by Bryan Tann
“Not even a little. I can take care of this. Why don’t you go ahead and get cleaned up and then call John inside so that he can get something to eat also.”
“He may not eat,” Karen said moving to the front door.
“Oh he will eat. Even if I have to go outside and tear him away from that damn garage.” Ruckus chuckled.
“John?” Karen asked twenty minutes later stepping toward the garage wearing a pair of cut off jean shorts, sneakers, and a white t-shirt.
“Yeah?” John asked turning a socket wrench. Her look of amazement at his progress wasn’t lost on him as he looked to her quickly.
“Ruckus says that dinner is ready,” Karen replied.
“Yeah I heard. I’m not hungry,” John replied shortly.
“John…” Karen began.
“I said I’m not hungry. You told him too much. Now I have to really hurry up and get us out of here,” John said shortly.
“John, we are safe here for now. He isn’t going to…”
“I know he isn’t going to turn on us. I know he’s not going to report us. But how do you know that those Nano Squad assholes aren’t on their way here right now to level this entire place? The quicker we get out of here, the more comfortable I will be.” John growled.
“John they are not going to be ready just like that. The booster is going to take some time to take effect.” Karen began. “We have some time…”
“Karen I want to get back on the road right away. I’m not going to have that old man die because of me, because of us. You got that? You’re lucky you’re coming with us!” John said between clenched teeth.
“John you aren’t going to get Ruckus killed. And if Ruckus does die, he knows the risks and he doesn’t care. I know the risks and I don’t care.
“You’re right John; you need to get to Fallen Paradigm, to Mila, and you need to help stop King. It is going to be bloody, it is going to be deadly, but you need to do this. I am going to help you. And if I die, then I fucking die. But I am not going to sit by and do absolutely nothing. Do you understand me? I want to help you. Ruckus wants to help you.
“You might be able to get to Mila by yourself John, but you need to remember something important.”
“And what’s that, Doctor?” John asked coldly.
“You cannot retreat into yourself. You do not want to be like the rats. Losing your socialization skills, your humanity. Remember the rats? You let yourself just…just shut everything and everyone out, then you are what King wants you to be; a heartless, soulless killer.”
“She is right, John. We cannot cut ourselves off.”
“But I don’t want them to get hurt, Queen.”
“I know you don’t. I don’t want them to be hurt either. But we do not want to be a monster either. Do we?”
“No.”
“No.”
“You’re right, Karen. I’m sorry,” he said humbly.
“It’s okay. I understand why, John. I do.”
“Can you answer me one more question?” John asked slowly.
“Absolutely. Anything you want to know.”
“Tell me about the triggers,” John asked her. “They said a word when I ran into Mila. I blacked out. Queen had to stop me. What are the triggers?”
“I do not know all of them, John. I promise you that. I know that there is a trigger for…”
“For turning me into a mindless killer. Yeah. I’m aware of that,” John replied bitterly.
“I will go through more of Newton’s research. The ride down I was so exhausted I couldn’t even keep my eyes open. It’s been a long few days,” she said with a small smile. “Don’t worry though, if the answers are in his notes then I will find them.”
“Good. Real good. I suppose we should go and eat then. I’ll go and hunt later tonight though.”
“Why hunt?” Karen asked cautiously.
“The more fresh and rare the meat is, the more I get from it,” John replied. “I’m not the biggest fan of it, but it’s growing on me.”
He set the wrench down and began to walk toward the building.
“Why Karen?” he asked as they got closer.
“Why what?”
“Why help me? Why give a damn at all?” He looked to her seriously. “Why did you show me so much kindness?”
“Because you were never just a project to me. You are a person,” she replied. “I got into medicine to help people. I didn’t think the project would work. When it did, it was like…like all of my studying had paid off.” She smiled. “And when you…when I found out what King was planning, I was so proud of what you’d done. That you had stopped being the monster he wanted. I had a hand in making something, helping someone that would be able to make a difference.” Karen smiled to him.
“Okay, quit getting mushy,” John chided her, but allowed a rare smile to spread across his face.
“About time you two jack asses made it,” Ruckus said to the pair of them as John closed the back door behind the two of them. “If that damn roast goes cold because I was waiting for the two of you, there’s going to be hell to pay.”
“Don’t worry, Ruck,” John replied looking him straight in the eye with a small smile. “There’s going to be plenty of hell for me to pay soon enough.”
25
“John, we should rest.”
“I’m not tired, Queen.”
“John…”
“Queen I have to get the bike finished and get out of here. We have to get to South Carolina and we have to get there right away.”
“I understand. We also need to rest.”
“I ate dinner. I hunted. We’re good to go.”
“John…”
“I don’t want Ruckus to suffer because we are here. I don’t want us here when the Nanos get here. If we aren’t here then they have no reason to bother the old guy.”
“How close is it to being finished?”
“Another few hours.”
Karen yawned loudly, curling up into a ball resisting the urge to awaken. Sadly for her, her eyes opened ending her peaceful break from reality.
Curled up in the bed of the basement that was to be John’s apartment, an area that John hadn’t inhabited once in his short time at Ruckus’ Junkyard.
Pulling herself from the bed, she went to the shower and let the hot streams run over her. Even with the running water, the sounds of customers coming in and out of the yard, and the power tools that she knew were operated by John radiated.
She knew he hadn’t rested since he’d arrived. She hated being evasive with Ruckus when he asked questions, but part of her agreed that she and John were placing Ruckus in danger. Even if he were prepared for the consequences, it didn’t matter, he didn’t deserve to be pulled into a war he had no business being in.
When she was satisfied with her shower, she turned off the water and got dressed. She took Newton’s notes with her as she made her way out to the yard.
She doubted that the answers to the triggers implanted in John would be just casually written in Newton’s notes. If anything there would be a code of some sort that would need to be cracked, which wasn’t her best of skills.
“Good morning, Ruckus,” she said cheerily as she walked past his office.
“Morning, Karen,” Ruckus replied looking over paperwork at his desk. “You hungry?”
“I could eat,” she replied with a smile sitting down in the chair in front of his desk.
“Good. Got some food made upstairs and some coffee when you’re ready to eat. Not many folks are coming into the yard today that I know of, so I’m not worried about a lot of outside traffic. What do you have there?” he asked gesturing to the notebook.
“This? Some notes from my old boss,” she replied.
“So you swiped his notebook? That why you two are squirrely as hell?” Ruckus chuckled sipping from his black coffee mug that read ‘Bullshit Filter’.
“There’s more to it than that, Ruckus,” Karen replied with a chuckle.
> “Enlighten me,” he said simply as he stood up gesturing for her to follow.
“Ruckus, I…” she began.
“Stop with the crap, Karen. Okay? You told me the tiniest bit, but there is something more. There is a lot more. Just let me help you out the best I can okay?”
“Ruckus, it’s all highly classified and if I tell you and they find out you know…”
“It’ll be worse than the fact that I’ve harbored you in the first place? So it was because of John the whole terrorist thing that happened at that facility in Oregon?” he asked seriously.
“Yes,” Karen finally said. “He was an involuntary participant in a top secret experiment. They wanted him to hunt down someone they’ve branded a terrorist. He was able to resist their mental triggers and they took him in. He fought back and escaped.”
“Triggers? Great. So nice to see the classics never go old.” Ruckus chuckled bitterly.
“What do you mean?” Karen asked.
“Using psychological triggers on soldiers and operatives isn’t new. They’ve been doing it for…Jesus before I was an itch in my old man’s jockey shorts.” Ruckus gestured for her to follow him and lead her up the stairs to his apartment.
He refilled his coffee cup, then handed her one so that she could do the same.
“Soldiers are trained to be killing machines, but there are times when the conscience gets in the way of what the big wigs want. Sure the idea of psychological triggers and brainwashing has been laughed off as conspiracy theory bullshit, but it happens. I’ve seen it firsthand,” Ruckus said, a thousand yard stare appearing over his face.
“Anyway,” he continued, “it is true. It’s a real thing. What did the trigger do to him?” Ruckus asked.
“He was turned into a mindless monster,” Karen replied. “That’s what he was designed for.”
“And you say he broke it?” Ruckus asked. “How?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Karen replied.
“Fair enough. Well that sounds about accurate; if a powerful trigger proves useless then the asset becomes a liability and is subject for termination.”
“That is exactly what they tried, and John got away. That’s why he’s trying to build a bike. We need to travel to the East Coast to meet up with some people to help stop all of this,” Karen said calmly.
“Stop what? King? ‘President King’?” Ruckus said with venom in his tone. “That’s the whole end game huh? Stopping that bastard?”
“Yes,” she replied simply.
“That’s all I needed to hear,” Ruckus replied sipping his coffee.
“What do you mean?” Karen asked.
“Like I said before, I’m not the only vet that’s about had enough of the government and the bullshit that they do,” Ruckus replied. When Karen looked at him curiously, he gave her a gentle smile.
“Let’s just say that I have some friends that can help make your trip a little easier. Places you can fuel, rest, eat, things like that. Also making sure that the plates and everything for that bike he’s building are fully legit.”
“I thought that…” Karen began.
“Don’t worry about it. Just tying up any potential loose ends. That’s all. You two are going to be alright,” Ruckus replied. “I may even be able to help you with your trigger problem. Some of my buddies have dealt with those also.”
“Sounds great. Thank you, Ruckus,” Karen replied sipping her coffee.
“Anytime,” Ruckus replied.
“Ruckus?” John called from the bottom of the stairs.
“Up here, John,” Karen called back.
John walked up the stairs looking to the two of them curiously. He wore no shirt, sweat glistened off of his muscular body cutting through lines of grease that polluted his otherwise unsoiled skin.
“Well don’t you look pretty enough to eat, sunshine?” Ruckus asked sarcastically. “What do you need?”
“Ready to reinforce the frame,” John replied simply.
“You got the whole thing put together good?” Ruckus asked.
“Of course,” John answered in slight annoyance.
“Yeah. Sure you do. Let me go double check it then we’ll get started. I have an order for those heavy duty, self-inflating tires you asked about. Should be in by the afternoon,” Ruckus replied drinking down his coffee before heading to the door.
“Thanks,” John muttered walking behind Ruckus as they headed down the stairs and out to the yard.
“So I was talking to Karen before you came in,” Ruckus said starting to look over the bike.
“I figured,” John replied shortly as the older man began to inspect his work closely.
“Look John, let’s end with the bullshit okay? I’m going to help you out more than I have whether you want me to or not. So enough of the grumpy ‘I’m trying to protect you old man’ bullshit okay? You don’t got much reason to trust me, I give you that, but you’re going to have to.”
“Why?” John asked defiantly.
“Because son, it’s what keeps them from winning,” Ruckus replied plainly. “The fuck? Ya damn dingy, hand me the socket wrench.”
“Why?”
“Boy, just give me the damn wrench. Get me a quarter inch bit,” Ruckus demanded. When John complied, Ruckus went to work. “I’ve been there, son. I was trained to kill. I was infantry for twenty-five years. If I didn’t have my brothers with me, Lord knows what kind of monster I would have turned into. That’s why you need to let me help you. So you don’t become what they want you to be.”
“You could die if you keep helping me,” John retorted as he kept his eyes on what the old man was doing.
“I’m in my fifties, boy. You think I give a shit about dying? Hell I can still take on half of the pussies that cowardly piece of shit wannabe dictator can throw my way.” Ruckus chuckled. “You did a pretty good job on this. Give me the rest of the day I can touch this baby up for you, maybe get you some better torque on this and a bit more power without having to sacrifice too much in gas.”
“Thanks, Ruckus. This isn’t easy for me,” John began.
“Then don’t make it hard, kid. You need anything while you’re on the road you let me know, you hear?” Ruckus asked seriously.
“Yes, sir,” John replied.
“Good boy. Now I told Karen that I have some buddies out there that will help you out, and hopefully keep you both out of the crosshairs of the shit bags out there. I’ll have the list for you.”
“Sounds good,” John replied. “Do you want to…”
“I don’t want to know that much, kid. So long as you didn’t touch any kids or rape anyone, then we’re cream cheese.”
“I didn’t do anything like that.” John chuckled.
“Good. Now take your narrow ass out into the yard and get me some scrap. I’ll reinforce this frame too. While I’m at it, you go and get yourself some rest. If I need you I’ll shout. Something tells me you’ll hear me.” Ruckus chuckled.
John couldn’t help but laugh as he made his way out to the yard as he was told.
“He genuinely seems to care.”
“Yeah, he does. He’s a good old man.”
“You are worried that he will be hurt because he’s helping us. Aren’t you, John?”
“Why ask a question that you already know the answer to?”
“He is making the choice to help us.”
“I know.”
“Do not fear of the triggers. You heard what he said to Karen; he knows a thing or two. Maybe he can help. Maybe once we get to Fallen Paradigm they can help.”
“I hope so. I don’t like the idea that these fucks can control me.”
“They can’t control us. I will stop them, just like I did before.”
“How?”
“Adapt, John. Adapt.”
John returned a half an hour later carting various pieces of scrap metal as he had been instructed to do.
“Yeah. Yeah this will do just fine. Good job, boy. Goo
d job. Now get the fuck off my scalp and let me get to work. Go in there and get your dirty ass in the shower and rest up like I told ya! Git!” Ruckus grunted as he got to work.
When he made his way inside and went to the basement, he could hear Karen flipping pages. He stripped down and got into the shower letting the burning hot water run over his body.
When his body was cleaned, he exited the shower and just threw himself onto the bed and closed his eyes.
“We need new clothes, John. Those pants are disgusting.”
“Yeah. Maybe we should have taken the ranger’s pants too?”
“Maybe. Do like they say and get some sleep.”
Queen knew her words were useless as he had already passed out.
Hours later, John opened his eyes quickly and sat up quickly. The sunlight burned a dark orange as its source was beginning to set over the horizon.
He got up, moved to the bathroom, and relieved himself, then splashed water on his face.
When he went back into the room, a pair of jeans that looked crisp and new, a clean white T-shirt, black boxer shorts, and a pair of white socks and black boots awaited him.
After pulling on his new clothing, he walked up the stairs from the basement apartment, then made his way to the top floor. Karen sat at the kitchen table with Ruckus looking over the battered brown leather notebook that she’d brought with her.
“Evening,” John said seeing a full coffee pot and poured himself a cup.
“Evening,” Ruckus said.
“How’d you sleep, John?” Karen asked.
“Well enough I suppose.” He sat at the table sipping the cup. “What are you two up to?” he asked.
“Trying to figure out the triggers,” Karen replied staring intently at the book. The floor was littered with paper that didn’t seem to make the grade.
“What?” John asked.
“Karen told me about the situation where a trigger word was spoken and it turned you wild,” Ruckus replied. “You won’t remember the word they used, but we’re hoping to maybe decipher from the good doctor’s notes if he knew what the triggers would be.”
“That makes sense. Too bad we don’t have time to sit here for as long as it’s going to take to find them all out. We’re leaving tomorrow, unless you didn’t finish the bike like you said you would?” John asked with a sideways glance.