by Frank Klus
“Cassandra put you up to this. I should have warned you she might approach you. She’s like that—good at poisoning people’s minds.”
Eugene appeared sullen, but Dennis put on a big grin. “What you need, my friend is a good stiff drink.” Dennis was playfully pointing his finger in Gene’s chest as he said it. “I’m sure Dean’s got a few brewskies in the fridge. Yessiree, my man, it’s time to celebrate.”
Gene began to lighten up as he relaxed in his seat. I am indeed free and Dennis got me out.
Dennis pulled up to the parents’ home. As they got out, Eugene’s mother, Joanne, was running toward Gene with her arms out. “Oh, you’re home,” she said, sobbing as they hugged.
“Hi, mom, dad. Sorry to put you through this.”
“Hello, sir,” Dennis said to Dean, extending his hand.
Dean just scowled at Dennis, and then turned to Eugene. “What’s this about you being in jail, son?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of a long story dad, but Dennis got me out.”
Dean turned to Dennis with a suspicious look, and then a look of acceptance. “Well, both of you come on in.”
They sat down at the table, where Dean furnished the beer, and Joanne started making some sandwiches from the leftover roast beef. “Oh, you poor boy,” Joanne said to her son, as she handed him a sandwich. “First Catherine, and now this. Now, tell me everything.”
As Eugene relayed his harrowing encounter with Cassandra and Joliet, Dean kept an eye on Dennis.
“What I don’t understand,” Dean said, “was how you got him out of there. Aren’t you, like, at the low end of the totem pole?”
“Mr. Sulke, Gene’s my friend. When I heard he got arrested I knew he didn’t kill those guys. I talked Commandant Casimir into dropping the charges.”
“How could a guy like you get in to see the Commandant of the Lightning Squad?”
“Dennis,” Joanne said, “did the Lightning Squad have anything to do with Catherine’s….”
“Oh no,” said Dennis. “He’s a good man. I got to know him when he found out that I knew Gene. I’ll admit the Commandant was a bit suspicious of him because he’s close to Professor Harold Zinney. He just asked me to keep an eye out for him.”
“Like a spy?” Dean said.
“Oh, no, sir. Like a friend.”
Eugene tried to change the subject, and after a couple hours, Dennis escorted his friend home, where the Lexus was parked in his driveway.
“Oh, I almost forgot.” Dennis reached into his pocket and gave him the car keys. “It was a fun drive,” he said, smiling.
“Are you going to have any trouble getting home tonight?” Gene asked, realizing curfew was hours ago.
“Don’t worry about me.”
“I can’t thank you enough, buddy.”
“Don’t mention it. Why don’t you come over to the house next Saturday afternoon? Teresa would love to see you again. We haven’t seen you since…well….”
“Uh, yeah, sure, Den. About two?”
“Two it is, my man.”
Gene walked into his dark home; now darker than ever. The nights were getting colder and it had begun to snow. I should put my car in the garage. Ugh, Catherine’s car. I’m going to have to do something with it. He turned on the television for a little while, and then turned it off again. He took a bottle of wine from the fridge, poured himself a glass, and then collapsed into his favorite chair. He relaxed, and then he reached for his phone and called Professor Zinney.
“Hello, Gene. I was just thinking about you. How are you managing?”
Gene filled Zinney in on what’d been happening to him, and Gene asked him for his thoughts.
“Wow, Gene. You’ve sure got a lot of things on your plate. First off, I can’t believe Catherine is dead. She was a wonderful lady. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to her funeral, but I was still out of the country.”
“I know, Professor. I still miss her a lot, but I’ve got to concentrate on the immediate things going on around me. What about the promotion? You know the type of work I do.”
“I understand your trepidation about taking the job. You’re being offered a promotion—the very thing you’ve worked for—knowing you’d be contributing to…well, let’s say to nothing good. It’s a difficult decision, but there are few easy decisions presented to any of us nowadays. I’m forbidden to talk about a world I’m passionate about, and you are asked to be a part of something you don’t believe in. Yet, I do as they tell me, and my guess is you’ll take the promotion. We do it because the alternatives are worse.”
“Professor, I know the academic answer to my question, but I guess I just can’t get my head wrapped around why things are so bad. Why don’t we have any charismatic leaders anymore? Why do so many people just accept the conditions?”
“Because they’re powerless, Gene; like us. We do what we wished we didn’t have to do, but we’re powerless to do anything differently. Now, let’s discuss something you do have more control over. How well do you know Dennis?”
“I’ve known him all my life.”
“But there was a long gap in your friendship. Do you still feel like he’s your friend?”
“He rescued me from Joliet. I met his wife.”
“So you said. What concerns me is his connection with Jaydan Casimir. If Casimir caused Catherine’s death, then why is Dennis associated with him?”
“He claims he doesn’t work for him; that he’s just a squad leader.”
“So how does a simple squad leader just march right into the Commandant’s office and convince him to free you—when he shouldn’t even know that you were arrested in the first place?”
“Well, he claims that Casimir asked him to keep an eye out for me when he found out we were childhood friends.”
“Gene, he’s supposed to be a simple squad leader. Why wouldn’t Casimir take it down the chain of command? Why would he have approached him directly?”
“You’re right. I never thought about that.”
“That’s because you’re too close to the problem. You did the right thing in calling me.”
“Wait! I just thought of something else. I was talking to him about Fernando and the camp he was talking about. I don’t know why it didn’t register before, but I never mentioned what went on there before Dennis started laughing. And yet, he seemed to know that there was a machine they hook you up to, and how they could make you think and believe whatever they want. I never said any of those things, and Fernando never mentioned anything about a machine to me.”
Gene waited for the professor to respond, but there was a pause before he continued. “If I were you, Gene, I’d stay as far away from Dennis as possible.”
“I’m supposed to go over to his house on Saturday.”
“Make up some excuse, Gene. Going to his lair is not a good idea.”
“What about Fernando? Do you believe there’s any truth to what he said?”
“There’s a lot of truth to what he said, and that’s why you need to stay away from Dennis.”
“You’re the third person to tell me that. In fact, you almost sound like Catherine. Those were almost her last words to me. Then Cassandra starts popping up from the floor of the back seat and tells me to stay away from Dennis. I know that she and Ray, her husband, want me to lead some revolution, but I don’t know what either of them expect me to do—not that I want to do anything.”
“I know Ray,” Zinney said. “He wants me to lead a revolution with you in New America. He’s nuts, and I told him so. You don’t start a revolution. If a revolution is going to occur it happens when the elements are right. Redd Piper never started any revolution. He just wanted the freedom to create his idea without interference from the government. His ambition was simply to get rich, but once he made it possible for the average guy to not only get a job, but become an owner, then no one was going to take that away without a backlash; and a backlash is exactly what the government got.
“Gene, you see when
people are fed up enough you can’t stop them; you can’t take anything away from them; and then, if there is a charismatic leader, you get a revolution. What’s important to understand, Gene, is that the right elements have to be there in the first place. Now, they’re mostly in place here, but there’s one thing missing—something to fight for. You have to have something to fight for, Gene. It’s not enough to fight against something. That’s the mistake these guys always seem to make. They assume that if things are bad enough, people will revolt. Now, sometimes they do, but they’re usually crushed. When people fight for something they feel sure will make their lives better, they won’t be crushed because they’ll never give up. They’ll fight for their vision of the American dream. They’ll keep fighting forever if necessary. Their sons and daughters will do the same. That’s why the cooperatives never died. You can blow them up, but they still exist in New America. You’d think that they could never stand up to the likes of the full muscle and power of the armed forces of the United States, but they did, and they won.
“It was like that during the Revolutionary War: An American economy with little money and a ragtag army taking on the greatest power in the world at that time—and winning. Even if we lost that war we’d win independence eventually, because our founding fathers had a taste of freedom, and they’d give their lives to keep it.”
“But, professor, there’s still something that isn’t clear to me. You said that the New World was created because people had something to fight for—the cooperatives. Ray and Cassandra want to bring them back as well as the original Lightning Squad. It’s their dream. Even if they’re crushed, you said that dream will never die.”
“You’re right, Gene, but here’s the problem. The dream did die. Ray, Cassandra, you and I, and a few others know about them; but not the people. No one talks about them. There’s no news about them. Those who still remember the Rust Belt Wars don’t want to talk about it; and most people grew up in a world where this was unknown to them. All they know about the new country is that it’s a bad place, ruled by bad people. You know the truth, I know the truth, but until the rest of the country does there’s no dream to fight for.”
Eugene sighed. “That’s what you mean when you say they can’t win. Still, I’m sympathetic to their effort. I just don’t want to be used by them.”
“Good! I’m glad to hear you say that or you’d be in even bigger trouble.”
“Professor, if the dream of a better world is dead, what should they be doing?”
“If Ray and Cassandra want to change the world, they’ll have to get people elected who will end the communication blackout with New America first. Once people know about what’s there they’ll demand they be allowed to visit there. That’s where it starts, Gene.”
“That sounds like a good idea, professor, but Ray and Cassandra seemed hell bound to start a revolution. They don’t want some piecemeal approach. I’m so confused, professor. I don’t want to be part of their plans, but I’m sympathetic to their effort. I’ve come to hate much of what I’m doing, but I’m scared of quitting, and turning down the promotion might mean the end of my career.”
“Don’t feel guilty about your job, Gene. You do what is necessary and what you were trained for. We’re part of the corporate system. It exists; it controls; it has become the government. It is the world we’ve created. You’re sympathetic to the problems you see, but you are part of the corporate culture. We’re all part of it—the corporate-owned stores we shop at, the cars we buy—everything. We know something better is out there, but it isn’t here. They’ve destroyed what could have been the New America here, created brutal paramilitary groups to make sure it stays this way, and then turned over the criminal justice system to them.”
“What about Dennis? Of the three, he seems the most dangerous. What does he want?”
“I’m not sure, since I never met him. My guess is he’s ambitious; how else would he have come to the attention of the Commandant? What matters is that he works with or for him, and that’s the same person who ruined your marriage and led to the tragedy that ensued. He can’t be trusted. Gene, I say this to you—you are being used and are caught in the middle of two competing forces. One is foolish and the other is disingenuous. They’re both dangerous. The best solution I can suggest is to get out of being in the middle of all this. I don’t know how you can do this, and I don’t even know if it is possible, but for your own safety, security, and peace of mind you must escape from them.”
“I know, professor, but how? Dennis owns me. He got me out of Joliet, and I can’t just ignore him. Then there’s Cassandra, who must have a key to my car. I suppose I could change the locks or get a new car, but my guess is I’m not going to get rid of her either.”
“Gene, I know that Ray and Cassandra are going to pressure you to go to New America. They want you and me to be the intellectual leaders of their revolutionary plans. They want you to write about the New World, while I write about what’s really happening here. The problem is I’d be expelled from the university, and a communication blackout prevents you from communicating what you see in New America. That’s why their plans will never work. Furthermore, our two radicals will own you as well.”
After Eugene hung up he poured himself another glass of wine and slumped into the recliner. Oh Catherine, I need you now. I’m sorry I wasn’t listening before. You knew what was going on. You couldn’t tell me because you knew I’d act irrationally, and try and do something to that Commandant. It’s what he wanted, wasn’t it? He wanted me to do something stupid so he could get me. What if he already has me and I just don’t know it yet? Even if I should take the new job, would I be able to keep it? Or is my fate already sealed? I’m in a vice, and I don’t know how to get out. Even if I take the new job, will these people still try to control my life? Will I ever have a life again? Or am I just fucked?
Eugene poured another glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, hoping it would help put him to sleep. He listened to some Bach and tried to relax. What is the end game here? Should I accept the promotion? Can I stay away from all those who want to manipulate me? Could I fall in love again? Do I want to? Through it all, the words from Harold Zinney echoed in his head: escape, escape, escape.
Chapter 9:
Hell House
Ray and Cassandra reached Gene’s house around midnight. Ray parked his car about a block away, and stayed in the shadows as he approached the Lexus. He kept looking around, but he saw no sign of anyone. Cassandra parked about two blocks away, and got out to give Ray some cover.
Once Ray reached the car, he put his tracker on, and then ran out of there. He met up with Cassandra by his car and exchanged some instructions with her before she ran to her own car, and followed Ray back home.
Cassandra was about a quarter mile behind her husband when she noticed a pair of headlights behind her. She fished out her phone and pressed a button. “Ray, I think I’m being followed.”
“We can’t take any chances. You remember the Squeeze Play?”
“Sure.”
“Follow my lead.”
They drove on for about a mile until Ray found just the right spot to turn off; a lazy country lane. He made a right and then pulled over to the side of the road, and turned the engine off. Cassandra got there a minute later, turned right, but she kept going past her husband. The pursuer turned off as well and sped past Ray, who began following the guy. Cassandra slowed down, forcing the chaser to do the same. Ray drove up to him, while Cass turned around, and confronted her pursuer. They ordered the guy out of the car at gunpoint.
“What’s the matter? I didn’t do anything.”
“Let me see your driver’s license,” Ray demanded.
“Arnold Campbell,” he said to Cass. “Lives in Kyler. That’s about fifty miles from here.” Turning to Campbell: “What are you doing here?”
“I have a right to be here.”
Ray slugged him and Campbell tried to fight back. He landed one on Ray’s chin, but only
hurt his hand. Ray took out a stun gun and shocked him. Campbell screamed in agony.
“What are you doing here?” Ray said again, flashing a menacing look.
“Nothing,” he cried.
He was shocked again. The pain was too much for him and he began to squeal. “Dennis told me to follow anyone who approached the Lexus. That’s all I know.”
“WRONG! YOU KNOW MORE. TELL ME EVERYTHING.”
“I told you everything.”
Ray took out the stun gun and held it to his face. “You tell me everything now!” Then he pointed it at his crotch.
“Please, don’t.” Ray and Cassandra were both screaming at him. “Okay, okay. This is all I know. I was supposed to follow you and report back on exactly where you went. That’s all they told me.”
Ray kicked him hard. Campbell writhed in pain, and was rolling around on the ground when he looked at Ray with a fearful expression. “I’m sorry. I wish I did know more, but I don’t.”
Ray stunned him a couple more times, and Campbell screamed each time he was zapped. “TELL ME ABOUT EUGENE SULKE!”
Campbell could barely speak now. He tried to catch his breath, and then his voice came out as a feeble whisper. “He owned the car I saw you near.”
“What else?” Ray said.
“Nothing.” Campbell was still talking at a whisper and showing signs of extreme agony.
Ray was about to kick him again, when Campbell uttered a feeble, “Something about Hell House.”
Ray and Cassandra just looked at each other. Then Ray flashed a vicious look at Campbell. “WHERE IS HELL HOUSE?”
Fighting back the pain, Campbell struggled to gather himself. “They’re going to take Sulke there when they finish it.”
“WHERE IS IT?” There was no answer. Ray kicked him again.
Campbell screamed and clenched his teeth, fighting back the pain. Tears flowed down his cheek.
“WHERE IS IT?” Campbell was silent. “WHERE IS HELL HOUSE LOCATED?” Campbell wasn’t moving or talking.