt the only way to change government was through violence. It’s all she knew. She grew up on a steady diet of violence. Susie and Roxy would have heated disagreements about this and then war broke out. During their time in the communes underground the militant branch of the student group took over. It started to become a matter of survival of the fittest and there was strength in numbers. Roxy rose to power quickly in this dire situation. She was strong in every way and the weaker students looked up to her. She aligned herself with some evil people, even Arabs.
Susie shook her head and said, “I never thought I would see the day when Roxy, a proud Jew, would side with Arab terrorists to accomplish her twisted goals.”
I shook my head back at her and said, “So how does Collin fit in all this? Was he a part of this group in the communes? How long have you had information about Collin and didn’t tell me?”
Susie looked at me with her blue eyes that pulled me in like a tractor beam, “I never saw him underground after we were split up into our groups. I didn’t know for sure until a couple of days ago. I wanted to be sure before I told you. I didn’t want you to get your hopes up. You should know, there’s something big going on and they are forcing him into it. Sounds like they are going to have some kind of big demonstration. The first big one since the war.”
I had to play dumb, “Where is this demonstration going to be? Is Collin going to be there for sure?”
Susie relaxed and uncrossed her arms, “It’s going to be in front of the Capitol building. Roxy said they’re going to be making a big statement. I’m afraid they are going to do something stupid and Collin will be in the middle of it.”
I still had to pretend that this was all new to me. I had to stay calm and get as much information as possible. “So how are you getting this information from Roxy?”
Susie put her head down and started to sniffle. She didn’t say a word. She didn’t have to.
It hurt like hell to see Susie like this but I had to keep pushing. “So, when is this big ‘statement’ going to happen?” I sidestepped the obvious and stayed on track. I had to make sure she didn’t have any information I didn’t.
Susie put her head back up and said, “I don’t know for sure, Roxie had been drinking and was starting to get suspicious of all my questions.” She pointed at her black eye saying, “She was accusing me of being a spy for the government. That’s when she gave me this.”
I felt terrible. Susie was trying to help me and I was being an absolute jerk. She got messed up for being accused of being a spy and I’m the one working for the government. I wanted to tell her the truth about me working for Alpha, but I couldn’t. It was much safer for her not to know the specifics of my job. I shouldn’t’ve gotten this close to her in the first place. I never meant for her to get hurt.
Susie got up and refreshed the cold towel put it back on her eye sitting on the couch and putting her head back. I walked over and carefully rubbed her shoulders. Susie let out a grown of approval when I started doing this. I didn’t ask her about Roxie any more.
I awkwardly said, “I’m going to have to go to work early in the morning.”
Susie took the towel off her eye and turned around gingerly, “I guess you can’t tell me what that is all about.”
I walked over and sat next to Susie and took her hand in mine, “You know I can’t talk about my job.” The room was filled with tension now.
Susie got up abruptly and said, “I really hate this secretive stuff. I hate not knowing what you are doing and how dangerous of situations you are putting yourself in.”
I got up and wrapped my arms around her waist carefully pulling her into me. Susie put her forehead on my pectoral and put her arms around my neck. No more words were spoken, none were needed. Susie and I were damaged in so many ways, sharing a moment. We stood like this for what seemed like an eternity holding on to each other not knowing what tomorrow would bring.
23 The Guests Have Arrived
It was 0300 and I snuck out of bed trying not to disturb Susie. I’m not sure why I bothered going to bed last night. I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Just a lot of tossing and turning with all kinds of thoughts running through my head. I watched her in the dim light of the bedroom. She was such a beautiful creature. There was no marathon love making last night. Just two people holding on to each other not knowing where their lives were taking them. As I walked away from the bed, she reached over and mumbled something I couldn’t understand and fell back to sleep.
I gathered my things and got dressed in the living room and went over to the refrigerator. There wasn’t much in there but a couple of bottles of water. One of the bottles was reasonably cold to the touch, so I took it. I had a hand full of stims in my pocket and I downed 3 and washed them down with the water. That should give me a good start for this day. I sat back down and checked my M&P .40 cal. I had two extra mags topped off in their pouches on my web gear with a leg holster. I stood up and conducted one last press check on my pistol and put it in its holster. I liked the leg holster, it reminded me of the old days of cowboys. Good versus evil and stuff like that. I tugged on my trusty Ka-Bar that was on my belt to make sure I didn’t forget it. My vest was on the couch and I would put that on last. I hated those things, but it was necessary. I made my way to Susie and kissed her on the forehead trying my best not to wake her. She started to come around so I left the room quickly.
I put my vest on that had extra mags for the MK-12 and other assorted goodies that were attached. I opened the door with a feeling of dread. Is Susie a part of this terrorist organization that I’m going to be taking out today? Is she still with Roxie and she is just using me for information? You could go crazy with all this shit in your head.
I closed the door as quietly as possible, and heard Susie’s voice, “Be careful Sean, I love you.” That was as big a punch in the gut. I didn’t say anything, I just made my way outside to my truck. I had to keep a clear head. It was going to be game time soon and I didn’t need anything else but the mission in my brain.
As I drove to the restaurant Nick appeared on the screen on the dashboard of my truck. “Good morning old man. I hope you’re ready for this. Our intel is showing that this event is picking up steam. Not sure how many targets will be there. We know for sure there will be two suicide bombers with nukes that you will have to take out. If your girlfriend’s ex Roxy is there, she will be a target. It turns out Roxy is very high up in the food chain of this organization and she must be eliminated. We’re not sure if there will be any more additional targets. Collin should be there. They will have about 50 or more students for cover. They will be meeting near the restaurant. They will have a demonstration and march to the Capitol. That’s where they are planning to detonate the nukes. Your job will be to make sure they don’t make it that far. Make sure your earpiece is in. We will be communicating with you through that. Keep your phone on you and make sure you park close by. The truck will act as a repeater for communication if need be. Any questions?”
I rubbed my eyes and felt my gut ache and was th
inking I probably should have slept over at Frank’s house. No distractions there to sidetrack me. I didn’t know if it was nerves, thinking about Susie, or getting excited at the prospect of rescuing Collin. I was eager to get revenge for Susie and Collin. Roxy has hurt them and many others, it would be nice to right that wrong. If Roxy was there, that would be icing on the cake. Nobody hurts my kid!
Or maybe it was a combination of all that and the stims. You would think I would be nervous about having to take out suicide bombers that were trying to start up World War 4. Oddly enough, I was okay with all that. I felt comfortable with high risk and stressful situations.
“Ya I have a question. Why is it that your ugly mug is going to be the last thing I see before I have to go on this mission?” I said while laughing.
Nick laughed along with me and said, “Sorry I’m all you got right now.”
“I guess it’s my lucky day then.” I said as I pulled into the back of the restaurant.
Nick’s face turned serious as he said, “Good luck buddy. I don’t have to stress how important all this is. We do have a couple of snipers near the capitol in case you don’t complete your mission. They will be the last resort if you fail. Your contact will be ‘Overlord’ and you will be ‘Celtic One.’ Gus will be expecting you, knock on the back door three times and he will let you in. Make sure you don’t have your ID on your person in case you mess up and get yourself captured.” Nick nodded and smiled at me.
I quickly brushed my hand over my vest where my suicide implant was and thought, If I get captured, I won’t have to worry about them interrogating me. Alpha will cancel my stamp via remote control.
“Rodger that!” I retorted in my best cheerful military voice.
The screen went blank and I put in my earpiece. I turned off the truck and carefully closed the door. It was very quiet and there was no sign of anybody in the area. I went to the back of the truck and pulled out a ruck filled with water, rations, extra ammo and binoculars. I saved the Pelican case for last. I closed the back hatch and did one more perimeter check before going to the door. I knocked as quietly as possible three times. There was no answer and I looked around to make sure I had the correct door. All was quiet, and I knocked again. I was standing to the side of it as I did so many other times knocking on doors where I wasn’t sure what was waiting on the other side for me.
The door opened slowly and Gus peeked his head out looking for me. “Come on in my friend, come on.”
I was relieved at the sight of the friendly old man. I made my way into the dimly lit dining room. Gus stuck his head out the door looking for un-friendlies before closing it shut.
Gus motion me to a booth where there were 2 cups of coffee and some bread waiting. I wasn’t sure how the coffee would mix with the stims, but it smelled so good to me. We sat down across from each other and started to sip our coffees and share the stale bread. Gus pulled out a pack of camels and offered me one. I politely declined and he fired one up for himself. “I gave those up years ago, but I still love the smell.” I told Gus so he wouldn’t think I was rude.
Gus started to cough as he said, “I wish that I had quit a long time ago, too late for me now.” I nodded in agreement and gave him a smile as he started to cough again.
I finished my portion of bread and took my last sips of the coffee. “Thank you Gus you’re a good man. Where is the head?”
Gus chuckled and coughed some more pointing down the hall, “It’s down there, the door to the left. Better take care of business because I have a feeling you’re going to be up top for a while.”
When I got back from taking care of business Gus had a fresh Camel in the side of his mouth with a big grin. He was standing next to the booth wearing a gun belt with a Colt 1911 on his hip and a M1 Garand at port arms.
I was a little shocked to see the firepower, but not surprised. “You know Gus this is a solo mission, but I appreciate your enthusiasm.” I don’t want to hurt the old guy’s feelings. But my hands would be full and I couldn’t afford anymore distractions.
Gus took a drag off the cigarette and kept grinning, “What? You don’t think this old man knows how to handle himself? You can keep your fancy firepower and gadgets, this is all I have ever needed. They have never let me down.” Gus patted the butt of the rifle smiling. “Don’t you worry about me, this is just in case everything goes to shit.” Gus slung his rifle over his shoulder and cleaned up the table.
It was time to get ready and I unpacked my MK-12 and put it together. I slung the rifle and charged it up. I then conducted one more press check on my pistol and put it back in its holster with authority. I closed up the pelican case and put it on the seat that I just occupied. I put the ruck over my shoulder and shook Gus’s hand. “Thank you for all the hospitality Gus. I may have to get out here quick. Could you leave the front and back doors unlocked please? I may also leave some of my equipment behind. I was told I can trust you with that.”
Gus shook his head and slapped me on the shoulder, “Of course, of course. Leave whatever you need to behind. I will take care of everything.” Gus then leaned in towards me and blew a plume of smoke out of the side of his mouth, “Just don’t miss.”
I just nodded yes and made my way towards the staircase going to the roof.
Gus stopped me and said, “There’s an old mattress up there for you and a couple of blankets. It’s still cold and they will give you some concealment.” I had a strange feeling Gus had been in my shoes more than one time.
I made my way up the stairs to a rooftop that had a clear view of the street and sidewalks below. I pulled out my M&P and cleared the roof to make sure there were no unfriendlies. I smiled when I noticed the mattress and blankets were strategically placed high enough so I could lay prone and take care of business. Not too far or close to the edge, just right. Thanks, Gus. I slowly made my way to the mattress and set up my rifle. I also took out my water and binoculars out of my Ruk. Early fall mornings in Wisconsin could be downright frigid so I appreciated the blankets. One was an old wool blanket that would provide warmth and the other was a lighter-tan blanket that blended in with the colors on the roof. This used to be a roof-top eating area. Some of it was missing but most of it was still intact. There were large pillars facing the street that were still for the most part there. There was a good amount of rubble on the ground, but Gus cleared a good sized path for me.
I settled in and placed the heavy blanket from my butt down to my legs and placed the thinner blanket over myself and my rifle. I got my binoculars out and checked the street and sidewalks down below. There was nothing going on down there. Maybe this will be a bust. I hope not, I was ready to get Collin and smoke Roxy. I then turned on my earpiece and said, “Overlord, this is Celtic One. How is my signal?’
A male African-American voice boomed into my ear, “Your loud and clear Celtic One.”
He sounded like a cross between Lou Rawls and Samuel L. Jackson. I was surprised by how clear the earpiece worked and responded, “Roger Overlord. I’m in place waiting for instructions.”
The voice boomed again, “Stand by Celtic One, I will contact you again in 60 minutes.”
I put my head down thinking, “Oh great, hurry up and wait. That has been the story of my life in the military and law enforcement.”
I checked my watch and told myself to establish contact at 0605. I was losing the cover of darkness and the sun was coming up and soon it would start to warm up a bit. Not much in the way of clouds today so it should be nice and clear. This meant I had to be as still as possible so I wouldn’t draw any attention to myself. Laying in this position was making my back ache. It reminded me of my arthritis and the two ruptured disks in my lower back. Maybe I was too old for this shit. I periodically checked the area with the scope on my rifle and my binoculars.
0605 time to check in. “Overlord this is Celtic One, do you read?”
“Affirmative Celtic One, the meet is confirmed and your guests should be a
rriving in about an hour.”
Okay, I can do this. I shifted positions and gulped down some water.
0705 and there were a few people milling about below, but no sign of what I was here for. “Overlord, this is Celtic One. Do you read?”
“Affirmative Celtic One, the party is still on, but has been delayed until 1300.”
This time the transmission didn’t come over as clear, “Say again Overlord, the party is still on and the guests will arrive at 1300?” I didn’t want to believe I had to wait that long.
“Affirmative Celtic One, their ETA is 1300.” Boomed a now slightly exasperated voice from the other side of the earpiece stated matter-of-factly.
“Any estimate on the number of guests that will be attending?” I chatted back.
“Negative. Not now, we will have an estimate when it gets closer to 1300. Check back in at 1200. Overlord out.”
“Affirmative Overlord. 1200.”
I spent the next couple of hours scanning the street, sidewalk and rooftops across from me. There was light pedestrian traffic and nothing going on across from me. My hands and back were now in full blown pain and I was starting to worry if this old body would perform when called on.
I rolled my wrist and checked out my watch, it was finally 1200. “Overlord, this is Celtic One.”
The same voice as before came over saying, “Celtic One this is Overlord. Stand by, party is delayed until 1500.”
In disbelief and aggravation, I responded, “Overlord say again. 1500? Any idea on a number of guests yet?”
Now the voice on the other side of my earpiece was getting irritated. “Celtic One 1500 and I will let you know when I have confirmation on number of guests. Check back in with me at 1400. Overlord out.”
I wanted to scream and throw the blankets off me, but I had to stay cool. I had to stay focused. Collin was my main concern and finishing this mission.
Time was starting to drag on and it was getting warmer outside. The sun was almost directly over me and I kicked off the heavy wool blanket. My body was stiff and I was getting irritated. It was hard to concentrate on my mission when my thoughts started to wander. I couldn’t stop thinking about Collin and Susie. I finished my first bottled water and ate a protein bar. Shit! My side started to cramp. I drank some more water and controlled my breathing and the cramping eventually subsided. Now I was sweating hard. At least I wasn’t bored anymore.
Mad City: Book One of the Sean Walsh Post Apocalyptic Series Page 14