“Yes and to be fair we adjusted the price up some,” Jeb replied still smiling. Smiling as he looked up from the book.
“Sounds fair to me,” Dan said leaving Jeb to oversee the market as he made his way between the booths looking for the best deal. On rice, beans, wheat or corn flour it did not matter. He also looked for some salted or jerked meat for the trip ahead. When he had finished and the amounts log in the book, signed for Dan return the book to Jeb, headed for his bike, and trailer his purchases stuffed into a reusable shopping bag. Glancing at the stainless steel wristwatch he wore he had an appointment with Commander Hudson and from the time, he should be going too soon. As Dan was leaving the market heading for his bike, he found himself unknowingly standing in front of John and his wife Cindy.
‘Hello,” Dan said slightly startled but cheerfully as he looked at them. He considered them friends Cindy smiled and nodded her head John replied.
“Hello,” John followed with a strong handshake. Cindy quickly made an excuse to leave the two of them alone as she headed into the market. This action puzzled him she was the talkative of the two of them.
“Dan, I need to return the SWAT armor and gear you lent me on the bridge the other day,” John started as a way of a conversation. He just shrugged his shoulders slightly.
“Whenever, I’m not concerned,” Dan replied lightly. He was not in fact he trusted John. He could see Johns eyes dart around for a moment as if he was getting ready for something which aroused Dan’s suspicion. After a small sigh, John started to talk.
“Mary has decided to volunteer for this mission,” Dan looked surprised. He knew Mary was their only child. While she was a member of the self-defense force, he knew that both John and Cindy worried about her.
“Oh,” was all Dan could muster.
“We tried to talk her out of it. Protecting the town and salvage work are different. But the possibility of what they could find has people thinking of riches,” John continued. Dan quietly nodded he knew that thought all too well.
“I know she has training. But they will want to go out on their own and try their hand at salvage work for them self’s,” John said with a heavy voice. Not meeting Dan’s eyes. They stood there in an awkward silence for a few moments before Dan spoke.
“If it would help, let Mary use the SWAT armor and assault rifle, and if you want I can try to help her out there,” he said feebly not sure what to say. John’s face lit up at this.
“You will help her,” he said eagerly.
“I can do my best,” Dan managed to say. He could see the look of relive cross John’s face.
“That is the best news I have heard,” this took Dan by surprise he had only offered to help if he could.
“She can learn a lot from you,” John complimented him, which embarrassed him for some reason. John looked at his watch and spoke what was on Dan’s mind a few seconds earlier,.
You have a meeting with the commander soon.”
Dan rolled his blue eyes.
“He is a good man,” John said with a smile. “I have to give Cindy the good news and I don’t want to make you late,” John said as he patted him on the shoulder before walking into the market to find Cindy. Dan watched him go as he mental chastised himself he like Mary and she was capable, but what was he thinking about offering to help.
The woman in the police uniform sitting behind the desk set down her book as she watched the camouflage figure of a woman storm through the dark tinted doors heading straight towards her.
“I'm here to see Commander Hudson now,” Captain Jones spat out angrily.
“Do you have an appointment,” the policewoman asked politely. Captain Jones face screwed up in anger.
“I am Captain in the U.S. Army he will see me now,” she demanded.
The policewoman looked at her cynically for a moment before moving her hand. Picking up a phone she pushed a couple of buttons on the keypad she looked at Captain Jones and waited.
“A Captain Jones from the Army is here to see you Sir,” she said into the receiver. As she listen to the answer staring at Captain Jones who still glared at her. She nodded her head slightly.
Sue sat in the vinyl chair looking at Commander Hudson with her trainers standing behind her.
“Congratulations Sue,” Commander Hudson said his gray eyes looking at her. We have accepted you into our advanced training. You have shown exceptional promise,” he said.
Sue smiled nodding her head her long black hair moving with her.
“Thank you Sir,” she said as everyone in the room's attention drawn to the ringing telephone on his desk. Commander Hudson picked it up.
“Yes,” he said. Listening to the conversation for a moment he spoke into the receiver. “Yes send Captain Jones to interrogation room one,” he finished his eyes locking on the three people standing behind Sue an unspoken command moving between them as they slightly nodded their heads. Before his attention returned to her.
“Your training starts tomorrow. Please be ready,” he said with a smile. Sue nodded as Commander Hudson stood to shake her hand.
“If you'll excuse me I have something to take care of,” he said. Leaving the room.
“Of course sir,” she said putting the phone back down. She looked up at Captain Jones.
“He will see you,” she said. Captain Jones stared at her.
“Well,” she demanded. The police officer stood revealing the .38 service pistol in her belt holster.
“You need to leave your weapon at the front desk,” she stated calmly. Captain Jones audibly sighed as she swelled up in anger as her hand shot to the Beretta 92 on her hip holster and pulled it out, slamming it down on the desk. The policewoman looked at her unimpressed as she picked up the pistol pushing the small black button on the side ejecting the magazine. Taking it. She placed it on the desk as she pulled back the slide locking it open a look of disappointment on her face. Finding no round chambered in the breach. She opened the drawer and put the magazine and empty pistol into it before she once again looked at Captain Jones.
“Follow me please,” she said, leading them down the light blue always towards the door opening it. She motioned Captain Jones inside.
“Commander Hudson will be with you shortly,” she said as Captain Jones entered the room and she close the door behind her. Captain Jones looked around the room anger obvious on her face as she looked at the small table with two chairs set along one wall facing a long mirror. She paced about the room for several minutes until the door open. Revealing the slight form of a man in a black uniform with graying hair calculating gray eyes studied her as he moved into the room and sat down in one of the chairs. Captain Jones stared at him.
“You wish to see me,” Commander Hudson soft voice stated. Captain Jones's nostrils flared on her slim nose as she looked at him.
“Were going to talk in an interrogation room,” she demanded. Commander Hudson calmly looked at her.
“Events have changed this is the only available room we have,” he said motioning to the open chair. Captain Jones moved for the chair yanking it wildly away from the table.
“Your office isn't good enough,” she demanded. The cold gray eyes of Commander Hudson stared at her.
“I do not conduct meetings in my office,” he stated. Captain Jones stared at him in silence before Commander Hudson finally spoke.
“What brings you here,” he asked.
“I assume you know the president has declared Marshall law on the country,” Captain Jones started. Commander Hudson nodded his head slightly and raise both hands as is in a dismissive gesture.
“I need to know what is going on with the meeting the town just had an especially with the troublemaker Dan,” she demanded. Commander Hudson studied her and moment of silence as he raised his hands putting his fingers together, creating a slight pyramid out of them in front of his face.
“The President declared Marshall law in the areas the government controls,” he started saying. “The rest of the c
ountry is lawless,” he said looking directly at her as her face changed in expression several times.
“While this town has a working government elected by the people and a functioning police force we are outside federal control,” he finished. Commander Hudson watched as Captain Jones clenched her fists several times as she fought for control of her emotions.
“My understanding was you used to be in the military,” she started seeing the agreeing nod from Commander Hudson.
“Then you should know this is a matter of national security,” Captain Jones started as Commander Hudson held up one hand with a finger raised stopping her.
“I understand the need for the government to establish a train stop here,” he said. “You will have to explain what the town is doing concerns national security to me,” he finished.
Captain Jones stood and paced about the room slightly as she continued to look back and forth from Commander Hudson to the mirror.
“This town harbors nothing but looters,” she started stopping at the smile that appeared on Commander Hudson's face.
“Looters can only be in areas the government controls,” he said derailing her train of thought. Captain Jones paced around the room for a few more seconds before Commander Hudson stood and looked at her.
“This is our town we have survived and prospered without your help,” he said in his soft voice. Captain Jones stared hard at him.
“We understand the need to be part of something bigger,” he said starting to move for the door. Before stopping to turn to look at Captain Jones. “We can achieve that one of two ways. Easily or hard,” he said opening the door.
“Right now you are trying the hard way,” he said exiting the room. Captain Jones stood there staring at him in disbelief as the woman police officer entered.
“Commander Hudson has a meeting he must attend I will show you the way out,” she finished.
Dan rode the tan mountain bike and now filled trailer with his supplies off the Main Street passing the sign marking the entrance to City Hall. He made his way through the medium sized asphalt parking lot to an open space near the well-kept concrete side walk that lead from the parking lot. The parking lot now looking how it should he thought. Looking around the almost empty parking lot not as yesterday packed beyond capacity. He rode up the sidewalk towards the small three tier square water fountain ringed by concrete benches and well-tended flower beds. Slowing at the sight of four people on the benches three of them he did not recognize. But the slight Asian woman with black hair down to the middle of her back in the towns self-defense uniform he did. She turned from her group to look at him and smile.
“Hi Dan,” she said warmly.
Dan stopped the bike.
“Hi Sue,” he started friendly enough.
“What brings you here, “she asked with a smile on her oval face. He took a moment to look over at the other three while wearing self-defense force uniforms they carry themselves slightly different he was thinking.
“Little Business,” he said nodding towards the police station.
“He has an appointment with Commander Hudson,” the man closest to Sue said standing looking past Dan towards city hall the other two of the group standing also now. Their sudden standing distracted Dan from wondering how they knew why he was there. Turning to face the direction they were looking. He froze in anger his hand gripping the handlebar of his bike. Instead of moving for his forty five in his black holster under his arm as he tried to keep the flare of anger off his face. Standing just a few feet away was Captain Jones her hand already on her Beretta nine millimeter pistol. The uniformed soldier had his hand on the assault rifle slung at his side but had not move it to a firing position. A thin smile was on her sallow face.
“How proper the criminal caught at the police station,” she said gloating in her monotone voice.
“And why am I a criminal,” Dan said between clenched teeth as he tried to sound calm getting caught this way. He could just make out two of the three people that were with Sue starting to fan out, Captain Jones and the soldier with her had not noticed.
“Looting,” she replied coldly.
“Looting requires an operational government,” he snapped back automatically before he could catch himself. Causing the smile to leave Captain Jones’s face as she started to pull her gun.
“Holster the gun Captain,” the man in the self-defense force uniform standing next to Sue said.
Dan risked looking at him the man’s voice sounded almost friendly. As he said it but an identical model ninety two Beretta like the Captain’s was in his hand and pointing at her face. The man’s companions had pulled their pistols out. Captain Jones hand froze the pistol halfway pulled from her holster.
“What,” her voice sounded angry.
“Holster the pistol,” he said again but not as friendly this time. Dan forgotten as he stared at the man.
“Commander Hudson said you two will not settle your differences in town,” the man continued.
“That means you too,” he added glancing at Dan.
“Fine I know where they are staying,” Dan replied his anger fading as he watched the unfolding events.
Captain Jones looked angry Dan thought pleasantly as he watched her pushed her pistol back into her holster. He stood still straddling his worn mountain bike has he watched the soldier with her move his hand from the grip of the assault rifle. Captain Jones continued staring hard at the man who had spoken forgetting about Dan, before she turned to walk off away from them. Dan waited for her to get a few feet away before he called after her.
“Looting, is that what they call payment when you work for the government.”
He saw her tense and stop for a moment. Causing the two self-defense force members that had started following her and the soldier to raise the pistols they had at their side. Before the captain started walking again. Dan caught a disapproving look from the third one who had confronted the captain before he walked away towards the police station, leaving Dan and Sue alone.
“That was interesting,” Sue said calmly.
“I’m going to half to finish this soon,” Dan said shaking his head. “What brings you here,” Dan asked Sue trying to change the subject.
“I had an interview with Commander Hudson about advance training, they took part in it,” she said motioning after the fading trio of people.
“I was surprised they came out with me to talk afterwards,” she said.
“What about,” he said absently trying to keep the conversation going while he looked around for the Humvee.
“Nothing important,” Sue continued. “The weather, the baseball league if I was thinking of going on the salvage run,” she finished looking at him. Dan turned his attention towards her.
“You going,” he asked.
“No, I don’t think fast money is that easy or safe,” Sue stated.
“You would be right,” Dan said checking the stainless steel watch on his wrist. “I have to go, see you later.”
“Take it easy,” Sue said as she turned to leave. Dan started peddling the bike towards the buildings. For the first time since coming to Hope instead of turning onto the walkway. Leading to the three large flat concrete steps flanked on either side by white columns supporting the arched entranceway roof. Over the tinted black double glass front doors of city hall as he had done in the past. He made his way down the other almost identical sidewalk to the bright metal frame and dark tinted glass one story building passing the white sign with black letters identifying it as the police station.
The man in the self-defense force uniform barely knocked on the door as he entered Commander Hudson's office.
“Would you believe Captain Jones just try to arrest Dan outside the police station,” he said.
Commander Hudson rolled his gray eyes as he drew in a deep breath slowly releasing it as he looked at the man standing at the door.
“And how did that go,” he asked turning his attention back to a paper on his desk. The
man smiled.
“It went as you expected. Dan will be in your office in a couple of minutes,” the man said moving for the door.
Commander Hudson started to pick up a paper.
“Thanks for the update I will have to call Mr. Pennington later, and discuss this with him.
He thought gloomily this is the second time in two days I have been here. A new record he thought as he chained the bike up near the front doors out of habit. If his bike and supplies where stolen by the front door of the police station that would set him off. Dan entered the dark glass door to find a small lobby. Walking the short distance to speak with a woman in a police uniform sitting behind a desk reading a book.
“Hello I am here to see Commander Hudson,” he said.
She put the book down with a smile.
“Are you here to join the self-defense force,” she asked pleasantly. Dan smiled back.
“No,” he said. “Commander Hudson asked me to meet with him this morning on some business,” this caused her eyebrows to rise over her small brown eyes before a look of recognition came over her face.
“This way,” she said politely but quickly as she got up from the chair and led him down a hallway painted a light blue. Dan removed his gray day pack and held it by the strap set on the top of it as he walked. Leaving the katana strapped to his back. His eyes darting about the hallway as he followed the officer into the building out of habit he slow at every corner in the unfamiliar building looking around them before advancing. Before they stop in front of an open door that lead into a medium sized office. Spotting the graying hair of Commander Hudson leaning over a stack of papers over a gray gunmetal desk looking dark against the light walls that he was sitting behind.
He looked up from the papers to look at Dan with a pair of grayish eyes.
“Hello Cassandra,” he told her with a smile motioning Dan to a black vinyl office chair like the one he sat at. Taking a moment to look around the office noting the walls had no windows before he sat down in the chair placing the day pack at his feet. Glancing at the still open door, he could see a dark wood hat rack that held a black riot helmet with the silver eagle on it. With a web belt holding a machete in a black scabbard a large plastic rectangle riot shield setting against it. The other wall held a couple of nondescript tan filing cabinets. And a large map of the town that had all manner of different color push pins holding string outlying the protected area of the town with some yellow post it notes attached to it. Commander Hudson set the papers down as Dan sat down and moved the rolling chair to be able to look out the door before he looked at him. Dan had the distinct feeling Commander Hudson was sizing him up at that moment. He could see the hint of a smile play on the commander’s lips before he spoke.
The Aftermath Trilogy (Book 2): The Aftermath [Town of the Dead] Page 7