by Joel Shaw
Milton nodded. "Can we stay here tonight?”
Faye was about to say no. Instead, she surprised herself and said, “Yes. Lock the doors when we leave. Don't let anyone in. Jerry knows where everything is in case you need something. Now...let’s go take a bath girls. Bring Redwing he needs one, too."
Amber and Sheila exchanged glances with the men as they departed.
Hormones flowed like syrup in a pancake house.
"See you boys later," Amber promised. Her coy smile was not lost on them.
Sheila dropped the social graces. “Hey, Faye. You got any soap?"
"Better than that. I have shampoo."
“Really?” The dirty girls giggled. Giggling sounded good.
“See you later,” Leland said. As soon as they heard the Humvee depart, Jerry and Leland slipped out the back door. “We’ll be right back, Milt.” Leland hollered. “We’re going to...”
The back door slammed.
CHAPTER 24
Harold smiled at his reflection in the Humvee’s rear-view mirror. His confession had gone better than he could have hoped. The distraction caused by the newcomers worked to his advantage and now here he was, driving. He felt like a kid again. He hadn't driven a vehicle in nine years. He didn’t mind riding a bicycle, it kept him in shape and allowed him a degree of mobility. The bike was inefficient when it came to hauling any amount of cargo and he had some cargo, now. He looked in the mirror, studying the three women seated behind him. He tried to imagine what they were going to look like once they were clean. He smiled at the thought of three naked women swimming in his quarry. Maybe they would invite him to jump in, blue balls and all. He blushed and decided to try to behave like a gentleman.
"I'm going to drop you girls off and do some chores while you're taking your bath. I’m sure you want your privacy.” He glanced in the mirror to catch the reactions.
"The hell you are." Faye blurted. "You are going to stay with me, Mr. Cooke. We have some catching up to do."
Harold wasn't sure what she meant by that but his face turned strawberry red at the possibilities. He blazed a trail through the woods toward the quarry following the old bicycle path, using the Humvee's enormous ranch hand bumper to knock down trees and flatten shrubs, creating a wider path more visible to his secret oasis; something he swore he would never do. He parked the SUV near the quarries' entrance.
"This is it,” he said, opening the doors for the women.
"This is what?" Sheila asked, impatiently.
“You’ll see. Follow me." Harold waited for them to gather their gear and led them between the large granite boulders, under the tarp, into the cool, quiet, cavern. He stood aside like a proud architect at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The water shimmered like onyx in the light of the setting sun refracted through the enormous skylight. He lit several large candles near the entrance. Condensation on the underside of the dome splashed into the water sending tiny concentric rippling across the cold, black pool.
“There she is.” Harold said proudly. “That’s my hanging garden up there, he boasted.” The women could barely make out the silhouette of the suspended structure. He should have kept his mouth shut.
Faye’s was still mad. “Yeah? Are you going to make us a salad after our bath?”
“I uh...ran out of seeds.” Suddenly, shame overwhelmed him. He was sorry that he had kept his sanctuary a secret for so long. He was sorry about a great many things.
Faye snickered, she had plenty of seeds. Another one of her secrets still intact. Drop it. Time for a swim.
Amber, Faye, Sheila stood quietly still for a full thirty-seconds, absorbing the scene before them. The giggling began to echo throughout the chamber as they removed their clothes.
“It’s cold.” Harold cautioned. He stood like a statue, grinning unabashedly at the naked women. Then he began to undress.
Sheila dove into the water, her reptilian tattoo seemed to come to life as she disappeared beneath the water. Amber jumped in next, her strands of long dirty hair spread out like sea grass in a tidal pool, drinking the moisture. Redwing hopped along a ledge leading into the water and half jumped and half fell into the water, licking the water with his long pink tongue, making small waves with his wagging tail as he circled the girls.
Faye stood naked in front of Harold. She watched him undress. He hesitated before pulling off his shorts. His half erect penis sprang to attention as he removed them. Embarrassed, he was about to turn away when Faye grabbed his erect penis like a hammer handle, pulling him toward her. They hit the cold water together, hand in hand like two young lovers skinny-dipping for the first time. Faye reached for him; he for her. They pressed their bodies together, treading water as they kissed and caressed and whispered and wept. What fools they had been, denying themselves for such a long time. Harold pulled Faye to a half-submerged ledge where they made endless love, nestled together like starfish on a coral reef.
Amber and Sheila watched from across the pond. They enjoyed the rare display of affection. They each had their own fantasies to entertain. There was nothing to say. Delightful squeals echoed under the dome as they relaxed while enjoying one of the simplest elemental pleasures. They scrubbed each other's backs and hair pausing every now and then to drink in the magnificence of their surroundings.
Sheila noticed Amber. She had been watching Faye and Harold for several minutes. She swam to her. "Looks nice, doesn't it. I haven't had a lover in...almost eight years. How long has it been for you?"
"My entire life." Amber's clean, smooth cheeks glowed in the dim light.
“Really?” The eyebrows arched to the moon.
“Yes, really. There weren't any boys living near me. I never had the opportunity. My mom tried to explain love to me, but I didn't understand what she was talking about. I've never even been in love. I’m not sure I would know it when I felt it.”
“Believe me. You will know it. What did you think about that Jerry dude? He was pretty cute, wasn't he? I saw his eyes when he shook your hand. He was definitely interested. Didn't you feel anything?"
Amber's cheeks glowed like a ripe apple. “I did feel something. I don't know how to describe it. It...”
Sheila squealed with delight. "Don't bother sweetie. I know what you want to say." Sheila Redwing. "Come on boy let's get you cleaned up." The two girls scrubbed their hairy friend leaving the lovers undisturbed.
CHAPTER 25
Jerry firmly gripped the rubber coated handles of the cable cutter and snipped the first wire at the bottom of the fence. Leland scanned the camp using the scope of his rifle, watching for any reaction to the noise from inside the camp. The two had speculated for years about the security fence surrounding the quarries. Is it electrified? Are there motion sensors? What about anti-personal mines? And on and on. Jerry continued to cut the chain links. Each snap of the wire echoed through the compound. Certainly someone would hear...unexpectedly, the compound remained eerily quiet and dark. No lights shone through the barracks windows. The guard shack appeared to be empty.
They knew Roland was badly injured and some if not all of the agent’s vehicles were out of commission. Were all of the agents out to the warehouse? It appeared that way. Wherever the remainder of the agents were, they weren’t in camp. Tonight would be an ideal time to test the security systems. How sophisticated are they? The boys intended to find out.
Jerry completed the hole. They rolled a few heavy rocks through the hole to trigger any buried sensors. They tossed stones deep into the compound, listening to them rattle against metal roofs. Nothing happened. No alarms, no sirens, no flashing lights. They looked at each other. “Well, that answers a lot of questions.” Leland scoffed.
"Let's cut another hole closer to quarry one," Jerry suggested. He was inclined to eliminate the entire fence one piece at a time.
Leland scoped the guardhouse inside the front gate. It was lit but appeared to be empty. “Let’s walk through the damn gate, Jerry. These guys have been putting us
on for years. I think it's time we called their bluff." He chambered a round and walked toward the gate.
“I got your six.” Jerry followed, setting his bow and quiver aside, choosing instead the knife for close-quarters combat. They crouched low as they tip-toed crossed the dirt road and peeked through the plexiglass windows of the guard’s shack. Two men were seated on the floor playing cards, arguing, oblivious to their surroundings. Leland gave Jerry a concerned look, neither he nor Jerry had any training for this kind of situation. But, They had to do something. What? Scare the shit out of them, that’s what.
Leland pointed to his rifle, then to the men. Jerry nodded, though he had no idea what was going through Leland’s mind. Suddenly, Leland jumped to his feet, aimed at the window and pulled the trigger. The deafening explosion and muzzle blast was followed by a hail-storm of safety glass that peppered the two card players with glass shrapnel. In shock, the pair covered their ears with their hands and curled up like two worms on hot concrete in anticipation of additional destructive forces.
Jerry followed Leland through the door, quickly moving to the two cowering men before they could gather their wits.
“Next time, Lee, give me a little warning.” Jerry was almost yelling and he still couldn’t hear himself. He thought his eardrums had ruptured. His head was ringing. The ringing looped.
“I thought I did.” Leland laughed, he was stoked. He expected to meet more resistance. He was completely surprised that they had succeeded in capturing two of Hanson’s men without a fight. He cautioned himself not to become over-confident.
The guardhouse was a sty, littered with peanut shells, empty whiskey bottles, playing cards and cigarette butts and ashes. The acrid stench of black powder filled the room making it difficult to breathe. One of the men on the floor made an effort to reach the M-4 Carbine leaning against the wall. Leland stepped on the man’s spine forcing him flat on the floor and placed the hot muzzle of the 30.06 against the nape of his neck.
“Don’t you fuckin’ move, man.” The prisoner mumbled a few unintelligible words and relaxed under Leland’s weight.
“These guys are totally drunk, Jer. They’re not going to cause us any trouble. Not right now, anyway. Let's tie them up and gag them. We can figure out what to do with them, later.”
Leland held the rifle ready while he watched Jerry cut the pant-legs off each man.
“My granddaddy taught me how to tie a hog. I’m gonna tie these fellas the same way. Like hogs.” He laughed while he continued to alter the pants, cutting cut four inches of material off each leg and stuffing it in the mouths of the inebriated men. He removed their nylon belts and used them to tie the gags in place. He cut the remaining material into strips, using them to bind their hands, knees. Finally, he removed their boots and bound the ankles to their hands lashing them tightly behind their backs.
“That should hold them for a while,” he said proudly, while he tied the boot laces together. "These look like they’ll fit me.” Without further comment, he walked across the road and placed the boots behind the Federal Water Dispenser then returned to the shack.
“Those are just like the boots I used to have when I was in Dakota. Army boots, dude. They don’t get any better than that. I wore a pair for five years before they gave out. Now I have two pair. You want a pair? Lee? You listening to me? They got some good gear, man. I’m gonna strip them on the way back. Seriously...oooooowwww...”
Leland let go of Jerry’s ear. “For the last time, SHUT the hell up.” He took the two-way radio standing in a solar charger near the south-facing window and snapped it on his belt. Then the watch, the handcuffs, the belt, the socks and, finally, the pants. What the hell, they owed him. Where was the ID? The only item remaining was a translucent tag, about the size of a business card, suspended from the man’s neck by a narrow, flexible strap. That must be it. He yanked on the tag, breaking the strap. He studied it for a few moments. It had some weight and it was about an eighth inch thick. It had to be something more than a name tag. He shook it; no rattle. There was a name printed near the edge, “Witherspoon,” Weird name. He was talking to himself now. As he turned rotated it in the light of his headlamp, he noticed a smudge in the middle of the card. He mushed his thumb on the smudge, nothing happened. “Must have run out of batteries, too. You know what, Jer?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “I think these guys have been waiting a long time for that train. That’s their supply train...you know what I’m saying, dude? We should check it out.” Then he noticed that one corner of the card was scratched from heavy use. He pinched the corner. A white orb holograph rose from the card like a beacon in the fog. Slowly, a black swan appeared inside the orb, followed by a flashing logo above the orb: BLACK SWANS... After a few seconds the letters morphed into tiny black swans as they flew away, disappearing in the fog. Remarkable. What else can it do. How do you activate the damn thing?
"You ever hear of an organization called the Black Swans?"
Jerry shook his head. “No. Why?”
"Because the ID Tags this guy is wearing identifies him as a Black Swan, not a Homeland Security Agent.”
Jerry was still marveling at the M-4. “What’s your point? When did they identify themselves as Homeland Security Agents?” Of course, he couldn’t leave it at that. “I met a HSA, that’s how they say it, you know, HSA, anyway I met this dude who said he was an HSA agent in Dakota...owwww...owwww...OK...OK...I’ll shut up.” Jerry rubbed his sore ear.
Leland continued. “As I was about to say, they showed up for the fist time twelve years ago. They came in on helicopters, identified themselves as Homeland Security Agents, showed us a document from the government to corroborate their story, then claimed the quarries for emergency use, said they’d be back and then they were gone. That was it. It happened so fast we didn’t offer any resistance. We didn’t ask any questions. We just stood there and swallowed everything they fed us. Of course, they were in good shape back then, wearing fresh uniforms, polished boots and armed to the teeth.They scared the shit out of me. At the time, I thought they were for real. Milton had some doubts but we never did anything about it. We never verified their credentials. We had a landline back then, we could have made a call. What a bunch of suckers we were.”
He paused, reflecting on the indignities suffered while under the thumb of the Black Swans. “Now it’s time for some payback. Let’s check out the rest of the compound and then go search the train. There must be supplies on board and no one needs supplies worse than we do. You get my meaning, Jerry? There might food and ammo on that train.” Leland slipped the ID Tags into his pocket, hoping to hack them when he had more time.
“You ready?”
“Yeah. I’m taking this along.” Jerry shouldered the M-4. He felt stronger. Powerful. Now all he needed was bullets.
“Watch out goose guys, here I come.”
“Black swans, Jerry, not goose guys. Is that weapon loaded?”
“No.”
“Why are you taking it?”
“Why are you taking that pile of stuff?” Jerry said, indicating Leland’s pile of plunder.
“I need this stuff.” Leland smirked.
“Right, and I need this.” He patted the carbon-fiber stock of the M-4. Besides, I might find some bullets. I found a bunch of bullets on the res when I was a kid. I..OW...what the hell...what did you do that for?”
“Shut the hell up Jerry. I’m trying to concentrate.” Leland scanned the compound with his scope. It was useless in the dark. He squinted, trying to penetrate the shadows, looking for movement.
Jerry was examining the M-4. He was surprised at how little it weighed, maybe six pounds, if that.
“This must be military issue, Lee. It’s bad-ass, dude. Too bad the clip is empty. The pale ducks ran out of ammo, do you believe that?” He shouldered the weapon and looked through the scope he could see individual trees in the forest.
“This thing can see in the dark, dude.”
“For real? Let me see.” Lel
and reached for the weapon.
“Wait, I’m scanning the camp.” Jerry was quiet for a few moments. “Nobody out there, Lee, lets get busy.” Jerry exited the guard shack, Leland followed.
They approached the first barracks quietly. It was a converted forty-foot shipping container with a door at each end and eight windows along each side. The peeked into each window as they tip-toed toward the door. From what they could see with their tiny headlamps, the wooden bunk beds were empty. They opened the screen door and eased inside. The rusted hinges squealed a warning. The intruders, hearts pounding, expected to be confronted at any moment but they remained unmolested. They scanned the room with their headlamps as they walked along the rows of bunk beds. Several dozen foot lockers were stacked along the far wall.
"These guys are pigs, man. Look at that pile of trash in the corner. That’s what pigs do, man, the shit in the same corner all the time. Did you know that, man?
Leland rolled his eyes and tried to remain alert while Jerry offered a running commentary. “The floor is sticky, cigarette butts and bottles strewn across the floor. I thought our place was in bad shape. This mess makes us look like neat freaks.”
Jerry shone his flashlight on the walls and ceiling. Uncovered insulation sagged between the wall studs and ceiling joists. "These guys must have been freezing during the winter." He opened the door of the wood burning stove and sifted through the ashes, finding nails, melted bottle caps, staples and a small triangular bit of paper. He pulled the bit of paper from the ashes. “Looks like they burn anything and everything; mostly trash. What’s with these guys? They’re living in a forest but they’re burning trash to stay warm.”
“We do the same thing, don’t we?” Leland snickered. He thought of the thousands of paperbacks that Milton had fed to the fire. “We’re pretty lazy, too.”
Jerry focused his headlamp on the bit of paper. In the corner was printed ‘Section 2A.’ There was something familiar about the numbering convention, but it didn’t immediately register. “It looks to me like they’re getting ready to check out.”