Kenneth stood at the head of the large conference table with his hands up on his sides. He was scanning the group as people shuffled into the room trying to find a spot to stand in the space that was left.
“Alright everybody, please settle down,” Kenneth yelled out as an attempt to quiet the packed room. “There are a lot of rumors floating around and I’m going to try to clarify things as best as I can for everybody. Yes, we will be moving quite a bit of our operations to a smaller town in upstate New York.”
The room immediately erupted in displays of every emotion imaginable. Kenneth could see people nodding to each other with big smiles spread across their faces. He could also see people throwing their hands up in frustration. Some were yelling at him. There was a woman in tears that pushed her way through the crowd towards the door.
“Please, people!” Kenneth was yelling again. “I’m just the messenger on this. As you may or may not know, we are partially controlled by the new government entity...or corporation, whatever they are.” He was no longer yelling as the room had mostly settled down again, “It’s about as clear as mud. Anyway, the CMA, as they are calling themselves, are asking us to implement some of our disaster and safety plans. You may have heard that fires have been started in some of the buildings on our street and the surrounding blocks. The CMA wants us all to be safe and also for us to have continuous broadcasting. The streets are pretty dangerous right now with the rioting. The CMA has told us that they will have security posted on the streets by the end of the day to help combat the problem. Not everyone will be moving. The transition will take about a week. A very minimum crew will remain here. Well, they will remain here unless there is an emergency here. In that case, we may have to give over full control of the broadcast to one of our affiliates at a different location. The CMA has also told us that we will have plenty of assistance in the transition..as far as travel goes.”
Many began to ask questions and many others began talking to each other again. Kenneth didn’t have the answer to most of the questions he received. Too many similar questions kept getting asked over and over. He was getting frustrated.
“Listen! I’ve told you all that I’ve been told. There is plenty of work to be done. We can’t stay in here all day asking questions. You’ll find out more as I find out more. I just had a meeting with all of your immediate supervisors before this. They’ll have more information on what you should be doing for the rest of the day. Marcus, are you in here?”
“Right here,” Marcus put up his hand. He had been one of the first in the room for the meeting and was standing off of Kenneth’s right-hand side near the window.
“Marcus, follow me after this meeting. I have an assignment for you.”
*****
Marcus had to quicken his pace to keep up with Kenneth, which was difficult as he was still overly exhausted.
“You are going to be all over the place, Marcus. The CMA has things they’d like us to cover.”
“I’m sure they do,” Marcus said in a sarcastic tone.
“I know you don’t like this. I don’t like it either. But, what can we do?”
Marcus didn’t answer. He wanted to but he couldn’t think of anything to say that Kenneth would agree with.
“So the CMA has started to set up some camps around the country. They want you to go and do a story on one to show what they look like.”
“Camps? What, they already have concentration camps for dissenters?” Marcus asked.
Kenneth, surprised by the response, shot a glance over to Marcus.
“I’m just kidding,” Marcus quickly added. He then thought that maybe he shouldn’t joke about that.
“From my understanding, they are being put in place because of all the rioting going on,” Kenneth said. “They are anticipating people fleeing the big cities and trying to seek safety. I guess if you get too many people showing up in small rural areas without the infrastructure to support them then there’ll be more problems.”
“It’s still odd that they are already building these and we aren’t a whole day into the announcement of all these changes. I couldn’t have told who the CMA was yesterday. I couldn’t have told you who they were when I got here to work this morning. If they are building massive camps around the country to support people bugging out of cities, it means they already had everything they needed in place.”
“I’m with ya, Marcus. There is way too many things like that. For example,” Kenneth lowered his voice to a whisper, “they gave us a box full of I.D. badges for everyone that we are supposed to hand out today. How’d they get everyone’s information and pictures to have those ready? Someone up top must’ve known about this beforehand. They already knew we had contingency plans for relocation. They ordered us to move on those plans.”
“Huh,” Marcus was processing all the new information and didn’t say anything more.
They arrived at Kenneth’s office and Marcus was handed a packet that Kenneth picked up off of his desk.
“This has the details for what you’ll be doing for the story. You should probably go home and get cleaned up and get some rest. You’ll have a helicopter that you’ll be paired with for the time being. I think they want you back sometime in the middle of the night to head to the camp. All the details are in the packet. I think you have a long day tomorrow. There’s more than just the camp to cover tomorrow. Like I said, it’s all in that packet.”
“Anything else?” Marcus asked as he opened the packet and flipped through.
“Nope,” Kenneth answered and Marcus turned to leave. “Oh wait,” Kenneth yelled as Marcus reached the door, “your new badge is in the back of that packet. You’ll need that from now on, especially traveling with the CMA. Here is a phone as well.” Kenneth picked up a small cell phone from out of a box that sat on his desk and tossed it to Marcus. “They said cell service to the public is very patchy right now but these phones they gave us are supposed to work no matter what.” Marcus had his own phone in his hand and looked down at the screen and saw he currently did not have service. He frowned.
“I can see the writing on the wall, Ken,” Marcus said as he started to back up out of the office. “They are going to fly me to one of these concentration camps not to do a story, but to drop me off and leave me there for good,” Marcus chuckled and all Kenneth did in response was shake his head at him.
*****
Marcus placed his new cell phone in his desk drawer and closed and locked it. He didn’t care if they couldn’t contact him at his home or on his own phone. He’d be returning soon enough anyway to catch the flight to the camp. He thought of the new phone as if it were disease infested. He hated that he was now working for the corporation that stood for everything that he was against.
Marcus walked back to the conference room for the third time that day and saw it was empty again. He went in and closed the door and walked up to the window. He could see the uniformed CMA troops down on the streets below. It looked as if their presence was keeping the violent crowds away for the time being. He pulled the card Thomas had given him earlier out of his pocket and stared at it. He wondered if he should update him on the fact that he’d be out of the city the next day and also update him on WWNL’s move out of the city. He checked his cell phone and noticed he now had a few bars of service. He dialed Thomas’s number.
Chapter Thirteen
Alejandro was staring straight into the strange man’s eyes. He still had the shotgun held low but was ready to bring it up quickly. He wasn’t sure, but he thought the man couldn’t see the gun in his hands.
“What kind of supplies do you have in here?” the man asked in a demanding tone. “It looks like you are packed pretty full.”
“It’s no concern of yours,” Alejandro answered.
The man chuckled and opened Juana’s door and she gasped. Alejandro quickly raised the shotgun in response and pointed the barrel directly at the man’s face. His face quickly morphed from a look of controlled calm into a look of wide-ey
ed surprise and rage.
“You don’t want to do that,” the man said. He lifted his chin in the direction of the group of vehicles on the opposite side of the parking lot. “We have quite a bit more than one shotgun.”
“I think they are a bit occupied at the moment to come to your rescue,” Alejandro quickly said back. The man narrowed his eyes. He was obviously becoming angrier and was trying to find a way to gain control of the interaction. “Just step back,” Alejandro said.
He kept the shotgun steady. He felt nervous and had expected to be shaky but he knew the stakes could be his wife’s life. Adrenaline flowed through him, heightening his senses. The man didn’t move back. The man started glancing down at Juana and then back at him. Alejandro was sure the man would be able to see the shotgun that Juana had sitting on her left side. He was hoping the man wouldn’t drop down behind the car. If he did, then Alejandro would no longer have a clear shot at the man. Juana would be in between them and there was no way he would shoot in that situation.
Just as Alejandro was contemplating the scenario, his fears unfolded before him. The man dropped to his knees and yanked Juana out of the car and held her in front of himself. Juana screamed and the man held his knife in front of her face and told her to be quiet.
“Alright, this is how this is going to go now,” the man said as he slowly rose from his knees, pulling Juana up with him. He had his right arm up to Juana’s neck with his forearm tucked under her chin now. The knife was in his right hand which put it next to the left side of her face. His other arm was placed across her middle, holding down both of her arms. He held tightly to her right wrist. “You are going to lay down that twelve gauge. Put it on the hood of the car and then you walk back by the trunk. I think it’s obvious what will happen if you don’t do everything I say.” He briefly moved the knife to her throat and then repositioned his forearm back under her chin.
Alejandro still held the shotgun steady at the man’s head. The man was a least a whole head taller than Juana and there wasn’t much he could do to hide completely behind her. Alejandro’s mind was racing. He wasn’t sure how much time he had before the man went through with his threat. Although he could aim clearly at his head, he still didn’t like the fact that the spray from the shotgun could still easily hit Juana. How he wished for slug shells to be in the gun rather than the buckshot he knew was in it. He thought he might aim high. However, if he missed, it could be all over for Juana as well, and it would be by his hand.
Alejandro was beginning to feel defeated and slowly began to lower the gun. It had only been seconds, ten at the most, that had passed since he lost the upper hand on the situation. He wished he would’ve pulled the trigger the second the man went for Juana’s door. He wished Juana had the other shotgun ready in her hands while she sat in the car. Why did she dislike holding guns? He had taught her plenty about use and safety. He wished he had a pistol or a high caliber hunting rifle. He wished too much. Wishes weren’t going to do anything for them now.
“DO IT NOW OR SHE GETS HER THROAT CUT!” the man shouted at him. Juana had tears continuously flowing down her cheeks.
Alejandro’s arms hung low now. All of the adrenaline and confidence had drained from him. He moved towards the front of the car. He dragged his feet, never lifting them a single millimeter. He lifted the shotgun with both hands and set it on the hood, keeping both hands on it. He stared into Juana’s eyes, tears forming in his. He shifted his eyes to the man. He lowered his brow as his face shifted from sadness to pure rage. Before letting go, an idea sparked into his mind. A plan was forming. He needed to get the other shotgun. The man had not seen it when he grabbed Juana. He slightly lifted and rapidly pumped the shotgun until all the shells were expended. The few red cartridges were rolling across the hood and falling to the ground. The man chuckled at Alejandro’s actions.
“Now move away from it. Get back by the trunk,” the man said, no longer shouting.
Alejandro lifted his hands from the shotgun and said, “let her go now.”
“MOVE,” he shouted. “I’ll let her go when I want to let her go. Maybe I take her with me. She feels pretty nice against me. Get away from the gun. I will cut her throat,” the man raised his voice with the threat.
Alejandro stepped backward. He hadn’t anticipated the man taking Juana as he formulated his plan moments ago. He would have to be fluid in his actions, conforming to whatever happened as this continued forward. He moved around his open driver’s door as he stepped towards the rear of the car, never taking his eyes off of the man and Juana. He slowed as he was abeam the open door. He wanted the man to let go of Juana and make a move for the empty shotgun on the hood. He also thought this would be a good time for Will and his sidearm to return. He contemplated that if he made a move for the shotgun in the car, it might prompt the man to let go of Juana and scramble to get the shotgun on the hood and then have to crawl around on the ground to get the shells to load it. He would regain the advantage then. The worst case scenario would be that he does something to Juana first before getting the gun. He had to do something.
To Alejandro’s surprise, the man pushed Juana away from himself. He still held on to her wrist firmly, but she was no longer his shield. This was Alejandro’s opportunity. If he didn’t act now the man would soon have a loaded shotgun and would still have Juana and Alejandro assumed he’d be dead. Juana might die too but Alejandro feared more horrors would come to Juana if she wasn’t immediately killed in this situation. The man bent down and picked up a shell that had rolled near him and then moved towards the hood of the car. Alejandro lunged onto the driver’s seat of the car and quickly pulled the shotgun from the passenger side. This move made the man panic. It was clear he wanted to pull Juana in front of him again but he also wanted to get the shotgun and load it. Still holding Juana’s wrist, he yanked her downwards and she tumbled onto the pavement. He now had the shotgun and was loading the single shell. His left hand was holding his knife up against the fore-end of the gun so he could still hold both weapons. His right hand was pushing the shell in.
Alejandro rocketed back out of the car. He swung the barrel up. The man had fumbled only for a moment while loading the shell. He was now bringing his barrel up towards Alejandro. Then came a loud boom. No, it was two loud booms. The report of both shotguns going off nearly simultaneously. Alejandro dropped to his knees. The adrenaline and shock of what just happened caused a feeling of numbness in his fingers. He had a continuous ringing in his head probably due to the same reason. The man across from him now lay on his back, gripping one of his shoulders. The shotgun and knife he had held were now laying next to him. Alejandro was starting to regain his senses and could hear the man grunting in pain through the ringing in his head. He patted himself as he still knelt on the ground. It appeared he was uninjured.
There was still a lingering numbness about his body from the shock of the intense situation that just played out. He couldn’t comprehend how he was not hit. The spray of the other shotgun must have gone over his head by only a couple of centimeters. He thought if he was any taller, the spray of metal would have scalped him. It had looked like he was staring down the other barrel just moments ago. The sound of Juana crying refocused his attention. He set down his shotgun as he stood to check on her.
“Juana! Are you okay?”
As soon as Alejandro asked the question the man sat up. Blood dripped from his shoulder wound. He was no longer holding the wound because he had his knife again. The wounded arm lay slumped in his lap. Without warning, he raised the arm with the knife and quickly sliced downwards toward Juana. The knife sliced a large gash across her forearm and she screamed in pain. Alejandro had wished he never set his gun down. In less than a second, he made the decision to lunge at the man rather than return to his shotgun a few steps back. He figured a return to the gun could mean more time for the man to continue slicing at Juana with his knife. Alejandro brought his foot up. With all the force he could bring together he slammed it agains
t the man’s face. His head whipped back and blood spewed out of his mouth. The knife flew from his hand and slid away. The man’s head cracked against the concrete.
The man quickly rolled over and pushed himself up. He swayed slightly from side to side, dazed from the shot and the kick to his face. Alejandro could see blood dripping from the man’s nose. His teeth were red and his bloody mouth dripped down the front of his lip. The man must have realized he would never regain any control in his attempted theft and he bolted towards the back of parking lot where the convoy of trucks were parked. Alejandro grabbed his shotgun and started to lift it to aim. He stopped part way, realizing the shot would be wasted. The man was too far out of range for a shotgun. He was going in between cars, bumping into them in a delirium-like state as he made his getaway.
Alejandro returned to Juana. He set the gun within arms reach as he knelt by her. He carefully lifted her hand from her bloody forearm. She was bleeding, but not to the amount that would make him worry that she might bleed out quickly. She immediately replaced her hand over the laceration.
“I’m going to get something from the car to wrap around the cut,” Alejandro said.
Only a moan came in reply as Juana continued to cry. She sniffled several times as the tears flowed. Alejandro went to the car and quickly returned with a t-shirt he pulled from a suitcase. He folded the shirt a few times, making sure the folded amount would be large enough to cover the whole cut. He wrapped her forearm with the shirt and tied it tightly, leaving just enough give in the shirt for her arm to not go completely numb.
As he helped her stand, Alejandro was surprised to see his neighbor, Mike, approach them. He was holding a baseball bat and his eyes seemed stuck wide open as they darted between the pool of blood on the ground and Juana’s arm.
“Al! What’s happened?” Mike questioned, still with the look of shock covering his face.
From Within Page 7